The world needs pipe to survive for water, oil, gas and sewage. Pipes have been a fundamental part of civilisation since 3,000 BC and as the world has developed, both in terms of population and infrastructure, the demand for pipe has expanded and is set to continue expanding.
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Pipe systems were first developed from clay and wood, but since the Industrial Revolution, materials such as steel, ductile iron, plastic and concrete have become more prevalent. Fiberglass followed in the 1950s with the development of downstream petrochemical products.
Today the world needs pipe to survive. We are reliant on water, gas, oil and electricity and pipes carry these materials from their source to their users. Pipes also carry away waste and sewage, from factories and homes.
Pipes are used across a diverse number of end-markets for transmission and distribution or as engineering and manufacturing components. Historically, certain pipe materials have been associated with particular end-markets and applications e.g. steel pipes for gas transmission, however, fiberglass has gained increasing acceptance in many end-markets.
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Governments and municipal authorities must invest in pipe systems due to:
- The rising global population and greater urbanisation bringing increased need for housing, non-residential buildings and infrastructure
- Accelerated economic growth of developing nations leading to increasing construction activity, infrastructure investment and industrial and residential water consumption
- Old piping systems in established economies requiring replacement
- Growth in downstream petrochemical plants and infrastructure investment in the Oil & Gas industry