To ensure the safe and reliable design of plastic and composite pipe systems, it is crucial to accurately assess their structural integrity.
This involves evaluating how pipes and fittings behave under axial tensile loads, which may be applied during installation (e.g. when pulling or laying) or during operation due to sustained pressure, thermal influences, or ground movements.
Conventional axial tensile testing of entire composite pipes and larger-diameter plastic pipes is often impractical due to the high-performance testing machines and associated costs required. The Hydro-Axial Tension (HAT) method was developed to overcome these challenges.