Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-04-20
WOOD PIPE FOR
CONVEYING WATER
Properly Maintained Fir or Red.
wood Pipe Should Last 20
Years If Exposed.

wood Pipe Should Last 20
Years if Exposed.
Elbow long will it last?" is a ques-
tion asked perhaps more than any
other concerning the use of wood pipe
for irrigation. That the life of such
wood pipe should be at least 20 years
II the pipes are fully exposed and sup
ported free from all contact with the
soil; If the material is either fir or
redwood; and If the pipe has been
properly maintained, is the conclusion
Of a specialist of the United States
Department of Agriculture in pro-
fessional paper on "Wood Pipe for
Conveying Water for Irrigation" (Bul-
lCtin No. 1859. Irrigation engineers
and the owners of irrigation works
will be particularly interested in this
new pamphlet which may be had
free Of charge by applying to the De-
partment Of Agriculture, Washington.
d. C.
Many millions of dollars are already
invested in wood pipe lines in the
United States and this amount is being
increased annually. Protection of
these investments demands that exist.
ing pipe lines be maintained and oper-
ated in accordance with what exper-
fence has shown to be the best prac-
tice. Future investment should also
be safeguarded by designing, main
tanning and locating new pipe lines &C.
cording to the best known practices.
The length of life of wood pipe is
dependent on the life Of the wood
rather than on the life of the bands.
although contrary theories were held
80 years ago. Only in rare instances
have the bands failed first. Corrosion
Of the bands being chemical action,
requires the presence of moisture and
oxygen. 1t usually occurs most rapidly
where pipes are buried and the back
fill is wet, under conditions which, as
q rule, are most favorable for the life
OF the wood. Corrosion is greatly &C.
/. CELEBRATED by the presence of alkali in
the soil.
The decay of wood pipe is due prim-
arily to the growth of fungi, though
possibly certain forms of bacteria may
assist in the final destruction of the
wood cells. The growth of fungi to an
extent detrimental to the life of the
wood requires favorable combination
of moisture, air and heat. The exclu-
sion Of any one of these beyond GER
ain limits inhibits their growth.
' Ut follows that with pipes buried in
d the ground the wood will endure long
Hest where the air is most nearly ex-
included either by a high internal pres
4 lure which completely saturates it or
Z " deep covering of very fine soil.
: IN accordance with the foregoing state
ttment, experience shows that in con-
fetact with the soil wood pipe decays
q more rapidly under light head than
mt does under heavy pressure, and
rpther things being equal, 1t usually
;. decays more rapidly in a porous open
soil, such as sand or gravel, than it
Ices in fine soil of silt or clay, be-
, ,ause the finer soil is more effective
excluding the air. Experience ap-
pears to indicate also that wood decays
lahore rapidly In loamy soil, rich in
mhumus or partially decayed organic
d matter, than it does in one containing
wlittle or none. This is probably due
( to the fact that the presence of organic
matter affords more favorable condi-
lions for the development of fungus
growth and bacteria.
Pipes fully exposed to the atmos-
phere and free from contact with the
soil will, as rule, be too dry on the
exterior to favor the development of
fungus spores, and so long as the out
side of pipe remains dry no appreci-
able decay will occur, even though the
internal pressure is very light. Decay
Of exposed pipes almost invariably
starts at the end of slaves as result
OF leaky joints. Where water leaks
out and runs down over the outside OF
the pipe favorable conditions are af-
forded for the growth Of the algae,
which usually gets start, then MOSES
may begin to grow in the soil that col
lects on such spots, and decay spreads
to adjoining slaves. Bruising the
slaves in handling or injuring by too
tight clinching of bands renders them
more susceptible to infection by the
spores of Notwithstanding fungi, thus
Fastening decay. The life OF exposed
pipes may be prolonged by promptly
stopping all leaks as they develop and
by keeping the exterior dry. The de-
cay of buried pipes has also in some
instances been arrested by removing
the covering and leaving them exposed.
The asphaltum or tar coating applied
to machine-banded pipe, while intended
primarily as protection against cor
rosion of the bands, doubtless helps
also to some extent in preserving the
wood. Until recently the practice has
been to leave the ends of wooden
sleeve couplings untreated. These
couplings almost invariably decay long
before the main pipe. This may indi-
cate that infection of wood-destroying