Gulf Construction Online - Grooved couplings, the ‘future for the industry’

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Grooved couplings ... speedy installation.

Grooved couplings, the ‘future for the industry’

Grooved couplings are becoming the preferred alternative to traditional pipe joining, thanks to their effective coupling specification, ease of installation and flexibility, writes JARED BREIDINGER of Victualic.

01 August 2020

For as long as modern construction has been around, traditional pipe joining methods, like welding, threading or flanging, have been the go-to for contractors, simply because they were the best option at the time. As a result, they are often repackaged again and again within new project specifications.

But what if there is a better solution? What if this inertia is preventing enhanced performance, preventing installation efficiencies and cost savings from being achieved?

Grooved mechanical pipe joining may be just the solution.

Effective coupling specification

Although on the surface a similar product to either flanged or welded joints, grooved couplings command contrasting qualities. They’re closest in kind to flanging, in that they involve tightening bolts to join two pipe spools together, but this is where the similarities end.

A flanged solution, even at the smallest scale, will require star pattern tightening of four bolts. In contrast, a grooved coupling only requires two bolts to tighten the coupling around the pipe, after being secured within the groove.

Let’s stop for a minute and think about the demands of a modern building project. Construction deadlines are getting shorter, budgets are being tightened, blueprints are being more demanding. Time, cost and performance: these are where contractors are feeling the heat. It’s with these aspects in mind that grooved couplings really appeal as a preferred alternative to the traditional methods.

Time is a finite commodity, especially for contractors, which is why the speed and ease with which a solution can be installed is integral. Compared to flanging and the intensive welding process, grooved couplings only take on average a sixth of the time to complete the same job.

Installation ease

How do grooved couplings save time during installation? This relates to a number of factors, all combining to create a time-saving solution. Having to tighten only two bolts, the 360-degree rotation that allows the coupling to be orientated at any angle around the joint and the fact that they eliminate the need for qualified welders are some of the reasons why grooved couplings are giving the traditional methods a run for their money.

Time is money, especially in the construction industry and extra time on a job equals extra labour costs, extra provision and material renting costs, and potentially a fine for delivering the project past the deadline. Clients and contractors do not want to pay more than they strictly need to, and with budgets being tightened, any time-saving solution is good for the bottom-line.

Grooved couplings also make for safer jobsites: there are no open flames required for the welding process and no hazardous fumes released during the installation process. Victaulic, which produces grooved couplings, also provides contractors with free training and tutorial tools to ensure the installation goes as smoothly as possible and pays regular visits to the jobsite during installation.

A shift towards flexibility

Naturally, you can’t talk about speed and then deliver a product that doesn’t work and isn’t reliable. Certainly, the traditional methods have always reassured contractors with their sturdiness and their reputation of providing a decent outcome.

While grooved solutions certainly give no ground to the traditional joining methods in terms of robustness and reliability – ensured by a triple seal system between groove, gasket and housing which is enhanced when pressurised – it’s the additional qualities that have been turning contractors’ heads over the past couple of decades.

Grooved couplings come in two different varieties: rigid, which does not permit linear, angular or rotational movement at the joints; and flexible, designed to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction and to allow controlled linear and angular movement at each joint. Employing either one or the other, or a combination of the two, means grooved couplings can be used in virtually every application.

Flexibility is the buzz word for grooved couplings. Traditional solutions facilitate pipe expansion and contraction by expansion loops, which require extra space, or flex connectors, which are often the weakest point in the system. This is where grooved couplings differ: they save on required space and have a long history of proven reliability.

This is why grooved couplings are gaining popularity in the industry. and are becoming the preferred alternative to traditional pipe joining, and could well represent the future for the industry.

* Jared Breidinger is Division Manager, Middle East, India & Africa of Victualic, a leading producer of mechanical pipe joining, flow control and fire protection solutions.