What Does
Asbestos Cement Pipe Mean?
Asbestos cement pipe, also commonly known as transite pipe, is a cement liquid transportation vessel that is tubular in shape. The asbestos in asbestos cement pipe is used to enhance its mechanical properties. Commonly used in the 20th century, asbestos cement pipe has been mostly discontinued due to health concerns.
Asbestos cement pipe was commonly used to transport drinking water, wastewater, gases and fumes. Although highly resistant to corrosion, it does eventually undergo thinning, so replacement of existing asbestos pipe systems is happening with increasing frequency. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe is often used as a less hazardous alternative.
Corrosionpedia Explains Asbestos Cement Pipe
Asbestos cement pipe is a special type of pipe that uses asbestos to provide improved mechanical properties to traditional cement pipe. Plain cement pipe often lacks tensile strength. The added asbestos fibers provide cement pipe with improved tensile strength.
Asbestos pipe was mostly used in the middle of the 20th century. During the 1970s and 1980s it declined in use, primarily because of the health risks it exposed to workers who were fabricating and installing the pipe. Particularly concerning was when workers cut asbestos pipe, which often sent dust into the air. When asbestos dust is inhaled, it can cause severe health problems, including conditions such as mesothelioma.