Polyethylene Pipe Failure
Polyethylene pipes, also frequently abbreviated as PE pipes, generally display brittle, slow crack growth usually in the longitudinal direction. The forces that exacerbate the growth of the crack are hoop stresses.
Circumferential Cracking can occur due to internal or external stresses, such as material defects or bending due to external loading or improper pipe laying methods, and point loading by stones or roots.
For pressurized pipes, the most likely failure point will be locations where stress is highest, such as joints, fittings and areas where stones or rocks exert pressure against the pipe.