Building defects database - Underground pipework

Record details

Sections of perforated, zinc-coated, steel 'barrel', potable water main supply pipe. These sections of pipe were located just outside a 1920s cottage, laid into the ground at a depth of approximately 750mm. The steel pipe had been laid without any other protection than the zinc coating. Zinc is a sacrificial anode and, in aggressive soil, will eventually break down, allowing the steel pipe to perforate, causing a waste of water.