PE100 Technical Guide
Technical reference for PE100 material grade, pressure design and pipe selection.
Published Last reviewed
What is it?
PE100 is a polyethylene compound designation with Minimum Required Strength (MRS) of 10 MPa at 20 °C for 50 years — used to size HDPE pressure pipe wall thickness and PN class.
Designers specify PE100 when higher allowable stress enables thinner walls or higher pressure at the same outside diameter (SDR). Bukan Pipe produces PE100 HDPE pipes from 16 mm to 630 mm, pressure rating 2.5 to 25 bar (depending on grade and SDR) for water, gas and industrial networks.
MRS and hoop stress
MRS is the long-term hydrostatic strength of the compound. PE100 (MRS 10 MPa) allows higher design stress than PE80 (MRS 8 MPa), which translates directly into PN class at a given SDR.
SDR and PN
Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) relates outside diameter to wall thickness. PN marked on water pipe is the nominal pressure at 20 °C reference temperature — not necessarily the field operating pressure.
Key design parameters
| PE100 MRS | 10 MPa |
|---|---|
| PE80 MRS | 8 MPa |
| PN reference temperature | 20 °C for marked PN on supply pipe |
| Production range (Bukan Pipe) | Single-wall HDPE, from 16 mm to 630 mm, pressure rating 2.5 to 25 bar (depending on grade and SDR) |
The catalogue diameter, wall thickness and SDR tables are published in the HDPE pipe dimensions chart; for a project order, confirm the final specification with sales.
PE100 vs PE80 in practice
- Same SDR: PE100 typically allows higher PN or thinner wall
- Material grade must match the project specification — not automatic substitution
- Temperature derating applies to both grades (MOP = fT × PN)
Standards context
Qualifying water supply production references INSO 14427-2. Gas projects may reference EN 1555, INSO 11223 and utility documents such as IGS-M-PL-014-1. Always follow the engineer's basis of design.
FAQ
- Does PE100 eliminate temperature derating?
- No. MOP must still include the temperature factor fT at service temperature.
- Where do I get diameter and weight tables?
- Request a project specification sheet from Bukan Pipe sales — tables are issued per diameter, SDR and PN.