FAQ

2025-09-12

How do you code line bends in PACP? (Degrees vs. Percentages)?

1. PACP-Certified professionals are required to estimate pipe bend radii from the point where the change in alignment begins, to the point where the change in alignment ends.

2. In a visual condition assessment, such as a standard PACP inspection, this is done visually, meaning the PACP-Certified professional will estimate the change in alignment to the nearest 5%.

3. There are devices/tools that exist that can measure bend angles more accurately than with visual inspection/assessment alone, such as Gyroscopic Pipeline Mapping, Laser profiling, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), Survey-grade positional data or Crawler odometry combined with orientation sensors.

4. If more accurate assessment methodologies are utilized, the amount of deviation can be recorded as a percentage with up to three decimal points of accuracy.

5. In manufactured pipe sewers, bends are typically achieved through utilization of an "elbow" or bend fitting (typically a 90°, 45°, 22.5° or 11.25° bend).

6. While manufactured pipe sewers are more likely to have specific bend radii as per specifications, these pipes can be installed with deflection, where the spigot is inserted slightly off-center within the bell, allowing a small angular change at joints.

7. In brick and clay-tile sewers, bend deviation may be even less standard due to the fact they were built by hand/built in place.

8. In PACP, pipe bends are measured visually using a percentage that corresponds with the following: 11.25° = 10%, 22.5° = 25%, 45 ° = 50%, 90° = 100%.