Some Considerations Regarding Cast Iron And Steel Pipes

Excerpt from Some Considerations Regarding Cast Iron And Steel Pipes
In the ordinary course of engineering practice some of the most important developments have been the direct result of the introduction of new and improved materials of construction. In this respect mild steel, owing to its high tensile strength, ductility, moderate cost and practically unlimited supply, is perhaps the most conspicuous example, particularly in its application to structural engineering work. The success of steel, however, has sometimes led to its introduction and departures from well-established and successful practice, without a due regard to the particular working conditions under which it was to be employed. The result of this at times has been more or less unsatisfactory; in this respect the employment of steel in the construction of underground pipes and conduits has in some examples been equally disappointing. The author for that reason has had occasion to consider various instances of failure of steel pipes, and the relative merits of cast iron pipes under similar circumstances.