The Steel Age Is Ending! The World Is Rebuilding Water, Oil and Gas Lines with Plastic Pipe
American REED Technology
In Türkiye, with the Assurance of Habib Makina
In Türkiye, a country under earthquake risk, the move to CPVC, PPRC, PEX and ABS based systems is now emerging not as a preference but as a necessity. In this transformation, the
American REED solutions that provide the cold cutting and safe joining technologies critical for plastic pipe have for 15 years been setting a new standard in infrastructure projects with the assurance of Habib Makina.
As steel pipes that corrode and turn brittle in an earthquake are rapidly abandoned in global infrastructure investment, their place is being taken by advanced engineering plastics such as HDPE, PE, PVCO, CPVC, PPRC, PEX and ABS, which can absorb seismic movement thanks to their flexible structure. As this transformation gathers speed in Türkiye too, in many critical projects from water, oil and gas lines to nuclear and industrial plants, the "cold technology" solutions that allow plastic pipe to be worked without disturbing its structure are of vital importance. Habib Makina places the cold cutting and bevelling technologies of the American REED brand, for which it has been the sole authorised distributor in Türkiye for 15 years, at the service of Turkish engineering. Thanks to structures that can absorb earthquake waves, long-lived and high-strength "special plastic" pipes today form the foundation of modern infrastructure from America to Northern Europe, from Japan to the Middle East. In Türkiye too, many projects are being realised with this technology, from BOTAŞ's strategic natural gas lines to İSKİ's main transmission lines and the critical cooling systems of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.
But the success of these billion-dollar investments depends on the details of application in the field. Expert engineering reports show that the wrong cutting and joining methods applied to plastic pipe seriously weaken the safety of the infrastructure. Heat-generating operations such as abrasive grinding and oxy-fuel cutting disturb the molecular structure of plastic pipe, make the line brittle and cause it to break at its weakest point during an earthquake. The solution to this critical problem comes from American REED technology, accepted as the "gold standard" of the infrastructure sector. Commenting on the subject, Habib Makina Deputy Chairman Yusuf Habib stressed that the use of the right equipment is of vital importance in plastic pipe infrastructure and said:
"The special plastic pipes used in infrastructure today provide a great advantage in terms of earthquake safety. But every intervention that applies heat to these pipes creates the weakest point of the system. Operations carried out with abrasive grinders or high-speed cutters disturb the molecular structure of the pipe. REED's cold cutting technology, on the other hand, preserves the structure of the pipe and lays the foundation of safe infrastructure."
National Security and Earthquake Resistance: The Infrastructure Underground Is of Vital Importance
Stating that Türkiye's seismic reality turns underground pipelines from a merely technical infrastructure element into a direct matter of national security, Yusuf Habib said: "Because steel and iron pipes have a rigid structure and cannot flex during an earthquake, they break; this leaves cities without water and, more dangerously, causes fires from ruptured natural gas lines. This picture clearly demonstrates that a brittle approach to infrastructure is unsustainable. Around the world the solution to these risks is found in the move to flexible, long-lived pipe technologies that can move with the tremor. Thanks to their ability to absorb earthquake waves, HDPE and molecularly oriented PVCO systems are now becoming standard in many countries. This 'living infrastructure' approach secures not only the pipelines but the continuity of cities as well."
A Plastic Shield in Strategic Sectors
Underlining that the move to plastic pipe systems now stands out as an unavoidable necessity in the sectors that form Türkiye's development backbone — energy, urban infrastructure and heavy industry — Habib said: "When the HDPE and PE systems used in energy and natural gas lines are joined by heat fusion, the seal becomes stronger than the pipe itself. Joints prepared with REED guillotine cutters, which give precise 90-degree cuts, raise even the most critical points of these lines to a high level of safety. In urban infrastructure and drinking water management, PVCO and PVC systems draw attention. While corroding steel pipes create high water loss and public health risks, PVCO pipes offer high pressure resistance even though they are far lighter than steel. The flawless weld preparations produced with REED BEVEL BOSS® technology prevent gasket slippage during an earthquake and secure the uninterrupted flow of water. In heavy industry and plant management, CPVC and ABS systems come to the fore. In environments where acidic waste and chemical corrosion wear steel away rapidly, these plastics protect the operational continuity of plants and prevent unplanned stoppages and economic losses."
The First and Critical Step: Spark-Free and Heat-Free Cutting
According to the information given by Habib Makina Deputy Chairman Yusuf Habib, the first and most critical step in infrastructure applications is spark-free and heat-free cutting. Some of the tools he recommends for cutting pipes made of steel, stainless steel, cast and ductile iron are:
- In narrow trenches, or where it is not possible to make a full turn around the pipe, REED hinged cutters can cut pipes from 1 inch to 12 inches with only a quarter-turn of the handle, without generating heat or sparks.
- Where the working space is even more restricted, the REED LCRC Low Clearance series comes into play. Able to work with a clearance of only 127 mm, this special series makes safe cold cuts on pipes from 2 inches to 16 inches.
- In larger-diameter infrastructure projects, REED RC Rotary cutters are used for pipes from 20 inches to 42 inches.
- In projects where speed becomes critical as diameter grows, the REED Universal Pipe Cutter (UPC) can cut plastic pipes from 6 inches to 48 inches, as well as cast iron and steel pipes of certain wall thicknesses, with its pneumatic power and without disturbing the material structure.
Flawless Preparation and Safe Joining
In the post-cutting operation, flawless bevelling and safe joining are of great importance. REED chain vices and field pipe vices are used to hold the pipes firmly, while REED BEVEL BOSS is preferred for chamfering and bevelling. Easily fitted to standard grinder motors, this system creates a smooth surface within seconds and allows the chemical adhesive to integrate fully with the pipe. At the electrofusion welding stage, the invisible oxide layer on PE pipes is removed with REED PE scrapers, and a completely leak-tight connection is thereby obtained.
Noting that practices frequently used at the pipe joining stage, such as "striking with an excavator bucket", cause major damage, Yusuf Habib stated that REED PPJ PLASTIC PIPE JOINERS play a critical role at this point: "The PPJ gently seats the pipe in place with mechanical leverage. It locks with millimetric precision and without damage. It is one of the rare technologies that allow even an incorrectly joined pipe to be separated again without harm."
A Holistic View in Infrastructure Investment
Stressing that a holistic point of view is essential in infrastructure investment, Habib Makina Deputy Chairman Yusuf Habib concluded:
"While we strengthen the structures above ground, we cannot neglect our veins below it. For İSKİ, DSİ and large industrial organisations this is no longer a preference but a necessity. The REED solutions offered with Habib Makina's 15 years of experience are the key to safe infrastructure for Türkiye, a country of earthquakes."
About Habib Makina
Habib Makina has been operating in the field of portable steel plate and pipe processing machines since 1980 and is among the long-established, reliable solution partners of Turkish industry. Having taken on the distributorship of many world-renowned brands of European, American and Far Eastern origin since its foundation, the company today represents the "single address for steel plate and pipe processing" approach in the sector with a structure specialised in steel pipe cutting and bevelling technologies.
In its early years Habib Makina had an activity structure weighted more towards domestic trade; over time it made significant progress in imports and international representation and reached a strong position in industrial solutions. Today, specialised in steel plate and pipe processing, the company offers comprehensive solutions for many sectors including infrastructure, energy, heavy industry and shipbuilding.
Serving through a widespread distribution network of approximately 100 dealers across Türkiye, Habib Makina follows changing customer needs closely and supports projects and companies with a broad product portfolio. The integrated solutions the company offers remove the need for customers to work with separate suppliers for different products and make it possible for them to receive professional, reliable service from a single point.
Having made it a basic principle since its foundation to follow innovations and to offer quality products at competitive prices, Habib Makina makes a difference in the sector with the strong service infrastructure it provides in technical support, after-sales service and fast spare part supply. With 46 years of experience the company continues to add value to Turkish industry in portable steel plate and pipe processing technologies and to strengthen its leading position in its sector.
