Our Customer Service Team has put together a brief list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Hopefully it answers any questions you might have.
General FAQs, Click here
Q-Guard™ FAQs, Click here
Pipe FAQs, Click here
New Standard FAQs, Click here
Click on the Question to take you to the Answer.
The Answer will appear at the very top of your screen.
General Questions
Q-Guard™ FAQs
Q. What type of unit is the Q-Guard™ unit?
Q. What is the Q-Guard™ unit manufactured from?
Q. How are design treatment flow rates determined?
Q. What head losses are caused by a Q-Guard™ unit?
Q. Are there any limits on the velocity of flow entering the unit?
Q. What does the unit capture?
Q. What is the footprint of the unit?
Q. How long does it take to install a unit?
Q. What does it cost to install a unit?
Q. Are there any limitations as to the depth of the pipe inverts?
Q. How do you connect the unit to external pipes?
Q. Can grates be fitted to allow the unit to operate as a gully or field inlet?
Q. Can multiple inlet pipes be fitted to the unit?
Q. How often should the Q-Guard™ unit be cleaned out?
Q. How are Q-Guard™ units cleaned out?
Pipe FAQs
Q. Are FRC™ pipes made to an Australian Standard?
Q. What classes of pipe are available?
Q. Can FRC™ pipes be used in salt-water applications?
Q. How do you cut FRC™ pipe?
Q. Are fittings available for use with FRC™ pipe?
Q. Are FRC™ pipes available with rubber ring joints?
Q. How is FRC™ pipe delivered to site?
Q. What design aids are available to help the designer select the appropriate class of pipes?
New Standard FAQs
Q. What is AS4139?
Q. Why has the previous standard been changed?
Q. What are the significant changes from the original AS 4139?
Q. How does the new standard affect me?
Q. Under the new standard, how does FRC™ pipe compare to SRC pipe in terms of strength?
Q. Which organizations were represented on the Standards Committee for this new standard?
General Questions
Q. What is the standard length of FRC™ pipe?
A. The standard pipe length is 4m for 225mm – 750mm diameters (effective length may vary with joint type). Back
Q. What are the available diameters of FRC™ rubber ring jointed pipes?
A. 225, 300, 375, 450, 525, 600, 675, 750mm. Back
Q. How long does it take to receive an order?
A. Delivery times are dependent on the time of order placement, delivery address and availability of stock. As a general guide an order placed for available stock before 2pm, would be delivered the following working day within the metro area. Delivery timeframes outside the metro area will vary according to location. Back
Q. What is the cut off time for next day delivery?
A. Orders must be placed by no later than 2pm for next day delivery in a metro area (subject to stock and transportation availability). Back
Q. What if there is no stock available in my closest distribution center?
A. Stock will be transferred from Meeandah, Brisbane (subject to availability). Transfers take approximately 2 working days to Rosehill, Sydney and 3 working days to Ardeer, Melbourne. Back
Q. Is the availability of fittings different to the availability of pipes?
A. A lead time may be encountered for fittings. Availability will be advised at the time of order placement. Back
Q. Will I be charged a fee to return goods?
A. A handling charge will be made to cover the cost of sorting, re-stacking and testing (refer to Terms and Conditions of Sale). An additional charge will be incurred for goods requiring pickup. Back
Q. Where can I source a James Hardie FRC Pipes credit application?
A. Credit applications are available on our website at www.jameshardie.com.au, or from our Customer Service Team on Freecall 1800 659 850. Back
Q. What credit cards do James Hardie FRC Pipes accept?
A. Visa, Mastercard, Bankcard. Back
Q. Where are James Hardie FRC Pipes located?
A. James Hardie FRC Pipes is located at the following addresses:
- 46 Randle Road, Meeandah Qld
- 10 Colquhoun Street, Rosehill NSW
- Lot 2 Park West Drive, Ardeer VIC
Back
Q-Guard™ FAQs
Q. What type of unit is the Q-Guard™ unit?
A. The standard Q-Guard™ unit is a minor in-ground gross pollutant trap. The Q-Guard™ Series X unit is an oil and grit separator. Back
Q. What is the Q-Guard™ unit manufactured from?
A. External components are manufactured from pre-cast concrete. Frames, covers and grates are manufactured from heavy duty galvanised steel. Internal components are manufactured from stainless steel. Back
Q. How are design treatment flow rates determined?
A. Regulators generally specify the treating of a one in 3 month ARI storm event. Design treatment flow rate is normally determined by the stormwater designer and can be dependant on local conditions. Back
Q. What head losses are caused by a Q-Guard™ unit?
A. Any junction or chamber on a piped stormwater line will create hydraulic headlosses in the system. Head losses for Q-Guard™ units should be calculated based on a 'K' value of 1.3 (unless a higher value is specfied by the local authority). Back
Q. Are there any limits on the velocity of flow entering the unit?
A. Stormwater treatment devices typically work most efficiently when inlet velocities are sufficiently low as to permit reasonably quiescent conditions within the treatment chamber. Inlet pipe gradients of 2% and flatter are preferable for optimal performance of stormwater treatment devices. Back
Q. What does the unit capture?
A. Q-Guard™ units target gross pollutants (litter, cans, bottles, etc), aggregates and sediments, and free oils and greases. Q-Guard Series™ X units target free oils, greases and sediments with significant capture of urban litter. Back
Q. What is the footprint of the unit?
A. 'A' models are 1750 x 1000mm external footprint; 'B' models are 2650 x 1450mm external footprint; and 'C' models are 3300 x 1800mm external footprint. Back
Q. How long does it take to install a unit?
A. Installation times can vary depending on site conditions and constraints, but are typically in the range of 2 to 4 hours for 'A' models, 3 to 6 hours for 'B' models, and 4 to 8 hours for 'C' models. Back
Q. What does it cost to install a unit?
A. Installation costs depend on a number of factors including service locations, groundwater/tidal conditions, soil stability, installation depth, site access and the size of the treatment unit. Typical costs may range between $1,500 and $8,000. Back
Q. Are there any limitations as to the depth of the pipe inverts?
A. Standard units have set minimum and maximum depths. Refer to the Q-Guard Installation Guide for details. Back
Q. How do you connect the unit to external pipes?
A. External pipes are inserted into the inlet / outlet pipe openings of the unit and connection is sealed with mass concrete. Back
Q. Can grates be fitted to allow the unit to operate as a gully or field inlet?
A. Direct surface inflow via a grate or side entry pit is permitted with Series X -A1 and Series X-A2 units only. Back
Q. Can multiple inlet pipes be fitted to the unit?
A. Q-Guard™ units can only accommodate one inlet pipe which must also be in the same alignment as the outlet pipe. Back
Q. How often should the Q-Guard™ unit be cleaned out?
A. This depends on the catchment characteristics (eg. pollutant build-up and the intensity of rainfall events), but clean-out should be undertaken generally at least annually. As with all similar type units, there may be health and odour issues if clean-out frequency exceeds this period. Back
Q. How are Q-Guard™ units cleaned out?
A. Eductor (vacuum) trucks are used to extract stored pollutants from the unit. Back
Pipe FAQs
Q. Are FRC™ pipes made to an Australian Standard?
A. Yes, AS 4139, and installed to the requirements of AS3725. Back
Q. What classes of pipe are available?
A. Classes 2, 3 and 4 are available as standard products; for other classes please contact James Hardie. Back
Q. Can FRC™ pipes be used in salt-water applications?
A. Yes, as they contain no corrodible reinforcement, they are ideal in aggressive conditions such as salt-water. Back
Q. How do you cut FRC™ pipe?
A. The preferred method is with an abrasive blade or special fibre cement saw blade. We advise the use of a dust mask or respirator and safety glasses when cutting, as set out in the working safe section. When a cutting tool is not available, it is possible to modify the pipe with a hammer. Back
Q. Are fittings available for use with FRC™ pipe?
A. Yes, a very comprehensive range of fittings and adaptors are available for all our pipes. Special manufactured fittings can be fabricated to suit non-standard requirements. Contact James Hardie FRC Pipes Customer Service to discuss your requirements. Back
Q. Are FRC™ pipes available with rubber ring joints?
A. Yes, there are two jointing systems available, the standard rubber ring joint for in ground applications and the Supertite™ joint for suspended and aboveground use. Back
Q. How is FRC™ pipe delivered to site?
A. All FRC™ pipe is crated and strapped so as to avoid handling problems. Back
Q. What design aids are available to help the designer select the appropriate class of pipe?
A. James Hardie FRC Pipes make available flow charts and PipeLoad™ design software to help the designer select the correct pipe for each application. Fittings charts are also available. Back
New Standard FAQs
Following the adoption of the new standard for fibre reinforced concrete pipes (AS4139:2003), we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help explain how this affects concrete pipe design and installation.
Q. What is AS4139?
A. AS4139 is the Australian Standard that specifies the minimum requirements for pipes and fittings manufactured from fibre reinforced concrete, for the transportation of gravity water supply, stormwater, wastewater and sewage drainage. Back
Q. Why has the previous standard been changed?
A. The previous standard for FRC™ pipes and fittings was published in 1993. Since this time our knowledge about the behaviour of FRC™ pipes has increased, specifically the way pipes perform in a buried condition. The new standard effectively takes this new information into account. Back
Q. What are the significant changes from the original AS 4139?
A. The previous version of AS4139 considered both steel reinforced concrete (SRC) pipe and fibre reinforced concrete (FRC™) pipe to be rigid pipes, which did not significantly deform under load before cracking. It was assumed that there was no lateral support from the soil in which the pipes were buried. A regression factor ‘R’ was included in the previous standard to increase the initial strength of the FRC™ pipes to compensate for creep effects.
It has since been proven that FRC™ pipe, in buried installations, is able to sustain loads substantially in excess of the design code requirement. As the pipes stiffness reduces with time, deflecting with load, it obtains additional support from the surrounding soil, effectively distributing the load.
The new standard now recognises FRC™ pipe may be either a ‘semi-rigid’ or ‘rigid’ pipe, and defines rules for determining which classification, particular pipe diameters and classes, may be assigned. For buried pipe installations, the standard continues to require a FRC™ pipe to be installed in accordance with AS3725 – Loads on Buried Concrete Pipes. Back
Q. How does the new standard affect me?
A. When designing pipelines…
Now that all concrete pipes available in Australia will have the same long term design strength for a given diameter and class, designers will no longer have to consider different pipe classes for concrete pipes with different reinforcements.
When purchasing pipes…
When designers specify a specific pipe class e.g. class 2 RCP, this now means that an installer can use class 2 FRC™ pipe or class 2 SRC pipe. In some situations this will result in cost savings to the end user. Back
Q. Under the new standard, how does FRC™ pipe compare to SRC pipe in terms of strength?
A. The minimum dry strength for FRC™ pipes under the new standard will be twice the design load (Tc), while SRC is only one and a half times the design load (Tc). FRC™ pipe has a built in allowance for saturated conditions.
The extra load capacity that is gained by FRC™ pipe from the soil is not utilized in the design of the pipe. This extra load capacity therefore serves as an additional factor of safety over the entire service life of the pipe. Therefore, FRC™ pipes are still the strongest concrete pipe for a specific class and diameter. Back
Q. Which organisations were represented on the Standards Committee for this new standard?
A. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Australian Institute of Building
Austroads
Brisbane City Council
CSIRO Building, Construction and Engineering
Department of Land and Water Conservation NSW
Institution of Engineers Australia
University of Tasmania
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