ABSTRACT
Let us begin with corrosion. Corrosion is best understood as a force of nature to be reckoned with. Not only is the external corrosion that slowly works on buried ductile iron water supply piping a tangible risk, but the internal pipe and fittings of an automatic fire sprinkler system must also struggle to withstand the ravages of time. The plain fact known to the trained mechanical engineer is that water is corrosive to both steel (pipe) and cast iron (fittings). This is primarily why there are recommended minimum dimensions for wall thickness of piping. The thinness of the wall of the piping used is in inverse proportion to the lifespan of that pipe.
