Document J3Gd6NkKm25MYvvZ61BD9a8b6

JThe 'Vinyl Institute NEWS Wayne Interchange Plaza II, 155 Route 46 West, Wayne, New Jersey 074 70 CONTACT: Nora Jacobs Edward Howard & Co. (216) 781-2400 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PVC PIPE, CONDUIT SAVINGS DOCUMENTED WAYNE, N.J., August 8, 1990 -- Building contractors can save from 16 to 44 cents on every dollar by specifying PVC (polyvinyl chloride, or vinyl) pipe and electrical conduit in construction, a study by a leading independent research firm shows. The study, the first of its kind to include installation and labor costs in estimating the savings advantages of vinyl in construction materials, was performed by IFT Technical Services, Berkeley, California. Estimates were based on actual building costs in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle. The cost of using PVC plumbing pipe; drain, waste and vent pipe; and electrical conduit in four types of structures was evaluated. These included a wood frame townhouse, strip shopping center, high-rise residential building and high-rise office building. On average, the study found that CPVC (chlorinated PVC) plumbing pipe systems cost between 23 and 44 percent less than copper in new hot and cold water installations, according to Joseph B. Zicherman, Ph.D., president, IFT Technical Services. (more) The Vinyl Institute, A Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry CTL029899 2 When PVC was compared to cast iron soil pipe in drain, waste and vent pipe installations, the savings varied from 16 to 37 percent, he said. Rigid vinyl electrical non-metallic conduit was found to be 30 to 33 percent less expensive to install than comparable metallic systems. "Translated into dollars and cents, that can mean a savings of between 16 and 44 cents per dollar in each application," Zicherman said. "This study confirms that there are significant cost advantages to using vinyl products in construction," said Roy Gottesraan, executive director of the Vinyl Institute, which funded the IFT study. Vinyl construction products have proven to be safe, dependable and capable of meeting existing building codes, he said. Mow there is concrete evidence of their superior economic performance. "Moreover, this study doesn't even examine the total lifetime costs and the related replacement costs of the various systems. When you consider that vinyl can easily outlast competitive materials, its advantages become even more obvious," Gottesraan said. Because of its cost advantages and long life, PVC commands nearly three-fourths of the plastic pipe market and is expected to maintain its strong hold well into the next century. Rigid vinyl is used by the electrical industry in conduit, boxes and other components, while flexible vinyl commands 40 percent of the market for wire sheathing and installation. (more) <-iv>*'900 3 The Vinyl Institute is a national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of vinyl, vinyl feedstocks, additives, and film and sheet products. Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, it is a division of the Society of Plastics Industry, Inc. Executive summaries of the three sections of the study -- conduit, plumbing pipe and DWV pipe -- are available by contacting the Vinyl Institute, 114 Mayfield Avenue, P.0. Box 3053, Edison, New Jersey 08818-3053. V-90-01 CTL029901