Standard Specification for

Nonreinforced Concrete Sewer,

Storm Drain, and Culvert Pipe

AASHTO Designation: M 86M/M 86-151

ASTM Designation: C14M-07 and C14-07

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

444 North Capitol Street N.W., Suite 249
Washington, D.C. 20001

© 2015 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
Standard Specification for

Nonreinforced Concrete Sewer,

Storm Drain, and Culvert Pipe

AASHTO Designation: M 86M/M 86-15 1

ASTM Designation: C14M-07 and C14-07

1. SCOPE
1.1. This specification covers nonreinforced concrete pipe intended to be used for the conveyance of
sewage, industrial wastes, storm water, and for the construction of culverts.

1.2. This specification is applicable for orders in either SI units (M 86M) or in inch-pound units
(M 86). SI units and inch-pound units are not necessarily equivalent. Inch-pound units are shown
in brackets in the text for clarity, but they are the applicable values when the material is ordered to
M 86.
Note 1—This specification is a manufacturing and purchasing specification only and does not
include requirements for bedding, backfill, or the relationship between field load conditions and
the strength classification of pipe. However, experience has shown that the successful performance
of this product depends upon the proper selection of the class of pipe, type of bedding and backfill,
and care that the installation conforms to the construction specifications. Owners are cautioned
that they must correlate the field requirements with the class of pipe specified and provide for or
require inspection at the construction site.

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
2.1. AASHTO Standards:
 M 6, Fine Aggregate for Hydraulic Cement Concrete
 M 80, Coarse Aggregate for Hydraulic Cement Concrete
 M 85, Portland Cement
 M 194M/M 194, Chemical Admixtures for Concrete
 M 240M/M 240, Blended Hydraulic Cement
 M 262, Concrete Pipe and Related Products
 M 295, Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use in Concrete
 M 302, Slag Cement for Use in Concrete and Mortars
 T 280, Concrete Pipe, Manhole Sections, or Tile

2.2. ASTM Standards:

 C309-03, Standard Specification for Liquid Membrane-Forming Compounds for Curing
Concrete
 C443, Standard Specification for Joints for Concrete Pipe and Manholes, Using Rubber
Gaskets
 C989/C989M, Standard Specification for Slag Cement for Use in Concrete and Mortars

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-1 AASHTO

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  C990-09, Standard Specification for Joints for Concrete Pipe, Manholes, and Precast Box
Sections Using Preformed Flexible Joint Sealants
 C1116/C1116M, Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

3. TERMINOLOGY
3.1. Definitions—For definitions of terms relating to concrete pipe, see M 262.

4. CLASSIFICATION
4.1. Pipe manufactured according to this specification shall be of three classes identified as “Class 1
Nonreinforced Concrete Pipe,” “Class 2 Nonreinforced Concrete Pipe,” and “Class 3
Nonreinforced Concrete Pipe.” The corresponding strength requirements are prescribed in Table 1.

Table 1— Physical and Dimensional Requirements for Nonreinforced Concrete Pipea

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Internal Minimum Minimum Minimum Minimum
Designated Thickness Minimum Strength, Thickness Strength, Three- Thickness Minimum Strength,
Diameter of Wall Three-Edge Bearing of Wall Edge Bearing of Wall Three-Edge Bearing
kN/ [lbf/ kN/ [lbf/ kN/ [lbf/
mm [in.] mm [in.] linear m linear ft] mm [in.] linear m linear ft] mm [in.] linear m linear ft]
5 3 3
100 4 16 /8 22.0 1500 19 /4 29.0 2000 19 /4 35.0 2400
5 3 7
150 6 16 /8 22.0 1500 19 /4 29.0 2000 22 /8 35.0 2400
3 7
200 8 19 /4 22.0 1500 22 /8 29.0 2000 29 11/8 35.0 2400
7 1
250 10 22 /8 23.5 1600 25 1 29.0 2000 32 1 /4 35.0 2400
3 3
300 12 25 1 26.5 1800 35 1 /8 33.0 2250 44 1 /4 38.0 2600
375 15 32 11/4 29.0 2000 41 15/8 38.0 2600 47 1 7/ 8 42.0 2900
1 1
450 18 38 1 /2 32.0 2200 50 2 44.0 3000 57 2 /4 48.0 3300
525 21 44 13/4 35.0 2400 57 21/4 48.0 3300 69 2 3/ 4 56.0 3850
1 3
600 24 54 2 /8 38.0 2600 75 3 52.5 3600 85 3 /8 64.0 4400
1 3 3
675 27 82 3 /4 41.0 2800 94 3 /4 57.5 3950 94 3 /4 67.0 4600
750 30 88 31/2 44.0 3000 107 41/4 63.0 4300 107 4 1/ 4 69.5 4750
3 1 1
825 33 94 3 /4 46.0 3150 113 4 /2 64.0 4400 113 4 /2 71.0 4875
900 36 100 4 48.0 3300 119 43/4 65.5 4500 119 4 3/ 4 73.0 5000
a
Subject to tolerance in Section 11.

5. BASIS OF ACCEPTANCE
5.1. The acceptability of the pipe shall be determined by the results of the test prescribed in this
section, when required, and by inspection to determine whether the pipe conform to this
specification as to design and freedom from defects.

5.2. Acceptance as to Strength Properties—Pipe shall be acceptable under the strength tests when they
have met the requirements as prescribed in Section 10.3.

5.3. Acceptance as to Absorption Properties—Pipe shall be acceptable under the absorption test when
they have met the requirements as prescribed in Section 10.4.

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5.4. Acceptance as to Permeability Properties—Pipe shall be acceptable under the permeability test
when they have met the requirements as prescribed in Section 10.5.
Note 2—Prior to purchase, the owner has the option to specify the hydrostatic test prescribed in
Section 10.6 instead of the permeability test.

5.5. Acceptance as to Hydrostatic Properties—Pipe shall be acceptable under the hydrostatic test when
they have met the requirements as prescribed in Section 10.6.

6. MATERIALS
6.1. Concrete—The concrete shall consist of cementitious materials, mineral aggregates, and water.

6.2. Cementitious Materials:

6.2.1. Cement—Cement shall conform to the requirements for portland cement of M 85 or shall be
portland blast-furnace slag cement or slag modified portland cement, or portland-pozzolan cement
conforming to the requirements of M 240M/M 240, except that the pozzolan constituent in the
Type IP portland-pozzolan cement shall be fly ash.

6.2.2. Fly Ash—Fly ash shall conform to the requirements of M 295, Class F or Class C.

6.2.3. Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBFS)—GGBFS shall conform to the requirements of
Grade 100 or 120 of ASTM C989/C989M.

6.2.4. Allowable Combinations of Cementitious Materials—The combination of cementitious materials

used in the concrete shall be one of the following:

6.2.4.1. Portland cement only,

6.2.4.2. Portland blast-furnace slag cement only,

6.2.4.3. Slag modified portland cement only,

6.2.4.4. Portland-pozzolan cement only, or

6.2.4.5. A combination of portland cement and fly ash.

6.2.4.6. A combination of portland cement and ground granulated blast-furnace slag, or

6.2.4.7. A combination of portland cement, fly ash (not to exceed 25 percent of the total cementitious
weight), and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (not to exceed 25 percent of the total
cementitious weight).

6.3. Aggregates—Aggregates shall conform to M 6 and M 80, except that the requirement for
gradation shall not apply.

6.4. Admixtures and Blends—Admixtures and blends shall conform to M 194M/M 194.

6.5. Synthetic and Non-Synthetic Fibers—Fibers are permitted, at the owner’s option, in concrete pipe
as a nonstructural manufacturing material. Synthetic fibers (Type II and Type III) and Non-
Synthetic fiber (Type I) designed and manufactured specifically for use in concrete and
conforming to the requirements of ASTM C1116/C1116M shall be accepted.

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-3 AASHTO

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7. DESIGN
7.1. Design Tables—Design requirements shall be in accordance with Table 1. Wall thickness used
shall be not less than the value shown, except as affected by the tolerance herein specified and by
the provision for modified design.

7.2. Modified or Special Design—Manufacturers shall submit to the owner for approval, prior to
manufacture, wall thicknesses other than those shown in Table 1. Such pipe shall meet all of the
physical requirements listed in Section 10 that are specified by the owner.

8. JOINTS
8.1. The joints shall be of such design and the ends of the concrete pipe sections so formed that the
pipe can be laid together to make a continuous line of pipe compatible with the permissible
variations given in Section 11.

9. MANUFACTURE
9.1. Mixture—The aggregates shall be sized, graded, proportioned, and mixed with such proportions of
cementitious materials and water as will produce a homogeneous concrete mixture of such quality
that the pipe will conform to the test and design requirements of this specification. All concrete
shall have a water-cementitious materials ratio not exceeding 0.53 by mass. Cementitious
materials shall be as specified in Section 6.2 and shall be added to the mix in a proportion not less
than 280 kg/m3 [470 lb/yd3] unless mix designs with a lower cementitious materials content
demonstrate that the quality and performance of the pipe meet the requirements of this
specification.

9.2. Curing—Pipe shall be subjected to any one of the methods of curing described in Sections 9.2.1
through 9.2.4 or to any other method or combination of methods approved by the owner that will
give satisfactory results. The pipe shall be adequately cured to obtain the strength properties as
described in Section 5.2.

9.2.1. Steam Curing—Pipe shall be placed in a curing chamber, free from outside drafts, and cured in a
moist atmosphere maintained by the injection of steam for such time and such temperature as
needed to enable the pipe to meet the strength requirements. The curing chamber shall be so
constructed as to allow full circulation of steam around the entire pipe.

9.2.2. Water Curing—Concrete pipe shall be water cured by covering with water-saturated material or
by a system of perforated pipes, mechanical sprinklers, porous hose, or by any other approved
method that will keep the pipe moist during the specified curing period.

9.2.3. The manufacturer is not prohibited from combining the methods described in Sections 9.2.1 and
9.2.2 provided the specified strength is attained.

9.2.4. Membrane Curing—A sealing membrane conforming to the requirements of ASTM C309-03 is
not prohibited from being applied and left intact until the specified strength requirements are met.
The concrete at the time of application shall be within 6°C [10°F] of the atmospheric temperature.
All surfaces shall be kept moist prior to the application of the compounds and shall be damp when
the compound is applied.

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-4 AASHTO

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9.3. Specials:

9.3.1. General Requirements—Special shapes or fittings such as wyes, tees, bends, and adapters for use
with concrete pipe conforming to this specification shall conform to the applicable requirements
for concrete pipe of corresponding class and internal diameter. Joints shall be compatible with
those used in adjoining concrete pipes.

9.3.2. Fabricated Branches—Fabricated branches for wyes and tees shall be securely attached to the
wall of the pipe in such a manner as not to restrict or otherwise interfere with the flow
characteristics of the pipe.

10. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

10.1. Test Specimen—The specified number of pipe required for the tests shall be furnished by the
manufacturer and shall be selected at random by the owner, and shall be pipe that would not
otherwise be rejected under this specification. The selection shall be made at the point or points
designated by the owner when placing the order. The test pipe shall first be freed from all visible
moisture. When dry, each pipe shall be measured and inspected. The results of these observations
shall be recorded.

10.2. Number and Type of Test Specimens Required—The manufacturer shall furnish pipe for crushing
and absorption tests, up to 0.5 percent of the number of pipes of each size included in the order,
except that in no case shall fewer than two pipes be furnished. For the permeability test, 2 percent
of the number of pipes of each size included in the order, but in no case fewer than two pipes, shall
be furnished. For the hydrostatic test, 0.5 percent of the number of pipes of each size included in
the order, but in no case fewer than two pipes, shall be furnished.

10.3. External Load Crushing Requirement—The crushing strength of nonreinforced concrete pipe shall
conform to the requirements prescribed in Table 1. The individual results of the various tests for
each size of pipe and for each shipment and plant shall be tabulated separately. The crushing
strength shall ordinarily be applied to not less than 75 percent of the pipe received for purpose of
test. All tests shall be made in accordance with T 280. Pipe shall be acceptable when all test pipe
conform to the specified requirement. Should any of the test pipe provided in Section 10.2 fail to
meet the strength requirement, the manufacturer will be allowed to test two pipes for each pipe
that failed, and the pipe shall be acceptable only when all of these additional test pipes meet the
strength requirement.

10.4. Absorption Requirement—When required by the owner, absorption shall be determined by

the boiling absorption test and shall not exceed 9 percent. The individual results of the various
tests for each size of pipe for each shipment and plant shall be tabulated separately. All tests
shall be made in accordance with T 280. The number of absorption test specimens shall be equal
to the number of pipe provided for crushing strength testing. These specimens shall be obtained
from pipe that are acceptable as to strength, and shall be taken from pipe used in making the
strength test after the test is made. These specimens shall be marked with the number or
identification mark of the pipe from which they were taken. Each specimen shall have an area of
77 [12] to 129 cm2 [20 in.2], as measured on one surface of the pipe, and a thickness equal to the
pipe wall, and shall be free of visible cracks. Pipe shall be acceptable when all test pipe conform to
the specified absorption requirement.

10.5. Permeability Requirement—When subjected to the permeability test as specified in T 280, the
outer pipe surface of not less than 80 percent of the pipe tested shall show no moist or damp spots
at the end of the test period due to water passing through the walls of the pipe.

10.6. Hydrostatic Requirement—When subjected to the hydrostatic test as described in T 280, the pipe
shall show no leakage during 10 min at 70 kPa [10 psi]. Moisture appearing on the surface of the

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-5 AASHTO

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 pipe in the form of patches or beads adhering to the surface shall not be considered leakage. The
test pipe shall be filled with water and held under 70 kPa [10 psi] pressure for 24 h prior to the
test, except that the manufacturer is not prohibited from reducing this presoak time or pressure, or
both. The manufacturer is not prohibited from continuing this test up to 24 h, and the pipe will be
considered to have passed when, during any 10-min period, no leakage is observed. When the
hydrostatic requirement is used for acceptance of the pipe joint as specified in ASTM C990-09, it
is not prohibited to use the same joint test runs as the basis of acceptance for pipe hydrostatic
requirements in accordance with Sections 5.5 and 10.6 of this specification.

10.7. Retest—Should more than 20 percent of the samples fail to meet the specified requirements for the
permeability or not more than 20 percent of the samples fail to meet the specified requirement for
absorption or hydrostatic requirements of this section, it is not prohibited for the manufacturer to
cull his stock and eliminate any quantity of pipe and must so mark those pipe that will not be
shipped. The required tests shall be made on the balance of the order and they are acceptable if
they conform to the specified requirements. If the second sample fails to meet the specified
requirements, the whole lot is subject to rejection.

11. DIMENSIONS AND PERMISSIBLE VARIATIONS

11.1. Sizes and Dimensions—Pipe shall be furnished of the sizes, internal diameters, and dimensions
prescribed in Table 1.

11.2. Permissible Variations in Dimensions—Permissible variations in dimensions shall be limited to

the following:

11.2.1. Internal Diameter—Permissible variations are as prescribed in Table 2.

Table 2—Permissible Variation in Internal Diameter

Permissible Variation Internal Diameter of Pipe
Designated
Diameter of Pipe Minimum Maximum
mm [in.] mm [in.] mm [in.]
100 4 95 313/16 105 43/16
150 6 145 513/16 155 63/16
200 8 195 713/16 205 83/16
250 10 245 913/16 255 103/16
300 12 295 1113/16 305 123/16
375 15 368 143/4 382 151/4
450 18 443 173/4 457 181/4
525 21 517 2011/16 533 215/16
600 24 590 235/8 610 243/8
675 27 665 265/8 685 273/8
750 30 740 295/8 760 303/8
825 33 815 325/8 835 333/8
900 36 890 355/8 910 363/8

11.2.2. Thickness of Wall—The wall thickness shall be not less than the values shown in Table 1 or the
manufacturer’s designated thickness if greater than shown in Table 1 by more than 2 mm [1/16 in.]
for pipe 250 mm [10 in.] or less in diameter; by more than 3 mm [1/8 in.] for pipe 300 [12 in.] to
600 mm [24 in.] in diameter; and by more than 5 mm [3/16 in.] for pipe more than 600 mm [24 in.]
in diameter; or by more than 5 percent of the tabulated or designated wall thickness, whichever is
greater. Localized variations in wall thickness exceeding those specified above shall be accepted if
the physical test requirements specified herein are met.

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-6 AASHTO

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11.2.3. Length—The length of any section of pipe shall vary not more than minus 13 mm [1/2 in.] from a
specified or designated design length.

11.2.4. Length of Two Opposite Sides—The length of two opposite sides of any section of pipe shall vary
not more than 6 mm [1/4 in.] or 2 percent of the designated diameter, whichever is larger.

11.2.5. Straightness—Pipe intended to be straight shall not vary in alignment more than 10 mm/m
[1/8 in./ft] of length.

12. REPAIRS
12.1. Pipe repaired because of imperfections in manufacturing or damage during handling are
acceptable if, in the opinion of the owner, the repaired pipe conform to the requirements of this
specification.

13. INSPECTION
13.1. The quality of all materials and the finished pipe shall be subject to inspection and approval by the
owner. Such inspection shall be performed either at the point of manufacture or delivery, or both.
The method of marking as to acceptance or rejection of pipe shall be agreed upon, prior to
inspection, between the owner and the manufacturer. Rejected pipe shall be replaced by the
manufacturer with pipe that meet the requirements of this specification.

14. REJECTION
14.1. Pipe shall be subject to rejection if they fail to conform to any of the specification requirements.
This specification is a manufacturing and purchasing specification only. Therefore, damage to pipe
during installation or caused by field loading in the installed condition shall not be cause for
rejection on the basis of not meeting this specification. Individual sections of pipe are subject to
rejection because of any of the following:

14.1.1. Fractures or cracks passing through the wall or joints, except that a single crack not
exceeding 50 mm [2 in.] in length at either end of a pipe or a single fracture or spall in the joints
not exceeding 75 mm [3 in.] around the circumference of the pipe nor 50 mm [2 in.] in length into
joint shall not be considered cause for rejection unless these defects exist in more than 5 percent of
the entire shipment or delivery.

14.1.2. The planes of the ends of the pipe are not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, subject to the
limits of variation as shown in Section 11.2.4.

14.1.3. Defects that indicates mixing and molding not in accordance with Section 9.1.

14.1.4. Cracks sufficient to impair the strength, durability, or serviceability of the pipe.

15. PRODUCT MARKING

15.1. The following information shall be legibly marked on each pipe:

15.1.1. The pipe class and specification designation,

15.1.2. The date of manufacture,

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15.1.3. The name or trademark of the manufacturer, and

15.1.4. Identification of the plant.

15.2. Marking shall be indented on the pipe section or painted thereon with waterproof paint.

16. KEYWORDS
16.1. Concrete sewer; culvert; nonreinforced; pipe; storm drain.

1
Agrees with ASTM C14M-07 and C14-07 except that absorption testing is limited to the 5-h boil method, the use
of fibers in Section 6.5 is at the owner’s option, and the manufacturer is not afforded the option to supply inch-
pound sized pipe when the order is placed in SI units.

TS-4a M 86M/M 86-8 AASHTO

© 2015 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.