High Side Pipeline

• The most common high side lines are water mains and feed lines to houses and commercial facilities. The ease of constructing a high side line is not having to account for gravity flow (slope). Although slope is not required, the pipeline can not go higher than the water source. Laying pipe up a hillside with the water reservoir in the valley can lead to real delivery problems. Keep the geography of the pipeline installation in mind when determining the pipeline's route. The main issues with high side pipelines are materials and pressure ratings. The pipe must have a higher pressure rating than the medium piped through it to ensure an adequate margin of safety. Iron, steel and plastic materials are rated for the pressure involved for each installation. Finally, other high side pipelines may require additional pump stations to move the medium along. Oil, natural gas, steam and slurry lines each have particular pipeline requirements.
  
  

Low Side Pipeline

• Drain lines (sewers, runoff, etc.) are low pressure, meaning the pipe only has to control weight and volume. The complication is introducing enough slope to the line so gravity can pull the medium to its destination. If building a pipeline for any considerable distance over flat terrain, the necessary slope may not be possible. If this situation arises, the installation and cost of pumping stations to move the material may be factored into the pipeline construction cost. Again, accounting for the geography of the pipeline's installation is imperative to guarantee proper operation.
  
  

Environment

• Whether a pipeline is buried or suspended above ground (the Alaskan oil pipeline is an example of such an installation), the environmental and climate factors will impact the pipeline's construction. Severe cold and heat, of course, can change the characteristics of water and waste traveling through the pipe. Considerations for heating the line may add to the cost. Also, frozen water expands and can break a pipe. Keeping the water above freezing is necessary to avoid broken pipelines in the dead of winter.
  
  Although heat will rarely if ever get high enough in a pipeline to boil water, heat can affect the pipeline itself. Heat can affect flexible connections and joints. Insulating these areas of the pipeline may factor into the construction schedule and cost.