Orangeburg Pipe

Identification, properties, history, uses

History of Orangeburg Pipe

Orangeburg piping was first used in Boston in 1865 [earlier than the founding of Fibre Conduit Co].

Black coal-tar impregnated fiber piping was widely used in North American from 1950 to 1970.

The name Orangeburg pipe comes from the main producer of this product, the Fibre Conduit Co., in Orangeburg, New York.

The Fibre Conduit Company was founded by Stephen Bradley (owner of electric lighting and power companies) in Orangeburg NY in 1893.

By the time the sign advertising "Orangeburg root-proof pipe" shown here was in use, the company also had facilities in Newark California.

In its earliest production the steam waste exhaust from early steam-generated electrical power plants was used in the manufacture of Orangeburg pipe to heat and dry it.

Later orangeburg pipe was also used as five-foot sections of electrical wire conduit, probably a successor to the much heavier and more costly tar-filled pipes that carried Edison's earliest Solid Iron Tubing or Steel Pipe & Pitch Insulated Electrical Cables.

An advantage of asphalt-based conduit piping was its resistance to corrosion and acids.

The 1939 Worlds' Fair advertisement described wide use of Orangeburg pipe by that year.

Orangeburg pipe was sold for underground ductwork use with a concrete encasement as well as an Orangeburg "Nocrete" version was used for electrical service entrances and similar applications.

By the late 1930's to early 1940's this wood-fibre-based conduit or piping was marketed under the brand Alkacid.

This Orangeburg advertisement, celebrating its installation in Boston was published in the July 15 1933edition of Electrical World.

Later Alkacid and other brands of fibre-based asphalt impregnated pipe were replced by asbestos-cement pipe or transite pipe.

In the U.S. it's use fell close to zero by 1972 when it was replaced by alternative piping materials.

In North America Orangeburg pipe was used in both municipal water supply piping systems and in both public sewer systems and in private septic systems as well as other site drainage systems from the 1860s to as late as the late 1970s.

Orangeburg piping was used in both un-perforated form as septic distribution piping and more widely in perforated form as effluent distribution piping in septic drainfields and as buried downspout drain lines. Some installations were surrounded by concrete.

Orangeburg pipe was also used without concrete as a no-crete Orangeburg pipe installation for electrical conduit and its early use included steam system piping. In its widest use Orangeburg pipe was sold and installed in five-foot sections.

Synonyms for Orangeburg pipe

• Alkacid conduit
• Bermico
• Black Pipe
• Bituminous Fiber Pipe
• Bituminized fiber pipe
• Fibre Conduit
• No-Corrode Pipe
• Sand Pipe.

As we explain

at AGE of PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURES,

Orangeburg drain & septic field piping, most widely used in drain piping and septic fields, was made of multiple layers of ground wood fibers bound with an adhesive mastic (coal tar), impregnated with coal tar pitch, and typically looking like black"tarred" piping.

Watch out: Orangeburg pipe, where still in use, will often be found delaminating and may have broken or collapsed.

You can see my photo of a section of that earlier electrical cabling

at STEAM BOILERS GENERATORS CONTROLS, PRATT

Manufacturers of Orangeburg Pipe

Orangeburg drain piping and sewer piping was not made just by Fiber Conduit.

• American Manufacturing (East Chicago, IL)
• American Piping Co. (Fulton NY)
• Bermico (Brown Manufacturing Co., 150 Causeway St., Boston 14 MA, Berlin NH, and Dominion Square Bldg., La Tuque, Quebec, Canada) Fibre Conduit Products.
  
  Bermico also produced Solka & Cellate pulps, Solka Floc, Nibroc Papers and towels, Onco Insoles, chemicals, and Bermico Sewer pipe, conduit,, & Cores.
• Fibre Conduit Co. (Orangeburg, NY and the largest manufacturer of Orangeburg pipe)
  
  After 1948 the Fibre Conduit company, the originator of Orangeburg pipe, changed its name to Orangeburg Manufacturing.
• J.M. Fiber Conduit Co. (Lockport, NY)
• Orangeburg Manufacturing

Life Expectancy of an Orangeburg Pipe Drainfield

We estimate by the late 1940's, and continuing through the 1960's perforated Orangeburg pipe was widely used in the U.S. and parts of Canada for area drains and particularly as distribution piping in septic drainfields.

We still come across Orangeburg pipe when excavating old septic drainfields and on occasion when inspecting an older home, say before 1970, you may see the top of a section of Orangeburg pipe peeking up above ground as a connection for a roof gutter downspout.

In our Orangeburg pipe downspout drain photo above we are pointing out (the pen) that perforated pipe was used as a buried drain right next to the building - inviting basement water entry even if the drain is not yet clogged.

Watch out: if you see a buried downspout drain using a material not commonly installed for 40 years, that the drain itself is likely be blocked or to have collapsed by now.

Below is an excerpt from a 1955 advertisement describing Orangeburg as "root proof" pipe. Our experience and other sources cited here found otherwise.

Watch out: What about a septic drainfield built using Orangeburg pipe?

Despite the advertisement above, Orangeburg pipe was less rigid than terra-cotta piping (though also less fragile), making it vulnerable to both crushing-collapse and tree-root invasion.

In fact some of our research sources cited root invasion as the most common mode of orangeburg pipe failure, though with age, collapse is also common.

If you encounter a septic absorption bed or drainfield that used Orangeburg pipe you should not count on the continued usability of that septic system. Such a drainfield is by now likely to be in questionable, if not failed condition.

Orangeburg Pipe Dimensions: diameters & wall thickness

Above: a table of dimensions of Orangeburg pipe and couplings from the 1944 Commercial Standard CS116-44 cited in detail below.

Orangeburg pipe was manufactured in a variety of diameters and thicknesses for various applications including electrical conduit and sewer or drainfield effluent distribution pipes.

Orangeburg common diameters ranged from 3" to 8" I.D.

Orangeburg pipe used as perforated septic drainfield piping had a nominal ID of 4.00 inches and an O.D. that varied by manufacturer; the pipe wall was about 3/16" to 1/4" thick.

Orangeburg with a 4.0" ID and that's 3/16" thick would have an OD of about 4.375"

Orangeburg pipe lengths varied; most sources assert that Orangeburg was most-widely used in 5-foot lengths; the table above cites 5 ft and 8 ft. lengths; other sources assert that it was also sold in 10 ft. lengths.

Asbestos in Orangeburg Pipe?

Bottom line: Orangeburg pipe was made principally of asphalt and cellulose (wood fiber or wood pulp) based material or in some texts, less-accurately, "tar paper" reinforced using oakum or hemp (Kirkland 1868).

At least some Orangeburg pipe manufactured between 1946 and 1970 was made using wood pulp combined with asbestos. (TenTen Env. 2016)

After 1970 the asbestos in Orangeburg pipe was replaced with wollastonite (MgO₂ fibrous material). (TenTen Env. 2016)

Asbestos hazard? In any case, in our OPINION, because Orangeburg is not a friable material and it's usually buried, it presents no meaningful asbestos hazard unless it is excavated and demolished using dust-creating methods like sawing or grinding. - Opinion, DF.

Research on "asbestos use in Orangeburg pipe"

While few sources are clear on this point and some research confuses cement asbestos pipe with Orangeburg, it's possible that some production of Orangeburg pipe included asbestos which would have been added as a filler or as a strengthening fiber.

• See also PATENTS for ORANGEBURG PIPE whose texts give historical details and ingredients in early and later formulations of Orangeburg conduit and pipe.
  
  
• Arizona, Coconino County, Orangeburg Pipe [PDF] - retrieved 2025/02/05, local copy saved as Orangeburg-Pipe-AZ-Coconino.pdf (No mention of asbestos)

• O'Meara, L. and Turley, J., 1973. Plumbing and Piping: Construction, Supervision, and Inspection. Course of Study.
  
  Excerpt:
  Bituminized-Fiber Pipe: Bituminized-fiber pipe is known by many names, the most common of which are Orangeburg and "paper pipe."
  
  The pipe is a compound of bituminized impregnated fibers pressed into a hard, smooth bare material.
  
  This pipe is used primarily for residential work, outside the building foundation, for the building sewer line.
  
  It is a very inexpensive material that lays rapidly. A heavy duty perforated pipe is made for foundation, road way, and other subsoil drainage. (Op. Cit. p. 23)
• Michigan, City of Ann Arbor, ORANGEBURG SEWER PIPING [PDF] 2025/02/06 Note: we are providing a local copy of this article, received in response to our email request to the Ann Arbor MI government to provide us with the original document. The City of Ann Arbor copy of this file is temporarily unavailable at city's website.
  
  Excerpt:
  
  The generic name for this type of pipe is “bituminous fiber pipe.” The pipe is made of a combination of cellulose and asbestos fibers impregnated with a bituminous (coal tar) compound.
  
  Bituminous fiber pipe was manufactured with either a homogenous wall or a multiple-ply laminated wall. The ends of the pipe were tapered and fitted together using a butt joint.
  
  The screen shot below states that Orangeburg included asbestos. Clicking on thie image below will also link to our PDF copy of the original document.

• Whittaker, Miller Fulton. "A modern agricultural building for State Agricultural and Mechanical College, Orangeburg, SC." (1928) [PDF] Thesis
  
  Note: this is an example of misleading search results that can lead to mis-statement. The word "asbestos" appears in this document, but having to do with asbestos felt and roofing products, not orangeburg pipe.
• Wickline, Alfred. Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 190: Contaminated Waste Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 0. No. DOE/NV-1263. Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture, 2008. [PDF]
  
  Excerpts:
  
  A sample was collected of the Orangeburg pipe and results showed high concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene. 
  ...
  The presumed asbestos-containing material (PACM) samples collected from insulation covering the water tanks and cooling tower piping at CAS 11-02-02 and from the Orangeburg pipe at CAS 11-59-01.
  Note that the report used the term PACM - rather than actual or detected asbestos.
• Wikipedia, "Orangeburg Pipe" - retrieved 2025/01/11 - Note: we're not sure this article is accurate, original source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangeburg_pipe
  
  Excerpt:
  
  Orangeburg pipe (also known as "fiber conduit", "bituminous fiber pipe" or "Bermico" or "sand pipe") is bituminized fiber pipe used in the United States.
  
  It is made from layers of ground wood pulp fibers and asbestos fibres compressed with and bound by a water resistant adhesive then impregnated with liquefied coal tar pitch.[1][2]
  
  This Wikipedia article cites:
  
   "Risks and Problems: Orangeburg Pipe [Updated]". www.expresssewer.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022 and by InspectApedia 05 February 2025.
  • Petty, S.E. and Knepper, B.E., 2021. Plumbing/Piping/Tubing Failures. In Forensic Engineering (pp. 693-715). CRC Press.
    Excerpt:
    
    … the mid-1970s “Orangeburg” pipe refers to the brand name of a sewer pipe made by the …
    “bituminous fiber pipe” and is manufactured from a combination of cellulose and asbestos fibers …
  • Schladweiler, Jon C. (2004).  Coal Tar Impregnated Wood Fibre Pipe sewerhistory.org, - 2025/02/05 local copy archived as Wood-Fibre-Pipe-Schlad.pdf
    Note: No mention of asbestos content in Orangeburg nor Alkacid pipe.
    Excerpt:
    
    During the petroleum “trial” days (1937 – 1944), the fibre conduit pipe tested was called “Alkacid” by the Fibre Conduit Co. of Orangeburg, NY. The oil industry soon stopped using the fibre “Alkacid” pipe, and started using cement-asbestos pipe … as then manufactured by the Johns-Manville and Keasby & Mattison Companies.
  • TenTen Environmental, Orangeburg Commerce Center Remedial Investigation Summary [PDF] (2016) TenTen Environmental, 121 West 27th Street, Suite 702, New York, NY 10001 and Orangeburg Commerce Center, 5 Greenbush Road Orangeburg, New York 10962 Section 74.15, Block 1, Lot 2 (portion) BCP #C344078, retrieved 2025/02/05, local copy on file as Orangeburg-Remediation-NY.pdf
  • U.S. DoC, BITUMINIZED-FIBRE DRAIN AND SEWER PIPE [PDF] Commercial Standard CS116-44 [PDF] (1944) U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards. Local copy filed as Bituminized-Fibre-Drain-CS116.pdf
    Excerpt:
    
    USES
    
    3. The requirements of this standard are intended to provide pipe suitable for conducting liquids and for drainage where tight joints are necessary,
    
    and where resistance to corrosion, erosion, and disintegration is indicated, such as the following:
    
    a. House connections to sewers and septic tanks.
    
    b. Farm drainage and low-head irrigation conductor pipe.
    
    c. Downspouts, leaders, and storm drains.
    
    d. Salt water disposal in oil well country.
    
    e. Industrial waste drainage, and other uses outside of buildings, as indicated by pipe characteristics
  
  
  

Orangeburg Pipe Patent History

• BIKLEN, Donald W. Bituminized fiber pipe. U.S. Patent No 2,839,088, 17 Jun. 1958.
• BRADLEY JR, Stephen R. Machine for making pulp pipes. U.S. Patent No 799,028, [PDF] 9 12 Sept. 1905.
• BRADLEY, Stephen R. Process of manufacturing pulp pipe. U.S. Patent No 966,729, [PDF] 9 Ago. 1910. Assignee: Fibre Conduit Co., Orangeburg New York. [The company later changed its name to the Orangeburg Pipe Co. - Ed.]
• BULLOCK, P.; MILFORD, M. H.; CLINE, M. G. Degradation of Argillic Horizons in Udalf Soils of New York State 1. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1974, vol. 38, no 4, p. 621-628.
  
  Excerpt: Lengths of Orangeburg pipe were prepared which were 10 cm in diameter, and perforated at 5-cm intervals with four holes 1.5 cm in diameter and arranged 80 to 100° apart around the pipe.
• Ellis, Benhamin F., Construction of tubes and cylinders, US Patent No 6l2,897. Patented Oct. 25, 1898. B. F. ELLIS.

Illustration: from the Ellis patent cited just above. [Click to enlarge any image]

• Fairbanks, Henry, Machine for making pulp pipes and pulp-covered rolls, US Patent 583398, [PDF] June 8, 1897, filed August 14 1893, SN 483,080.
  Excerpt:
  
  Be it known that, I, HENRY FAIRBANKS, of St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia, and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Pulp Pipe and Pulp - Covered Rolls, of which the following, taken in con-p nection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.
  
  My improvement relates to machines by which rolls are covered with wood or paper pulp by winding successive layers of the soft film upon them, which covering may be dried upon the roll or loosened and slid off to be used as tubing.
  
  In order that the pulp-layer may be laid evenly upon the forming-roll A, it is necessary that this roll be held against the pulp-bearing surface with a uniform yielding pressure and follow its motion without jar.
  
  Evidently it is a disadvantage if a heavy frame carrying the forming-roll must be moved with this roll to secure constant contact. T
  
  o correct this, my improved machine has the re volving frame arranged simply to guide the motion of each forming-roll while receiving its layers of pulp, and provides a separate de vice for pressing it against the moving sur face Supplying pulp.
• GANNON, Charles R. Pitch-impregnated fiber pipe. U.S. Patent No 3,927,696, 23 Dic. 1975.
• JENKINS, Charles F. Common causes of material degradation in buried piping. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States), 1997.
  Excerpt:
  
  ... backfill plays a larger role in mechanical capability of the pipe system than it does for most other materials. Orangeburg pipe 1 frequently fails by root intrusion at joints
  
  
• Kirkland, William, IMPROVED DRAN AND WATER PIPES, US Patent No. 76,778, [PDF] April 14, 1868
  Excerpt:
  
  Be it known that I, WILLIAMP. KERKLAND, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Drain and Water pipe
  
  and I do hereby declare that the materials used, and the manner of mixing and preparing the same to manu facture the said pipe, with the best apparatus lknown to me for the purpose, are described in the following specification.
  
  The nature of my invention is to provide an improved drain and Water pipe combining strength with durability and cheapness.
  
  To accomplish this object, I employ a series of strands or cords loosely twisted, and place them in a tank or caldron of boiling asplialtum or pitchy substance, and [confine?] their ends to a cylinder or roller suspended over the tank.
  
  These cords or strands are so attached to the cylinder or form that in turn ing they will cross each other diagonally.
  
  Between each coil of rope I place a layer of oakum or hemp, and when a desired number of coils or layers has been wound upon the l'Oller it is withdrawn, and the pipe is coated With the contents of the tank above described.
  
  To more fully illustrate and describe my invention, I employ a tank or caldron, in which is placed a pitchy substance, (I prefer asphal tum after the oil has been extracted, butcom mon pitch from trees or resin might answer,) which should be well mixed by boiling, and kept heated.
  
  In this I place a series of strands, loosely twisted, or cords in two sets, so arranged as to be easily withdrawn from the tank, which may be accomplished, after they are attached to the cylinder, by confining their ends to a strip of paper or cloth.
  
  After the form has been turned completely around once commence to place a layer of oakum or hemp at right angles to the Strands, turning the cylinder until a pipe of suitable thickness and strength obtained, when the form is removed, and the pipe so formed is dipped in the pitch or asphaltum in the tank, above described, which coats it completely inside and out, this forming a pipe of asphaltum or pitch and fibrous material without iron or other form.
• Schladweiler, Jon C., P.E., R.L.S.; Historian, AZ Water, "Coal Tar Impregnated Wood Fibre Pipe (Commonly referred to as “Orangeburg,” “Bermico,” etc. pipe)", retrieved 2018/05/25, original source: http://www.sewerhistory.org/articles/compon/orangeburg/orangeburg.htm
• Schladweiler, Jon C., Tracking down the roots of our sanitary sewers. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2001, vol. 2001, no 2, p. 1-27
  Excerpt:
  
  [Orangeburg pipe] came in sizes from 3” to 8” internal diameter. The couplings were pure compression; no gaskets. The pipe manufacturer changed its name to Orangeburg Pipe ...
• STANLEY, William E.; ELLIS, Robert D. Paper Pulp Wastes Treatment: Orangeburg Manufacturing Co. Sewage and Industrial Wastes, [Image file of journal article page] 1954, p. 991-1001.
  Excerpts:
  
  Orangeburg sewer pipe and Orange burg electrical conduit have been man ufactured at the present factory loca tion since 1893. The product is a hard coal-tar pitch compound reinforced with a preformed wood fiber structgure, about 75 percent hard coal-tar pitch and 25 percent wood fiber. The raw materials include coal-tar pitch, selected clean waste paper, and mineral fiber.
• WOLF, Harold W. Resistance of bituminous fiber pipe to penetration by rats. Public Health Reports, 1962, vol. 77, no 9, p. 806.
  Excerpt:
  
  (1) Orangeburg root-proof or perforated pipe and fittings. Catalogue No. 307. Orangeburg Man ufacturing Co., Inc.