Bryan Hauger Consulting, Inc.

Bryan Hauger Consulting, Inc. was formed to provide my insights to plastic material manufacturers, convertors and asset owners. My background includes more than 20 years of experience including catalyst research in support of polyethylene manufacturing, additive stabilization of polymers, interaction of chemicals with plastics, extrusion production of plastic pipe, plastic pipe material technical service and plastic pipe system component testing. As a result of those efforts, I hold several United States patents, have published several technical papers and have authored two different technical standards for ASTM International. End use applications in which I am a plastics expert include corrugated plastic pipe, water distribution and plumbing systems, oil and gas production, plastic gas pipe, and conduit. I have taken on several clients as an expert witness on widely varying subjects relating to plastic piping. I participate in several industry organizations including API, SPE, PPI, CSA, AGA, AWWA and ASME. I provided more than a decade of service as the chair of ASTM F17.61 Subcommittee on Water Piping Systems.

Services

Bryan Hauger Consulting offers a large variety of services to clients looking for experts in plastic pipe and film. Below is a partial list of the services and areas of expertise we provide to our clients.

LEGAL
• Expert Witness
• Intellectual Property
• Failure Analysis
• Forensic Investigations

PLASTIC PIPE
• HDPE Water Pipe Consulting
• Polybutylene and PEX Tubing Consulting
• Natural Gas and Oil Piping
• Green Building and Plumbing Codes
• Heat Fusion Training

PLASTIC FILM AND PACKAGING SERVICES
• Plastic Film Design
• Blown Film Extrusion and Expertise
• Film Market Consulting
• Failure Analysis

STANDARDS
• ASTM Standards Development for Piping Systems
• Product Certification Assistance in North America
• Historical Reviews of Codes and Standards
• Code Consulting

Areas of Expertise

Consulting Practice

All States

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Professional Experience

Bryan Hauger Consulting, Inc. was formed to provide my insights to plastic material manufacturers, convertors and asset owners. My background includes more than 20 years of experience including catalyst research in support of polyethylene manufacturing, additive stabilization of polymers, interaction of chemicals with plastics, extrusion production of plastic pipe, plastic pipe material technical service and plastic pipe system component testing. As a result of those efforts, I hold several United States patents, have published several technical papers and have authored two different technical standards for ASTM International. End use applications in which I am a plastics expert include corrugated plastic pipe, water distribution and plumbing systems, oil and gas production, plastic gas pipe, and conduit. I have taken on several clients as an expert witness on widely varying subjects relating to plastic piping. I participate in several industry organizations including API, SPE, PPI, CSA, AGA, AWWA and ASME. I provided more than a decade of service as the chair of ASTM F17.61 Subcommittee on Water Piping Systems. References are available upon request.

Legal Experience & Services

Type of Matter: Expert Witness in Pre-Trial Discovery
Case Name Hardin County Board of Supervisors v. Ryken Engineering and S.L. Baumeier Company
Disposition: Case Settled Prior to Trial
Case Summary: Agricultural application of HDPE corrugated pipe in Iowa. The Board of Supervisors sued the manufacturer, contractor and engineer, alleging damages to the dual-wall HDPE corrugated drainage pipe ranging from 15” to 30”. Served as expert consultant for the engineer, providing opinions and report on behalf of the engineer, rebutting opposing experts, and providing deposition testimony.  

Type of Matter: Pre-Trial Investigation
Case Name Langtry Farms v. Nieber Golf representing Nupi Americas, Inc. as a disclosed expert witness.
Disposition: Case Settled Prior to Trial
Case Summary: Large-scale failures of an HDPE irrigation system on a golf course. The plaintiff filed suit against Nupi Americas as a manufacturer of HDPE fittings with the plaintiff claiming defective manufacturing workmanship.

Type of Matter: Pre-lawsuit Investigation
Case Name: Plaintiff v. X Engineering Consulting Firm
Disposition: Pending
Services Provided: Extensive presence of polybutylene (PB) domestic water and fire suppression lines were not disclosed as part of property assessment report. Represented Plaintiff. Conducted a site visit to oversee the sampling of PB piping, directed testing to investigate the condition of the piping, and wrote a detailed assessment report on the condition of PB piping at the site and still in service.

Affiliations

SELECTED PAST AND PRESENT AFFILIATIONS:
American Gas Association – Plastic Materials Committee Ex-officio Member
American Petroleum Institute
ASME – Contributing Member of the Working Group on HDPE Materials
ASTM International – Committee on Standards Member 2017 - 2019
American Water Works Association
Canadian Standards Association – B137 Committee
Plastics Pipe Institute
Society of Plastics Engineers – Technical Program Chair, Plastic Pipe and Fittings SIG

Publications

Hauger, Bryan. "Chapter 42: "Pipe and Tubing Applications of Polyethylene". Handbook of Industrial Polyethylene and Technology: Definitive Guide to Manufacturing, Properties, Processing, Applications and Markets. Ed. Mark A Spalding, Ed. Ananda Chatterjee, Scrivener Publishing, 2017
The chapter focuses on PE pipe, looking at its history and the different applications of the piping. By the end, it covers modern pipe technologies and the different pipe characteristics needed for an increasingly diverse market.
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Hauger, B.; Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); September, 2014 "Material Properties Affecting the Butt Fusion of HDPE Pipe" .
"Significant efforts have been expended on several fronts to develop an understanding of butt fusion, which is the most commonly used method to assemble high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. Variables that can affect the quality of the fusion joint are called essential variables. A fusion procedure specification currently needs to be developed and qualified by each organization, then re-qualified whenever an essential variable changes. This poses a very high burden on plant owners and may not be necessary for limited changes to at least some of the essential variables. Several essential variables for butt fusion must be controlled within acceptable ranges to provide reasonable assurance of strong and durable joints. This report provides detailed consideration of HDPE material properties in order to create a deeper understanding of the scientific principles that explain the fusion process".
http://www.epri.com/abstracts/Pages/ProductAbstract.aspx?ProductId=000000003002003133
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Hauger, B. E; Willacker, R; Ferry, S.; Society of Plastics Engineers – ANTEC; April 2013, 1937 - 42. “Common Installation Failure Modes For In-Service Plastic Piping Components And Systems”.
"Plastic pipe components are generally constructed into high integrity, high durability systems. However, some poor installation practices occur with sufficient frequency that they have been noted by the authors as recurring in root cause failure analyses. These installation based root causes differ with the application environment and the material of construction. This paper will address poor installation practices for polyethylene, poly vinyl chloride and chlorinated poly vinyl chloride based piping systems".

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Hauger, B. E.; “Spoolable Composite Pipe Testing ‐ API15S”
"The history of oil and natural gas production has seen many innovative technologies develop to address the needs of the marketplace – leak‐free, no corrosion, high pressures, rugged terrain etc. Spoolable composite pipe, described by the API15S standard, is a significant innovation that uniquely addresses the needs of energy production because it combines the beneficial attributes of plastic pipe with a much higher pressure capacity than any mono‐layer plastic pipe. As detailed in the API15S standard, extensive testing is required to qualify both the materials used and the final construction in order to ensure a durable pipe that is capable of being coiled for shipping efficiency while still providing a high pressure capability for many years of service life". The central purpose of the extensive testing required by the standard is to avoid spoolable composite pipe failure.
http://www.microbac.com/uploads/Technical%20Articles/PDF1/Hauger%20Tech.%20Article49.pdf
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Hauger, B. E.; Krishnaswamy, R. K.; Rohlfing, D. C.; Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting 2001, 17, 35. “Rheological and Blown Film Characterization of Binary Blends of Metallocene-Catalyzed LLDPEs.”
http://jpf.sagepub.com/content/17/1/35.abstract

Education

EDUCATION:
Scripps Research Institute - La Jolla, California. Postdoctoral Fellow 1995 - 1996
Indiana University - Bloomington, Indiana. Ph. D. in Inorganic Chemistry, 1995.
Hope College - Holland, Michigan. B. S. in Chemistry, 1990.