A BBS Bumpers Success Story on Polypropylene Coated Pipe

We recently had the opportunity to work on a bundled road bore project using our BBS system—bumpers designed specifically to prevent pipe-on-pipe abrasion during the pull-through, with particular focus on protecting the girth welds.

There was just one catch: the pipeline was polypropylene coated.

Anyone who works in the coatings world knows that polypropylene can be a challenge. It’s a fantastic coating in many respects, but when the task at hand requires bonding something to it, the difficulty level increases quickly. And in this case, we weren’t just asking the system to stick.

We were asking it to:

• Bond reliably to polypropylene

• Survive being dragged thousands of feet through a bore hole

• Maintain position and integrity from entry to exit

That means the system had to deliver excellent shear strength, peel strength, penetration resistance, and abrasion resistance—all at the same time. That’s a big ask for any product.

Fortunately, the end user did something that almost never happens: they provided us with an actual sample of the polypropylene coating in advance. That allowed us to evaluate—firsthand—the bond our BBS system was making with their specific coating formulation.

To put that in perspective, roughly 95% of the orders we receive ship same day or next day. For a customer to give us a few weeks to slow down, test thoroughly, and validate performance in their environment? That’s a rare treat—and one we don’t take lightly.

After running the full gamut of testing, the results were clear. Our BBS system and this polypropylene coating were an excellent match. The bond performance met expectations across the board, giving everyone confidence heading into the installation.

And sure enough, the job went off without a hitch.

When the bundled pipe emerged from the exit hole, the bumpers were:

• Perfectly intact

• Undamaged

• In the exact same position they started in

No surprises. No failures. Just solid performance from start to finish.

This project was a great reminder that while coatings like polypropylene can present real challenges, the right testing—and the right solution—make all the difference.

BBS is an excellent product. And when paired correctly, it delivers exactly what bundled road bore applications demand: protection, durability, and peace of mind.