PVC pipe’s durability and ease of installation were deciding factors for the engineers selecting materials for a “marsh machine” at a Philadelphia wildlife refuge. The project gained national recognition when it was named one of the Earth Day Top 10 Green Projects this year by the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment (COTE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Princeton architect Michael Graves creates a solid wood look in his 2,500-volume library with painted PVC pipe and fiberboard shelving. Faux bois paint finish provides consistency hard to achieve with real wood.

The California private utility known as the Valencia Water Company was able to compare the performance of three pipe materials - asbestos cement, PVC and steel - during the catastrophic Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994, and found that PVC outperformed the others in a big way.