Breaking Records: Krah USA Manufactures North America’s Largest HDPE Pipe
At Krah USA, we take immense pride in pushing the boundaries of thermoplastic pipe engineering to solve complex infrastructure challenges right here in the Pacific Northwest.
We are thrilled to unveil our biggest milestone yet: manufacturing a massive 144-inch (12-foot) inside diameter (ID) profile wall HDPE pipe—the largest HDPE pipe ever produced in North American history.
Custom-engineered at our Prineville, Oregon facility, this record-breaking structure was built specifically for Multnomah County’s NW Reeder Road Culvert Replacement Project at Dairy Creek Slough.
Purpose-Built for Fish Passage & Roadway Support
In early 2022, aging culverts beneath NW Reeder Road partially collapsed, creating sinkholes and requiring emergency traffic diversions. To permanently repair the crossing, Multnomah County needed a solution that accomplished two goals:
Support heavy roadway loading over NW Reeder Road without risk of future collapse.
Restore natural stream hydraulics in Dairy Creek Slough to ensure unhindered passage for native migratory fish.
Standard culverts often create high-velocity bottleneck currents that block fish from swimming upstream. By engineering a custom 12-foot wide opening, Dairy Creek Slough retains its natural flow dynamics, giving local aquatic life a permanent, safe corridor.
"This project is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate what Krah USA is truly capable of and just how big we can go. Breaking this record shows the entire industry how serious we are about solving massive infrastructure challenges with American-made manufacturing." - Mark Thalacker, Co-Founder
Engineered at Unprecedented Scale
Creating North America's largest thermoplastic pipe required the full versatility of Krah’s helical profile-winding technology.
By continuously winding structural profiles around a heated mandrel, we engineered precise ring stiffness directly into the pipe wall while optimizing total material weight.
Jeep-Sized Capacity: To illustrate the sheer scale of the 144-inch barrel before shipping, our founders drove a full-sized Jeep Wrangler completely through the interior.
Corrosion-Free Longevity: High-density polyethylene provides total immunity to soil chemicals, rust, and abrasion, giving this structure an engineered design life exceeding 100 years.
"Driving a Jeep right through the barrel before it ships out was a proud moment for our team in Prineville. We’ve always known the potential of our technology, but producing a 12-foot structure right here in Oregon really puts that capability on full display." - Mark Theetge, Co-Founder
We are deeply grateful to collaborate with Multnomah County and our project partners on this historical milestone. Stay tuned as this 144-inch giant ships out for job-site placement!
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