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The thesis deals with the study of the fracture behaviour of the pipe grades of high density polyethylene (HDPE). Detailed study of current state of knowledge was performed in the first part. The focus was put on those types of polymers used for pipeline applications, the limit states of the plastic pipes, and the key parameters affecting the fracture behaviour of plastic pipes’ materials. The methods used for testing the plastic pipes and native pipeline materials were summarized. In the second part of this work, the relationship between the processing conditions, internal structure and fracture behaviour of the native types of HDPE pipe grades was evaluated. Than, the correlation between short-term alternative tests and the standardized accelerated full notch creep test (FNCT) was studied. An experimental basis for numerical model for evaluation of the fracture behaviour of multilayer pipes was established. Two types of non-homogeneous specimens for evaluating the resistance of multilayer pipes against slow crack growth (SCG) were suggested. This evaluation was based on the parameters of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and elasto-plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM).