The groove is made by cold forming or machining a groove into the end of a pipe. A gasket encompassed by the coupling housing is wrapped around the two pipe ends, and the key sections of the coupling housing engage the grooves. The bolts and nuts are tightened with a socket wrench or impact wrench. In the installed state, the coupling housing encases the gasket and engages the grooves around the circumference of the pipe to create a leak-tight seal in a self-restrained pipe joint.