Pipe and piping traditionally refer to tubular conveyances used to transmit fluids over long and short distances in a range of industrial, commercial, and residential applications—from gas transmission to sewage. But the term pipe also has a structural meaning in architectural settings, where the word applies to applications as handrails and columns, or in construction settings, where pipe may be used to create sign poles, bumper posts, or to be installed as casing pipe.
Part of the challenge of understanding pipe and piping rests with the fact that the nomenclature used to describe the different products can sometimes be overlapping and inconsistent among suppliers and manufacturers. For example, pipe is generally considered to be a rigid product specified by a nominal size and wall-thickness, whereas tubing is mostly identified by its actual outside dimension and wall thickness and is often flexible or bendable. In some instances, tubing can be thought of as a product used for transmission of a fluid or gas, whereas in other contexts, the word tubing may have more of a structural connotation to it. And where pipe is usually sold in straight lengths, tubing can be supplied in long-length coils as well.
Pipe is manufactured from a variety of materials, such as metal or plastic, by a variety of processes such as welding or casting. Pipe has long been standardized for dimensions and by industry-type; pipe for residential construction falls under different codes than pipe used in power or chemical plants, where the materials may be subject to high-pressure process fluids. Piping design is an engineering specialty unto itself, encompassing many aspects of mechanical engineering from welding processes to corrosion control, from sizing pressure drops to addressing seismic loading. With that in mind, this article presents an overview as a starting point for anyone needing to understand or purchase pipe.
Post time: May-04-2021