Meaning of Pipe Schedule / Piping Schedule Numbers:

Pipe Schedule Chart

whatispiping.com/pipe-schedule

Anup Kumar
Dey

Pipe Schedule describes the pipe wall

thickness. With an increase in pipe
schedule number pipe thickness
increases. The main function of the pipes is
to carry fluid (liquid, gas, fluidized solids,
slurry, mixed-phase products, etc) under
pressure (internal, external or both),
therefore to sustain the fluid pressure the
pipe has to be strong enough to perform its
intended duty without failure. Obviously, for
pipes containing pressurized fluids the wall
thickness, and by implication the pipe’s strength, is the most important parameter. Wall
thickness of Pipe is expressed by “schedules or Schedule numbers“, referred
to as pipe schedules or Piping Schedule.

What is a Pipe Schedule?

Pipe Schedule or Schedule number of a Pipe is a dimensionless number that is
related to Pipe Wall Thickness. Piping Schedule Number for a specific pipe size is a
pipe thickness designator for that pipe size.

How to Calculate a Pipe Schedule?

Schedule Numbers for pipe size/wall thickness combinations are calculated
(approximated) to get a uniform relationship equal to 1000 times the P/S (P=Design
Pressure and S=Allowable Stress) expression contained in the modified Barlow formula for
pipe wall thickness. The pipe schedule is abbreviated as SCH. So,

SCH=1000*(P/S)

Features of Pipe Schedule

For a given size and schedule the thickness of the pipe is fixed and defined in the applicable
ASME standard (B 36.10M/B 36.19M). Even though Pipe thickness can also be specified in
mm or inches to the value corresponding to that specified in the ASME standard, The
Schedule Numbers are strictly used as a convenient designation system while ordering
piping items.

For any given pipe size and varying schedule numbers or thicknesses, its Outside Diameter
(OD) remains constant and Internal Diameter (ID) varies. With an increase in thickness the
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strength increases but its ID decreases. OD is kept constant to help the support hardware
design so that the same support hardware can be used for the same pipe size (varying
thicknesses).

Pipe Schedule Governing Standards

In the oil and gas and related downstream industries the most common standards are

ASME B 36.10 Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe, and

ASME B36.19 Stainless Steel Pipe

What is Nominal Pipe Size

The size of all pipe is identified by the nominal pipe size. The manufacture of pipe NPS
1⁄8 (DN 6) to NPS 12 (DN 300), inclusive, is based on a standardized outside diameter
(OD). This OD was originally selected so that pipe with a standard OD and having a wall
thickness that was typical of the period would have an inside diameter (ID) approximately
equal to the nominal size. Although there is no such relation between the existing standard
thickness — OD and nominal size — these nominal sizes and standard ODs continue in use
as ‘‘standard.’’

The manufacture of pipe NPS 14 (DN 350) and larger proceeds on the basis of an OD
corresponding to the nominal size. So the OD in mm of a pipe NPS 14 or higher can easily
be calculated by simply multiplying the NPS (here 14) by 25.4. But for lower sizes, the OD
calculation is not so easy.

Pipe Schedule vs Pipe Size

For all pipe sizes the outside diameter remains constant. Therefore any
variation in schedule i.e. wall thickness affects only the inside diameter. As the
schedule number increases, the wall thickness increases, and the actual bore is
reduced.

Standard (STD) is identical to SCH 40 up to NPS 10. All larger sizes of Standard (STD
Schedule) have 9.53 mm wall thicknesses.
Extra-Strong (XS) is identical to SCH 80 up to NPS 8. All larger sizes of Extra-Strong
have 12.70 mm wall thicknesses.
Double Extra Strong (XXS) wall is thicker than SCH 160 from NPS 1/8 to NPS 6, and
SCH 160 is thicker than XXS wall for NPS 8 and larger.
With an increase in pipe thickness internal diameter of the pipe reduces as pipe outer
diameter remains constant.

Pipe of sizes and wall thicknesses other than those of Standard, Extra-Strong, and Double
Extra-Strong, and Schedule Number were adopted from API Specification 5L.

Pipe Schedule / Pipe wall Thickness Calculation

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The calculation of wall thickness varies depending on the usage of code. All codes (B 31.3, B
31.1, IBR, B 31.4, B 31.8, nuclear code, etc.) provide equations for calculating the minimum
wall thickness based on pressure which the pipe has to withstand. The major parameters
involved for thickness calculation are Design pressure, Pipe OD, and Allowable Stress at
design temperature. After calculation of minimum wall thickness, corrosion and
mechanical allowances need to be added with that. After that, the actual pipe thickness is
selected (immediate higher size thickness of the calculated value) from ASME code tables
depending on pipe material (CS or SS).

You may be interested in the following two articles:

Pipe Thickness Calculation (Internal Pressure Design Thickness) as per ASME B31.3
Pipeline wall thickness calculation with example

Pipe Schedule Chart/Pipe Dimension Charts

The wall thickness associated with a particular schedule depends on the pipe
size. Dimensions (OD, ID, Thickness, and Schedule Number) and Weights of CS and SS
pipes are given in ASME standards mentioned above. The tables in the respective codes are
dimensionally complete for all sizes and wall thicknesses within its scope, but some of the
larger, heavier wall sections are beyond the capability of seamless mill production and must
be obtained from forged and bored billets or other sources.

Stainless steel pipe is more often available in standard weight sizes (noted by the “S”
designation, for example, “NPS SCH 10S”). However stainless steel pipe can also be
available in other schedules.

Abbreviations used:
DN-Nominal Diameter,
NPS- Nominal Pipe Size,
NB – Nominal bore,
STD – Standard,
XS – Extra Strong,
XXS – Double Extra Strong,
ASME-American Society of Mechanical Engineers,
CS-Carbon Steel,
SS-Stainless Steel.

The following table developed by Stressman engineering provides a Nominal Pipe Size vs
Pipe Schedule Chart.

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 Pipe Schedule Chart by Stressman Engineering

Pipe Schedule 40 Pipe Dimensions

The following table will provide an example for Schedule 40 Steel Pipe Dimensions.

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Pipe Schedule Outside Wall Plain Outside Wall Plain
NPS No Diameter, Thickness, End Diameter, Thickness, End
Inches inches Weight, mm mm Mass,
lb/ft Kg/m

1/8 40/STD 0.405 0.068 0.24 10.3 1.73 0.37

1⁄4 40/STD 0.540 0.088 0.43 13.7 2.24 0.63

3⁄8 40/STD 0.675 0.091 0.57 17.1 2.31 0.84

1⁄2 40/STD 0.840 0.109 0.85 21.3 2.77 1.27

3⁄4 40/STD 1.050 0.113 1.13 26.7 2.87 1.69

1 40/STD 1.315 0.133 1.68 33.4 3.38 2.50

1-1⁄4 40/STD 1.660 0.140 2.27 42.2 3.56 3.39

1-1⁄2 40/STD 1.900 0.145 2.72 48.3 3.68 4.05

2 40/STD 2.375 0.154 3.66 60.3 3.91 5.44

2-1⁄2 40/STD 2.875 0.203 5.80 73.0 5.16 8.63

3 40/STD 3.500 0.216 7.58 88.9 5.49 11.29

4 40/STD 4.500 0.237 10.80 114.3 6.02 16.08

5 40/STD 5.563 0.258 14.63 141.3 6.55 21.77

6 40/STD 6.625 0.280 18.99 168.3 7.11 28.26

8 40/STD 8.625 0.322 28.58 219.1 8.18 42.55

10 40/STD 10.750 0.365 40.52 273.0 9.27 60.29

12 40 12.750 0.406 53.57 323.8 10.31 79.71

14 40 14.000 0.438 63.50 355.6 11.13 94.55

16 40 16.000 0.500 82.85 406.4 12.70 123.31

18 40 18.000 0.562 104.76 457 14.27 155.81

20 40 20.000 0.594 123.23 508 15.09 183.43

24 40 24.000 0.688 171.45 610 17.48 255.43

32 40 32.000 0.688 230.29 813 17.48 342.94

34 40 34.000 0.688 245.00 864 17.48 364.92

36 40 36.000 0.750 282.62 914 19.05 420.45

Schedule 40 Steel Pipe Dimensions Table (Reference: ASME B 36.10M)

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