General Sir John Kothelawela

Defence University
Southern Campus
Department of Quantity Surveying
Intake 33-Level 1-Semester II
QS2042- SERVICES I
Project Work- 01
Introduction
Pipe work is an important service for buildings because the whole role inside a building is
depends on liquid requirements. Modern construction is based on different themes. According
to the purpose of the construction, the model of pipe work is desired. The main purpose of
pipe work is to provide a fluid flow. Pipe fittings connect different liquid ways and direct the
path way which it flows.

There are various types of pipe fittings in the world, which categorized by considering different
tasks.

1. Elbow

Elbow shapes are using to direct the liquid in to 90° or 45° angle .
In modern buildings, people use 22.5° elbows, which are not using commonly.

There are various types of design features on Elbows, such as :

 Long Radius Elbows

 Short Radius Elbows
 90 Degree Elbow
 60 Degree Elbow
 45 Degree Elbow

(a) regular 45° elbow (copper sweat)

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Usage :

 water supply facilities

 food industrial pipeline networks
 chemical industrial pipeline networks
 electronic industrial pipeline networks
 air conditioning facility pipeline
 agriculture and garden production transporting system
 pipeline network for solar energy facility

(b). sweep 90° elbow (copper sweat)

This attaches to plastic, copper, cast iron, steel and lead and sometimes to rubber with stainless
steel clamps.

Mostly this is using to connect hoses to valves, water pressure pumps, and deck drains.

© Short radius elbows

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 Have a center-to-end distance equal to the normal pipe size (NPS) in inches, while the long
radius is 1.5 times the NPS in inches. Short elbows are widely available, and are typically used in
pressurized systems.

(d) Long elbows

Are typically used in low-pressure gravity-fed systems and other applications where low
turbulence and minimum deposition of entrained solids are of concern.

2. Coupling

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Pipe coupling (copper sweat)

This connects two pipes to each other. If the size of the pipe is not the same, the fitting may be
called a reducing coupling or reducer, or an adapter.

There are two different types of couplings as :

 slip couplings.
 regular couplings.

3. Union

A combination pipe union and reducer fitting (brass threaded)

A union is similar to a coupling, except it is designed to allow quick and convenient

disconnection of pipes for maintenance or fixture replacement.

While a coupling would require either solvent welding, soldering or being able to rotate with all
the pipes adjacent as with a threaded coupling, a union provides a simple transition, allowing
easy connection or disconnection at any future time.

A standard union pipe is made in three parts consisting of a nut, a female end, and a male end.

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When the female and male ends are joined, the nut then provides the necessary pressure to seal
the joint. Since the mating ends of the union are interchangeable, changing of a valve or other
device can be achieved with a minimum loss of time. Pipe unions are essentially a type of flange
connector, as discussed further below.

In addition to standard, simple unions, other types of union exist:

 Dielectric unions are unions with dielectric insulation, used to separate dissimilar metals.
 When the two metals are in direct contact with each other, the Current from one metal to
the other will cause a movement of ions from one to the other, dissolving one metal and
depositing it on the other. A dielectric union breaks the electric current path with a plastic
liner between two halves of the union, thus limiting galvanic corrosion.

4. Reducer

A reducer allows for a change in pipe size to meet the flow requirements of the system, or to
adapt to existing piping of a different size.

5. Olets

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Whenever branch connections are required in size where reducing tees are not available and/or
when the branch connections are of smaller size as compared to header size, olets are generally
used

. The following are few configurations of olet connections :

 Flanged Olet
 Socket-Weld & Threaded Olet
 Lateral & Elbow Olets
 Nipple Olet
 Butt-Weld Olet
 Swage Nipples

6. Tee

A tee is the most common pipe fitting. It is available with all female thread sockets, all solvent
weld sockets, or with opposed solvent weld sockets and a side outlet with female threads.

It is used to either combine or split a fluid flow. It is a type of pipe fitting which is T-shaped
having two outlets, at 90° to the connection to the main line. It is a short piece of pipe with a
lateral outlet.

A tee is used for connecting pipes of different diameters or for changing the direction of pipe
runs. They are made of various materials and available in various sizes and finishes. They are
extensively used in pipeline networks to transport two-phase fluid mixtures. They are
categorized as:

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  Equal
 Unequal

When the size of the branch is same as header pipes, equal tee is used and when the branch size
is less than that of header size, reduced tee will be used. Most common are tees with the same
inlet and outlet sizes. Some of the industrial tees are Straight Tee, Reducing Tee, Double Branch
Tee, Double Branch Reducing Tee, Conical Tee, Double Branch Conical Tee, Bullhead Tee,
Conical Reducing Tee, Double Branch Conical Reducing Tee, Tangential Tee, and Double
Branch Tangential Tee.

The above tees are categorized on the basis of their shapes and structure. They can also be
classified on the basis of the application they are required to perform.

7. Cross

Cross fittings are also called 4-way fittings. If a branch line passes completely through a tee, the
fitting becomes a cross. A cross has one inlet and three outlets, or vice versa. They often have
solvent welded socket ends or female threaded ends.

Cross fittings can generate a huge amount of stress on pipe as temperature changes, because they
are at the center of four connection points.

A tee is more steady than a cross, as a tee behaves like a three-legged stool, while a cross
behaves like a four-legged stool.

8. Cap
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A type of pipe fitting, usually liquid or gas tight, which covers the end of a pipe. A cap is used
like plug, except that the pipe cap screws or attaches on the male thread of a pipe. A cap may
have a solvent weld socket end or a female threaded end and the other end closed off.

In plumbing systems that use threads, the cap has female threads. Industrial caps can be

 Round
 Square
 Rectangular
 U-shaped
 I-shaped.

If a solvent weld cap is used to provide for a future connection point, several inches of pipe must
be left before the cap. This is because when the cap is cut off for the future connection, enough
pipe must remain to allow a new fitting to be glued onto it.

9. Plug

A plug closes off the end of a pipe. It is similar to a cap but it fits inside the fitting it is mated to.
In a threaded iron pipe plumbing system, plugs have male threads. Some of the popular types of
plugs are:

 Mechanical pipe plug

 Pneumatic disk pipe plug
 Single size pneumatic all rubber pipe plug
 Multi-size pneumatic pipe plug
 Multi-size flow-through pipe plug
 High pressure pipe plug

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 10.Nipple

A short stub of pipe, usually threaded steel, brass, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) or
copper; occasionally just bare copper. A nipple is defined as being a short stub of pipe which has
external male pipe threads at each end, for connecting two other fittings. Nipples are commonly
used for plumbing and hoses, and second as valves for funnels and pipes.

11.Barb

A "barb" or "hose barb" fitting is used to connect flexible hose or tubing to pipes. A barb fitting
typically has a male-threaded end used to mate with female threads. The other end of the fitting
has either a single- or multiple-barbed tube having a tapered stub with ridges, which is inserted
into a flexible hose to secure it. An adjustable worm drive screw clamp or other type of clamp is
often added, to help to keep the hose from slipping off the barbed tube. Barb fittings can be made
of brass for hot water applications, while plastic may be used for cold water; brass is considered
more robust and durable for heavy-duty use. The barb fitting can be either elbow-shaped or
straight.

Pipe fittings are also can be classified according the end of connections :

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1. Socket weld/ Screwed end fittings:

Dimensional standard-AME B 16.11/BS 3799 Sizes –upto  4” NPS only.

These fittings are designated by pressure class which represents the maximum cold non-shock
working pressure and the thickness corresponding to that class.

The pressure classes used to designate these fitting are:

 2000 # Class: Applicable for Screwed fittings only, Thickness-SCH 80 or XS

 3000 # Class: Socket weld fittings, Thickness-SCH 80 or XS & Screwed fittings,

Thickness-SCH 160

 6000 # Class: Socket weld fittings, Thickness-SCH 160 & Screwed fittings, Thickness-
SCH XXS

 9000 # Class: Applicable for Socket weld fittings only, Thickness-SCH X XS

2. Butt weld end fittings:

Dimensional standard-AME B 16.9/ AME B 16.28/BS 1640

These are fittings are with Butt welded ends.

They are available in both seamless and welded type. They are usually with the same thickness
as pipe.

The different grades of material used for these fittings are:

 ASTM A234- Carbon Steel Fittings for Moderate & High temperature Services.

 ASTM A403- Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings.

* ASTM A420- Carbon Steel & Alloy Steel Pipe Fittings for Low temperature
Services.

3. Flanged end fittings:

Dimensional standard-AME B 16.5/BS 1650

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These kind of fitting have both ends Flanged and are used in places where welding is not
allowed.

They are cast fittings.

The different grades of material used for these fittings are:

 ASTM A216- Carbon Steel Casting.

 ASTM A403- Stainless Steel Casting.

 ASTM A420- Alloy Steel Casting.

Conclusion

From all above reasons, it is clear that pipe fittings are essential items for a building . The main
purpose of using pipes is to direct the way of liquid flowing. Pipes can be classified in many
ways. Generally pipes are classified according to its purpose. Such as Elbow, Tee, cross.. etc.

Pipes can be made of plastic, PVC , steel and by other materials . The durability of a pipe fitting
is depending on the material it made and the hardness of it when using to the relevant purpose.

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