PIPING ENGINEERING

Fundamentals
Codes, Standards & Recommended Practices
For scientific design of Piping Systems, selection of proper material of construction and to detail out the
material specifications, knowledge of Codes and Standards is essential.

CODE - A group of general rules or systematic procedures for design, fabrication, installation and inspection
prepared in such a manner that it can be adopted by legal jurisdiction and made into law.

STANDARDS - Documents prepared by a professional group or committee who are believed to be good and
proper engineering practice and which contain mandatory requirements. The users are responsible for the
correct application of the same. Compliance with a standard does not itself confer immunity from legal
obligation.

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES - Documents prepared by professional group or committee indicating good

engineering practices but which are optional.

Each country has its own Codes and Standards. On global basis, American National standards are
undoubtedly the most widely used and compliance with those requirements are accepted world over.
AMERICAN STANDARDS

Most of these standards are adapted by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).

The American Standards referred by Piping Engineers are mainly the standards by:

1. The American Petroleum Institute (API)

2. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)

3. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

4. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

5. The American Welding Society (AWS).

6. The American Water Works Association (AWWA).

S. No. Country Organization Abbreviation

American National Standards

1 United States ANSI
Institute

2 Canada Standard Council of Canada SCC

3 France Association Francaise AFNOR

British Standards
4 United Kingdom BSI
Institute

Committee of European
5 Europe CEN
Normalization

6 Germany Deutsches Institute Fur Normung DIN

Japanese Industrial Standards

7 Japan JISC
Committee

8 India Bureau Of Indian Standards BIS

International Organization for

9 Worldwide ISO
Standards
ANSI STANDARDS
The American National Standards Institute’s standards used in the design of the Piping Systems are as listed. In
1978,ANSI B31 committee was reorganized as ASME Code for Pressure Piping B31 committee. Subsequently the
code designation was changed. ASME B31 Code for pressure piping is at present a non-mandatory code in USA,
though they are adopted as legal requirement.

1) ASME B 31.1 - Power Piping

2) ASME B 31.2 - Fuel Gas Piping

3) ASME B 31.3 - Process Piping

4) ASME B 31.4 - Pipeline Transportation System for liquid

hydrocarbon and other Liquids

5) ASME B 31.5 - Refrigeration Piping

6) ASME B 31.8 - Gas Transmission and Distributor Piping Systems.

7) ASME B 31.9 - Building Services Piping

8) ASME B 31.11 - Slurry Transpiration Piping Systems

9) ASME B 31.G - Manual for determining the remaining strength of

corroded piping - A supplement to ASME B31.
Difference between Pipelines & Piping

PIPELINE PIPE
Series of straight pipe welded together for a long Complex network of pipe & fittings within the defined
distance boundaries of the plant
underground, aboveground and underwater Mostly above ground with very few underground services.
such as subsea pipeline

Mostly large diameter Can be from ½” to 80” in diameter

Use of pipefittings are limited. Very wide range of pipefittings are used.

Few equipment are used within the Pipeline Verity of equipment used within the piping system
system

Design in accordance with ASME B31.4, ASME ASME B31.3 , ASME B31.1
B31.8
Difference between Pipe & Tube

PIPES TUBES

Pipe Size Specified in Nominal Pipe Size

Tubes sized are specified in millimeter or
Size (NPS) or Nominal Bore (NB) or Diameter
in inches by outside diameter
Nominal (DN)
Wall thickness is expressed in millimeter,
Wall thickness is expressed in schedule
Thickness or inches, or BWG (Birmingham wire
number
gauge.)
The outside diameter of pipe up to size
Outside diameter of tubes is numerically
Diameter 12” are numerically larger than
equal to the corresponding size.
corresponding pipe size
Generally used in tracing lines, tubes for
Use Used in all process & utility lines heat exchanger & fired heater & in
instrument connection.
Normally small-bore tube is used in
Available in the small bore as well as the
Availability process piping. For structural use, tubs
big bore.
are available in custom sizes.
ASTM Specifications of Pipe

Pipes:-

I. Carbon Steel : - ASTM A53 Gr. A/B, ASTM A106 Gr. A/B/C, ASTM A333 Gr.1/Gr.6

II. Alloy Steel :- ASTM A335 Gr.P1/P2/P5/P7/P9/P11/P12/P22.

III. Stainless Steel:- ASTM A312TP304/TP304L/TP304H/TP308/TP310/TP316/TP316L/ TP316H/ TP317/ TP321/ TP321H/

TP347/TP347H/TP348/TP348H.

IV. Nickel Steel :- ASTM A333Gr.3/ Gr.8.

 Pipe Size Eq. Metric Outside Outside
NPS,NB, OD, Pipe Wall Thickness, Schedule, Rating NB (Inch) Pipe Size NB Dia Dia
(mm) (inch) (Inch)

1/8 6 0.405 10.3

1/4 8 0.540 13.7
3/8 10 0.675 17.1
1/2 15 0.840 21.3
3/4 20 1.050 26.7
1 25 1.0315 33.4
*11/4 32 1.660 42.2
11/2 40 1.900 48.3
2 50 2.375 60.3
*21/2 65 2.875 73.0
3 80 3.500 88.9
*31/2 90 4.000 101.6
4 100 4.500 114.3
*5 125 5.563 141.3
Nominal Pipe Size, Nominal Bore,Outside Diameter
6 150 6.625 168.3
For NPS ⅛ to 12 – The NPS and OD values are different. For example, the OD
8 200 8.625 219.1
of an NPS 12 pipe is actually 12.75 inches (324 mm). To find the actual OD
for each NPS value, refer to the reference tables which are based on ASME 10 250 10.750 273.0

standards B36.10M and B36.19M. 12 300 12.250 323.9

For NPS 14 and above – The NPS and OD values are equal. In other words, 14 350 14.000 355.6

an NPS 14 pipe is actually 14 inches (360 mm) OD. 16 400 16.000 406.4
Pipe Schedule
Pipe Schedule is the term used to describe the thickness of a pipe. The outside diameter of a pipe is the
same for all Schedules in a particular nominal pipe diameter. Standard pipe schedules or pipes sizes as given
by ANSI / ASME B36.10M and API 5L. There are eleven schedule numbers commonly used: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40,
60, 80, 100, 120, 140, & 160.

The most popular schedule, by far, is 40. For pipe 8-inches and under, Schedule 40 and Standard Weight
pipe wall thicknesses are the same. Schedules 5, 60, 100, 120, & 140 are rarely used. This should be
considered when piping is specified for a particular project.

The schedule number is defined as the approximate value of the expression:

Schedule Number = (1,000)(P/S)
P = the internal working pressure, psig
S = the allowable stress (psi) for the material of construction at the conditions of use.
For example, the schedule number of ordinary steel pipe having an allowable stress of 10,000 psi for use at a
working pressure of 350 psig would be:
Schedule Number = (1,000)(350/10,000) = 35 (approx. 40)
Pipe Pressure Rating
The pressure rating (also known as pressure class) is the maximum pressure a pipe, fitting or valve should be
capable of withstanding at given temperature in normal conditions.
Also known as Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP), a pressure rating lets an engineer determine
which material will work best at any certain point of piping system.
The higher the pressure rating, the thicker the wall thickness must be so that the pipe, fitting or valve body will
not rupture. The pressure rating is affected by the temperature of the service also; the higher the process
temperature, the less pressure can be handled by the pipe, fitting and valve body. ANSI Standard B16.34 is
used to determine the pressure temperature relationship, as well as applicable wall thickness and end
connections.
ANSI Standard B16.34 specifies six standard classes:
Class 150
Class 300
Class 600
Class 900
Class 1500
Class 2500
Pipe Weight Pipe Ends

Typical Weight of Schedule 40 Steel Pipe

Weight of Pipe
Nominal Pipe Size Weight of Pipe
filled with Water

(in) (mm) (lbs/ft) (kg/m) (lbs/ft) (kg/m)

3/8 10 0.6 0.9 0.7 1.0
1/2 15 0.8 1.2 0.9 1.2
3/4 20 1.1 1.7 1.3 2.0
1 25 1.7 2.5 2.1 3.0
1 1/4 32 2.3 3.4 2.9 4.3
1 1/2 40 2.7 4.0 3.6 5.3
2 50 3.6 5.4 5.0 7.5
2 1/2 65 5.8 8.6 7.9 11.7
3 80 7.6 11.2 10.8 15.9
3 1/2 90 9.1 13.5 13.4 19.8
4 100 10.8 16.0 16.3 24.2
5 125 14.6 21.7 23.2 34.6
6 150 19.0 28.2 31.5 46.8
8 200 28.5 42.5 50.1 74.6
10 250 40.5 60.2 74.6 111
12 300 51.1 75.9 102 152
14 350 63.0 93.7 122 181
16 400 83.0 124 160 237
18 450 105 156 202 301
20 500 123 183 243 362
24 600 171 255 345 514
 140 / 200 dg F

High Density Poly Ethylene Poly Tetra Fluro Ethylene

Glass Reinforced Plastic/ Epoxy