Steel Pipe

Published: September 30, 2017 | Last updated: July 5, 2023

What Does Steel Pipe Mean?

Steel pipes are made with metal alloys of iron and other metal like aluminum/ manganese etc. and has greater strength and durability than iron pipes. They are either seamless or welded along the length of the pipe and galvanized by coating it with a layer of zinc in a hot zinc bath or by an electroplating process. Zinc is non-toxic to humans and hence is an ideal metal for coating water pipes.

Trenchlesspedia Explains Steel Pipe

Steel pipes are usually used for the purpose of supply and distribution of water and gas. The nominal pipe sizes range from 3/8 inch to 2 inches. This pipe is not commonly used today because there are cheaper and better options available in the market.

While steel pipes are durable, this material is difficult to work with because of the need for threading. However; it is still used for replacing or repairing existing steel pipelines. Steel is durable, but overtime, it is prone to corrosion from the inside as a result of zinc erosion. This occurs to the layer of zinc inside the pipe due to constant exposure to water, leading to buildup of corrosion byproducts. The average lifespan of steel pipes is about 50 years.

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