STANDARD: ASTM A-252-98

Standard Specification for Welded and Seamless Steel Pipe Piles

1. Scope

This specification covers nominal thickness of the wall steel pipe piles of cylindrical shape and applies to pipe piles in which the steel cylinder acts as a permanent load-carrying member, or as a shell to form cast-in-place concrete piles.

2. Materials and Manufacture

The piles shall be made by the seamless electric resistance welded, flash welded, or fusion welded process. The seams of welded pipe piles shall be longitudinal, helical-butt, or helical-lap.

NOTE 1—For welded pipe piles, the weld should not fail when the product is properly fabricated and installed and subjected to its intended end use.

3. Steel Fabrication Process

The steel shall be made by one or more of the following processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace.

4. Steel Chemical Composition and Analysis

The steel shall conform to the following requirements as to chemical composition:

Phosphorus, maximum (%) : 0.050

5. Mechanical Properties

Steel Grade	Yield strength aRt0,5 psi(MPa) minimum	Tensile strength aRm psi (MPa) minimum	Elongation Af % minimum

			in 8 in. (203.2 mm), min, %	in 2 in. (50.8 mm), min, %

Grade 1	30000 (205)	50000 (345)	18	30

Grade 2	35000 (240)	60000 (415)	14	25

Grade 3	45000 (310)	66000 (455)	/	20

6. Weights Per Unit Length

6.1. USC units

W1=10.69(D-t)t

Note:
W = weight per unit length, lb/ft,
D = specified outside diameter, in., and
t = specified nominal wall thickness, in.

6.2. SI units

W2=t(D-t)xC

Note:
W = weight per unit length, kg/m
D = specified outside diameter, expressed in millimetres (inches)
t = the specified wall thickness, expressed in millimetres (inches);

C = 0,024 66 for calculations in SI units

7. Weight Tolerance

The weight of any length of pile shall not vary more than 15% over or 5% under the nominal thickness weight. Each length shall be weighed separately.

8. Outside Diameter

The outside diameter of steel pipe piles shall not vary more than ±1% from the diameter specified.

For example, diameter 12inch=323.9mm, then within the diameter tolerance, the diameter range is 320.661~327.139mm.

9. Wall Thickness

The minimum wall thickness at any point shall not be more than 12.5% under the nominal wall thickness specified.

For example, thickness is 9.53mm, then within the thickness tolerance, the thickness could varies within 8.34mm ~ 10.72mm.

10. Pipe Length

Single random lengths		16 to 25 ft (4.88 to 7.62 mm), incl
Double random lengths		over 25 ft (7.62 m) with a minimum average of 35 ft (10.67 m)
Uniform lengths		length as specified with a permissible variation of +/- 1 in

11. Straightness and Surface

The finished pipe piles shall be reasonably straight and shall not contain imperfections in such number or of such character as to render the pipe unsuitable for pipe piles.
Surface imperfections having a depth not in excess of 25 % of the specified nominal wall thickness shall be acceptable. It shall be permissible to establish the depth of such imperfections by grinding or filing.
Surface imperfections having a depth in excess of 25 % of the specified nominal wall thickness shall be considered to be defects. It shall be permissible for defects not deeper than 331⁄3 % of the specified nominal wall thickness to be repaired by welding, provided that the defect is completely removed prior to welding.

12. Pipe Ends

Pipe piles shall be furnished with plain ends.
Unless otherwise specified, pipe piles shall have either flame–cut or machine–cut ends, with the burrs at the ends removed. Where ends are specified to be beveled, they shall be beveled to an angle of 30 +5, −0°, measured from a line drawn perpendicular to the axis of the pipe pile.

13. Test Specimens and Test Methods

The tension test specimens and test methods shall be in accordance with Test Methods and Definitions ASTM A 370.

14. Inspection

All tests and inspections shall be made at the place of manufacture prior to shipment, unless otherwise specified in the purchase order, and shall be so conducted as not to interfere unnecessarily with the operation of the works.

15. Mill Test Certification

The manufacturer shall furnish a certificate of compliance stating that the pipe pile was manufactured, tested, and inspected in accordance with the requirements of this specification (including year date) and any requirements specified in the purchase order, and was found to meet such requirements, and shall furnish a test report containing the results of the applicable heat analyses, product analyses, and tension tests.

16. Pipe Marking

Each length of pipe pile shall be legibly marked by stenciling, stamping, or rolling to show: the name or brand of the manufacturer; the heat number; the process of manufacture (seamless, flash welded, fusion welded, or electric resistance welded), the type of helical seam (helical-lap or helical-butt), if applicable; the outside diameter, nominal wall thickness, length, and weight per unit length; the specification designation (year date not required); and the grade.

For example:
HYSP API 5L GR.B HEAT NO.1988 HFW 508MM X 9.53MM X 12000MM 117.14KG/M

At the first sight, pipe and tube looks the same. There are many similarity for pipes and tubes: all made of metal, with same shape, and all hollow… But there are many difference between them. Let’s see the

15 Difference Between Pipe and Tube

1. Pipe Diameter and Tube Diameter
Pipe diameter refers to a nominal diameter- not actual. Pipe Schedule refers to the pipe’s wall thickness (you can find the schedule chart and specification). The actual physical outside diameter is larger than it’s nominal OD.
The diameter of tubing on the other hand refer to the actual outside diameter. In other words, the actual physical OD of a tube is just the same as it’s nominal OD.
For example: The actual outside diameter of 1¼” pipe is 1.625″ – while 1¼″ tube has a true 1.25″ outside diameter.
Pipes accommodate larger applications with sizes that range from a half-inch to several feet. Tubes are generally used in applications that require smaller diameters. While 10-inch pipes are common, it’s rare that you will come across a 10-inch tube.

2. Wall Thickness Difference

The wall thickness of pipes and tubes is an important factor to tell difference. The thickness of tubing is often specified by a gauge for thinner thicknesses and for thicker tubing it is indicated by fractions of an inch or millimeters. The normal range for tubing is 20 gauge, which measures .035 inch, up to a thickness of 2 inches. The wall thickness of a pipe is referred to as a pipe schedule, which you can find the relevant between pipe schedule and thickness in millimeter or inch in specification ASME B36.10. The most common schedules are SCH 20,SCH 40 and SCH 80. Schedule 40 is the most common and 80 is extra heavy. Which is needed to be noted, the pipe schedule is not set for all diameters; it varies.

For example:

Diameter 8inch/219.1 pipe, pipe schedule is SCH 40 = wall thickness is 0.322inch/8.18mm,

Diameter 12 inch /323.9 pipes, sch 40 refers wall thickness of 0.406inch/10.31mm.

There is no formula between the pipe schedule and wall thickness, the only is to refer to the ASME B36.10 or relevant standards.

3. Pipes Tolerance & Tube Tolerance
Pipes are usually used for transporting or distributing, then the properties of pressure or straightness, roundness are strictly specified, the tolerance for pipes is more loose than tubes comparatively. Here the tolerance refers to diameter tolerance, wall thickness tolerance, straightness tolerance, roundness tolerance etc.

4. Manufacturing Difference of pipes and tubes
As we mentioned above, tubes will require higher level requirements, consequently, even from the material producing to the pipe or tube manufacturing process will be different. Tubes will require much more process, tests, inspection than pipes. The delivery time will be longer, too. The yield of tubes are comparatively much lower than pipes. Pipe manufacturing is easier compare to tubes and it’s in mass production

5. Cost & Price
As per to the above, to manufacture tubes will take much more labor, energy, material etc, so the production cost is surely higher than pipes. And just because the high level requirement of tubes, the low yield of tubes will also increase the cost and price. While the process of pipes is easier. And pipes are manufactured in large lot and cut the cost.

6. Use of Pipes and Tubes
Pipes are used for fluids and gases, such as water, oil, gas or propane or as steam pipe, boiler pipe etc. Just because of this, the outside & inside diameter is the key measurement — it indicates how much can flow through the pipe. Also that’s the reason why the pressure rating is so important, because the pressure must be under the transport or distribute pressure range. Tubes, however, are often put to use in applications that require precise outside diameters, like with medical tubes, weapon part, industrial parts, cooler tubes, heat exchanger tubes and boiler tubes. Tubes are usually used in medical area, construction, structure or load bearing etc. This is why the outside diameter is important because it indicates how much it can hold as a stability factor.

7. Material
Piping is usually made of carbon steel or low alloy steel. while tubing is often made of mild steel, aluminum, brass, copper, chrome or stainless steel etc. Different material also lead to different cost and price.

8. Mechanical Properties and Chemical Properties
For pipes the pressure rating, yield strength, ductibility properties are more important. However, for tubes, the hardness, tensile strength, high precision is the key to high quality. Those elements like C, Mn, S, P, Si are the main chemical elements for pipes, and there is few microelements requirements . While for tubing, the microelements are very important to the quality and process.

9 Connection /Join Welding
Connecting pipes is more labor intensive as it requires welding, threading or flanges and relevant equipments. Tubes can be joined quickly and easily with flaring, brazing or couplings, but for this reason, they don’t offer the same stability. Pipe welding is safer than “tube join”.

10. Ductibility

Pipe is available in rigid “joints”, which come in various lengths depending on the material. Tubing, in particular copper, comes in rigid hard tempered “joints” or soft tempered (annealed) rolls. Some tubing also comes in rigid “joints” or flexible rolls. The temper of the copper, that is whether it is a rigid “joint” or flexible roll, does not affect the sizing.

11. Packing
Pipes to delivered are in bundle or just bulk delivery. Because we just need to protect the pipes surface from serious damage and no need to protect from any light chafing. While tubes are usually wrapped with wooden box or thin film for each tube, especially for medical area tube.

12. Surface Finish

For outdoor field transporting or underground transporting, pipes need to be painted or coating to anti corrosion or oxidation. Tubes are sour cleaning or special polish treatment for particular field use.

13. Quantity

For long transport or distributing, piping is often used in mass quantity and for long distance application. So, the order of pipes are usually large. While tubes may be used in small quantity.

14. Pipe End and Tube End
Pipe ends are usually in plain or beveled so as to welding. while tubes are with coupling ends or specially end finish, like irregular ends, special screw thread etc.

15. Application
Pipes accommodate larger applications with sizes that range from a half-inch to several feet. Tubes are generally used in applications that require smaller diameters. While 10-inch pipes are common, it’s rare that you will come across a 10-inch tube.