Dimensions
Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 160.27 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 160.42 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.
NPS 12 schedule 160 in numbers
NPS 12 schedule 160 pipe measures 12.750 in (323.85 mm) across the outside with a 1.312 in wall, so the bore is 10.126 in (257.21 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 80.53 in² and holds 4.183 US gallons per foot (51.96 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 9.7 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 47.14 in² and weighs 160.42 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 14 in the same schedule carries 1.22 times the flow area.
Schedule 140 is the next lighter wall at NPS 12: 1.125 in, 0.187 in thinner, which opens the bore to 10.500 in and adds 7.5% to the flow area, for 13% less weight per foot.
Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 14 schedule 160, bore 11.188 in.
Worked out from the dimensions
Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 12.750 in and ID = 10.126 in: flow area π/4·ID², metal area π/4·(OD² − ID²), moment of inertia π/64·(OD⁴ − ID⁴), section modulus I ÷ (OD/2), radius of gyration √(I ÷ metal area), capacity flow area × 12 ÷ 231 (231 in³ to the US gallon). Nominal dimensions, so mill tolerance and corrosion allowance are not included.
Why 12 inch pipe is not 12 inches
Nominal Pipe Size is a label, not a measurement. NPS 12 pipe has an outside diameter of 12.750 inches, and it keeps that outside diameter in every schedule made. What the schedule number changes is the wall: at schedule 160 the wall is 1.312 inches, so the bore comes out at 10.126 inches.
That is the practical consequence. Fittings, flanges, supports and threading dies are sized to the outside diameter, so they fit any schedule of the same trade size. Flow, pressure drop and anything that has to pass through the pipe depend on the inside diameter, which changes with every schedule. Order by trade size and schedule; work your hydraulics from the bore.
Other schedules in NPS 12
Same outside diameter of 12.750 inches throughout - only the wall and the bore move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wall thickness of 12 inch schedule 160 pipe?
1.312 inches (33.32 mm). The outside diameter is 12.750 inches (323.85 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 10.126 inches.
What is the inside diameter of 12 inch schedule 160 pipe?
10.126 inches (257.21 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 12.750 - 2 x 1.312 = 10.126 inches.
Is 12 inch pipe actually 12 inches?
No. NPS 12 is a trade size, not a measurement. The pipe measures 12.750 inches across the outside and 10.126 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.
How much does 12 inch schedule 160 pipe weigh?
160.42 pounds per foot plain end (238.69 kg per metre), for carbon steel. The figure excludes coatings, linings and fittings.
Where this table stops
This table runs from NPS 1/8 to NPS 24 and stops there. ASME B36.10M itself continues to NPS 80; those larger sizes are not carried here, so a size above NPS 24 is missing rather than undefined.
Where these figures come from
Dimensions are as defined by ASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe). This site is an independent reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by any standards body.
Every value on this page was cross-checked against 5 independent published sources: