Dimensions
Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 52.28 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 52.32 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.
NPS 16 schedule 20 in numbers
NPS 16 schedule 20 pipe measures 16.000 in (406.40 mm) across the outside with a 0.312 in wall, so the bore is 15.376 in (390.56 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 185.7 in² and holds 9.646 US gallons per foot (119.8 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 51.3 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 15.38 in² and weighs 52.32 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 18 in the same schedule carries 1.28 times the flow area.
Schedule 10 is the next lighter wall at NPS 16: 0.250 in, 0.062 in thinner, which opens the bore to 15.500 in and adds 1.6% to the flow area, for 20% less weight per foot.
Standard wall (STD) is the next heavier wall at NPS 16: 0.375 in, 0.063 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 15.250 in and cuts 1.6% from the flow area, for 20% more weight per foot.
Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 18 schedule 20, bore 17.376 in.
Worked out from the dimensions
Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 16.000 in and ID = 15.376 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 16 inch pipe is not 16 inches
Nominal Pipe Size is a label, not a measurement. NPS 16 pipe has an outside diameter of 16.000 inches, and it keeps that outside diameter in every schedule made. What the schedule number changes is the wall: at schedule 20 the wall is 0.312 inches, so the bore comes out at 15.376 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 16
Same outside diameter of 16.000 inches throughout - only the wall and the bore move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wall thickness of 16 inch schedule 20 pipe?
0.312 inches (7.92 mm). The outside diameter is 16.000 inches (406.40 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 15.376 inches.
What is the inside diameter of 16 inch schedule 20 pipe?
15.376 inches (390.56 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 16.000 - 2 x 0.312 = 15.376 inches.
Is 16 inch pipe actually 16 inches?
No. NPS 16 is a trade size, not a measurement. The pipe measures 16.000 inches across the outside and 15.376 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.
How much does 16 inch schedule 20 pipe weigh?
52.32 pounds per foot plain end (77.83 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: