Dimensions
Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 27.90 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 27.93 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.
NPS 16 schedule 5 in numbers
NPS 16 schedule 5 pipe measures 16.000 in (406.40 mm) across the outside with a 0.165 in wall, so the bore is 15.670 in (398.02 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 192.9 in² and holds 10.02 US gallons per foot (124.4 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 97.0 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 8.208 in² and weighs 27.93 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 18 in the same schedule carries 1.27 times the flow area.
Schedule 10S is the next heavier wall at NPS 16: 0.188 in, 0.023 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 15.624 in and cuts 0.6% from the flow area.
Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 18 schedule 5, bore 17.670 in.
Worked out from the dimensions
Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 16.000 in and ID = 15.670 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 5 the wall is 0.165 inches, so the bore comes out at 15.670 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 5 pipe?
0.165 inches (4.19 mm). The outside diameter is 16.000 inches (406.40 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 15.670 inches.
What is the inside diameter of 16 inch schedule 5 pipe?
15.670 inches (398.02 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 16.000 - 2 x 0.165 = 15.670 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 15.670 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.
How much does 16 inch schedule 5 pipe weigh?
27.93 pounds per foot plain end (41.56 kg per metre), for carbon steel. The figure excludes coatings, linings and fittings.
Is schedule 5 the same as 5S at this size?
Yes, at NPS 16. 5S is the same 0.165 inch wall here. That coincidence is per size and does not hold everywhere: standard wall and schedule 40 part company above NPS 10, and extra strong and schedule 80 part company above NPS 8.
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: