ASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe) · DN 400

16 inch Schedule 60 pipe

Outside diameter 16.000" (406.40 mm), wall 0.656" (16.66 mm), inside diameter 14.688" (373.08 mm), 107.60 lb per foot.

Inside diameter
14.688"
373.08 mm · wall 0.656"

Dimensions

Published dimensions for 16 inch Schedule 60 pipe.
Trade sizeNPS 16 · DN 400
ScheduleSchedule 60
StandardASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe)
Outside diameter16.000" · 406.40 mm
Wall thickness0.656" · 16.66 mm
Inside diameter14.688" · 373.08 mm
Weight, plain end107.60 lb/ft · 160.13 kg/m

Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 107.50 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 107.60 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.

NPS 16 schedule 60 in numbers

NPS 16 schedule 60 pipe measures 16.000 in (406.40 mm) across the outside with a 0.656 in wall, so the bore is 14.688 in (373.08 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 169.4 in² and holds 8.802 US gallons per foot (109.3 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 24.4 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 31.62 in² and weighs 107.60 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 18 in the same schedule carries 1.26 times the flow area.

Schedule 40 is the next lighter wall at NPS 16: 0.500 in, 0.156 in thinner, which opens the bore to 15.000 in and adds 4.3% to the flow area, for 23% less weight per foot.

Schedule 80 is the next heavier wall at NPS 16: 0.844 in, 0.188 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 14.312 in and cuts 5.1% from the flow area, for 27% more weight per foot.

Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 18 schedule 60, bore 16.500 in.

Worked out from the dimensions

Section properties and capacity of 16 inch Schedule 60 pipe, computed from the outside diameter and bore.
Flow area169.4 in²
Capacity8.802 US gal/ft · 109.3 L/m
Metal area31.62 in²
Moment of inertia932.3 in⁴
Section modulus116.5 in³
Radius of gyration5.430 in
Outside surface4.189 ft² per foot

Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 16.000 in and ID = 14.688 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 60 the wall is 0.656 inches, so the bore comes out at 14.688 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.

Every other published schedule for NPS 16.
ScheduleWall (in)ID (in)Weight (lb/ft)
Schedule 5 · 5S0.16515.67027.93
Schedule 100.25015.50042.09
Schedule 200.31215.37652.32
Schedule 40 · XS, 80S0.50015.00082.85
Schedule 800.84414.312136.74
Schedule 1001.03113.938164.98
Schedule 1201.21913.562192.61
Schedule 1401.43813.124223.85
Schedule 1601.59412.812245.48
Standard wall (STD) · 30, 40S0.37515.25062.64
Schedule 10S0.18815.624not published

Frequently asked questions

What is the wall thickness of 16 inch schedule 60 pipe?

0.656 inches (16.66 mm). The outside diameter is 16.000 inches (406.40 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 14.688 inches.

What is the inside diameter of 16 inch schedule 60 pipe?

14.688 inches (373.08 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 16.000 - 2 x 0.656 = 14.688 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 14.688 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.

How much does 16 inch schedule 60 pipe weigh?

107.60 pounds per foot plain end (160.13 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:

Nearby sizes

Schedule 60 in other trade sizes