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

16 inch Standard wall pipe

Outside diameter 16.000" (406.40 mm), wall 0.375" (9.53 mm), inside diameter 15.250" (387.34 mm), 62.64 lb per foot.

Inside diameter
15.250"
387.34 mm · wall 0.375"

Dimensions

Published dimensions for 16 inch Standard wall pipe.
Trade sizeNPS 16 · DN 400
ScheduleStandard wall (STD) · same wall as 30, 40S
StandardASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe)
Outside diameter16.000" · 406.40 mm
Wall thickness0.375" · 9.53 mm
Inside diameter15.250" · 387.34 mm
Weight, plain end62.64 lb/ft · 93.27 kg/m

Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 62.58 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 62.64 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.

NPS 16 standard wall (std) in numbers

NPS 16 standard wall (std) pipe measures 16.000 in (406.40 mm) across the outside with a 0.375 in wall, so the bore is 15.250 in (387.34 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 182.7 in² and holds 9.489 US gallons per foot (117.8 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 42.7 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 18.41 in² and weighs 62.64 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 18 in the same schedule carries 1.28 times the flow area.

Schedule 20 is the next lighter wall at NPS 16: 0.312 in, 0.063 in thinner, which opens the bore to 15.376 in and adds 1.7% to the flow area, for 16% less weight per foot.

Schedule 40 is the next heavier wall at NPS 16: 0.500 in, 0.125 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 15.000 in and cuts 3.3% from the flow area, for 32% more weight per foot.

Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 18 standard wall (std), bore 17.250 in.

Worked out from the dimensions

Section properties and capacity of 16 inch Standard wall pipe, computed from the outside diameter and bore.
Flow area182.7 in²
Capacity9.489 US gal/ft · 117.8 L/m
Metal area18.41 in²
Moment of inertia562.1 in⁴
Section modulus70.26 in³
Radius of gyration5.526 in
Outside surface4.189 ft² per foot

Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 16.000 in and ID = 15.250 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 standard wall (std) the wall is 0.375 inches, so the bore comes out at 15.250 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 600.65614.688107.60
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
Schedule 10S0.18815.624not published

Frequently asked questions

What is the wall thickness of 16 inch standard wall (std) pipe?

0.375 inches (9.53 mm). The outside diameter is 16.000 inches (406.40 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 15.250 inches.

What is the inside diameter of 16 inch standard wall (std) pipe?

15.250 inches (387.34 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 16.000 - 2 x 0.375 = 15.250 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 15.250 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.

How much does 16 inch standard wall (std) pipe weigh?

62.64 pounds per foot plain end (93.27 kg per metre), for carbon steel. The figure excludes coatings, linings and fittings.

Is standard wall (std) the same as 30 or 40S at this size?

Yes, at NPS 16. 30 and 40S are the same 0.375 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:

Nearby sizes

Standard wall (STD) in other trade sizes