Dimensions
Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 138.18 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 138.30 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.
NPS 18 schedule 60 in numbers
NPS 18 schedule 60 pipe measures 18.000 in (457.20 mm) across the outside with a 0.750 in wall, so the bore is 16.500 in (419.10 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 213.8 in² and holds 11.11 US gallons per foot (138.0 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 24.0 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 40.64 in² and weighs 138.30 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 20 in the same schedule carries 1.24 times the flow area.
Schedule 40 is the next lighter wall at NPS 18: 0.562 in, 0.188 in thinner, which opens the bore to 16.876 in and adds 4.6% to the flow area, for 24% less weight per foot.
Schedule 80 is the next heavier wall at NPS 18: 0.938 in, 0.188 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 16.124 in and cuts 4.5% from the flow area, for 24% more weight per foot.
Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 20 schedule 60, bore 18.376 in.
Worked out from the dimensions
Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 18.000 in and ID = 16.500 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 18 inch pipe is not 18 inches
Nominal Pipe Size is a label, not a measurement. NPS 18 pipe has an outside diameter of 18.000 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 0.750 inches, so the bore comes out at 16.500 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 18
Same outside diameter of 18.000 inches throughout - only the wall and the bore move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wall thickness of 18 inch schedule 60 pipe?
0.750 inches (19.05 mm). The outside diameter is 18.000 inches (457.20 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 16.500 inches.
What is the inside diameter of 18 inch schedule 60 pipe?
16.500 inches (419.10 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 18.000 - 2 x 0.750 = 16.500 inches.
Is 18 inch pipe actually 18 inches?
No. NPS 18 is a trade size, not a measurement. The pipe measures 18.000 inches across the outside and 16.500 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.
How much does 18 inch schedule 60 pipe weigh?
138.30 pounds per foot plain end (205.75 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: