ASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe) · DN 500

20 inch Schedule 80 pipe

Outside diameter 20.000" (508.00 mm), wall 1.031" (26.19 mm), inside diameter 17.938" (455.62 mm), 209.06 lb per foot.

Inside diameter
17.938"
455.62 mm · wall 1.031"

Dimensions

Published dimensions for 20 inch Schedule 80 pipe.
Trade sizeNPS 20 · DN 500
ScheduleSchedule 80
StandardASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe)
Outside diameter20.000" · 508.00 mm
Wall thickness1.031" · 26.19 mm
Inside diameter17.938" · 455.62 mm
Weight, plain end209.06 lb/ft · 311.19 kg/m

Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 208.87 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 209.06 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.

NPS 20 schedule 80 in numbers

NPS 20 schedule 80 pipe measures 20.000 in (508.00 mm) across the outside with a 1.031 in wall, so the bore is 17.938 in (455.62 mm). That bore gives a flow area of 252.7 in² and holds 13.13 US gallons per foot (163.0 litres per metre). The outside diameter is 19.4 times the wall, and the steel itself has a cross-section of 61.44 in² and weighs 209.06 lb per foot plain end. One trade size up, NPS 22 in the same schedule carries 1.21 times the flow area.

Schedule 60 is the next lighter wall at NPS 20: 0.812 in, 0.219 in thinner, which opens the bore to 18.376 in and adds 4.9% to the flow area, for 20% less weight per foot.

Schedule 100 is the next heavier wall at NPS 20: 1.281 in, 0.250 in thicker, which narrows the bore to 17.438 in and cuts 5.5% from the flow area, for 23% more weight per foot.

Next trade size up in this schedule: NPS 22 schedule 80, bore 19.750 in.

Worked out from the dimensions

Section properties and capacity of 20 inch Schedule 80 pipe, computed from the outside diameter and bore.
Flow area252.7 in²
Capacity13.13 US gal/ft · 163.0 L/m
Metal area61.44 in²
Moment of inertia2772 in⁴
Section modulus277.2 in³
Radius of gyration6.716 in
Outside surface5.236 ft² per foot

Plain geometry of a hollow circle with OD = 20.000 in and ID = 17.938 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 20 inch pipe is not 20 inches

Nominal Pipe Size is a label, not a measurement. NPS 20 pipe has an outside diameter of 20.000 inches, and it keeps that outside diameter in every schedule made. What the schedule number changes is the wall: at schedule 80 the wall is 1.031 inches, so the bore comes out at 17.938 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 20

Same outside diameter of 20.000 inches throughout - only the wall and the bore move.

Every other published schedule for NPS 20.
ScheduleWall (in)ID (in)Weight (lb/ft)
Schedule 5 · 5S0.18819.62439.82
Schedule 100.25019.50052.70
Schedule 400.59418.812123.23
Schedule 600.81218.376166.56
Schedule 1001.28117.438256.34
Schedule 1201.50017.000296.65
Schedule 1401.75016.500341.41
Schedule 1601.96916.062379.53
Standard wall (STD) · 20, 40S0.37519.25078.67
Extra strong (XS) · 30, 80S0.50019.000104.23
Schedule 10S0.21819.564not published

Frequently asked questions

What is the wall thickness of 20 inch schedule 80 pipe?

1.031 inches (26.19 mm). The outside diameter is 20.000 inches (508.00 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 17.938 inches.

What is the inside diameter of 20 inch schedule 80 pipe?

17.938 inches (455.62 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 20.000 - 2 x 1.031 = 17.938 inches.

Is 20 inch pipe actually 20 inches?

No. NPS 20 is a trade size, not a measurement. The pipe measures 20.000 inches across the outside and 17.938 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.

How much does 20 inch schedule 80 pipe weigh?

209.06 pounds per foot plain end (311.19 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 4 independent published sources:

Nearby sizes

Schedule 80 in other trade sizes