pipes classification

What are Piping Specifications ?

The Piping Specification (abbreviated: Pipe Spec) is a document prepared during the design phase of any project. It provides the appropriate selection, specification and material grade of pipe and piping components for a given service.

For all subsequent maintenance and repair on a section of pipe, the piping specification remains as the key to correct material selection.

Note that a piping specification only applies to the defined plant, site or installation. Other sites or plants for example can have their own piping specifications and they are NOT interchangeable.

To use the piping specification, reference must first be made to the Process and Instrument Diagram. Identify the section of pipe in the PID and a line number will be quoted, e.g:

12-FW-1014-1CS1P which is interpreted as follows:

  • 12 – The nominal pipe size of the line.
  • FW – The service code. This refers to the contents of the pipe. In this instance, FW refers to Fire Water.
  • 1014 – The pipeline number which is a unique number allocated to a specific section or run of pipe during the design stages.
  • 1CS1P – The piping specification number. This is a short-hand reference into the piping specification document, and is also unique to that document. The first number normally refers to the pressure rating of the system.

Having determined the piping specification number, turn to the appropriate page in the piping specification document. There the correct type of gasket, the correct grade of studbolts, spectacle blinds, blind flanges, pipe material, pipe wall thickness will be specified for the job in hand.

In the pipe specification are also links to other standards, such as testing, welding, inspection, painting and so on. You will also find a so-called Branch Table, which tells you how a branch is to be made.

1-CS -1 -P

1-CS -1 -P


Piping Specifications define application design and construction rules and requirements for piping components as flanges, elbows, tees, valves etc.

Pipes classification

To fully understand pipe class and piping specification you must know the basics of the piping.

Pipe covers a very large part of any process plant. If you look at the Oil Exploration platform, Refinery and Petrochemical complex one thing that catches the attention is a complex network of piping. Piping is used to transport various process materials from one equipment to another. But why?

Process Plant is a place where a series of activities are performed in particular ordered to convert raw material into a useful product. Interconnected pipe and pipe components are used to transport raw material, intermediated product and final product to the desired location

What is Pipe?

The pipe is a straight pressure-tight cylindrical hollow, used in the piping system to transport liquid, gas, and sometimes solids.



Based on the way pipe manufacturing, Pipes are mainly classified into two categories seamless and welded. Welded pipes are further classified based on the method of welding. There are two ways to weld pipe 1st is with filler metal and 2nd is without filler metal.

Submerged Arc Welding process is with filler metal welding whereas ERW/EFW and HFW are no filler welding methods to weld the pipe. SAW pipes are further classified as straight seam and spiral seam pipe. Straight seam pipes are also known as L-SAW or long seam SAW pipes. Medium diameter straight SAW pipe has a single seam whereas a large diameter pipe has a two-weld seam.

Check the image below for easy understanding.

What is Pipe Class?

Piping class or Pipe Class is a document that specifies the type of the components such as a type of pipe, schedule, material, flange ratings, branch types, valve types and valve trim material, gasket, and all the other components specific requirements to be used for different fluids under different operating conditions in a plant.

Pipe class is developed considering Operating Pressure, temperature, and corrosive environment. Different material specifications are segregated in separate “Piping Class”. Pipe class is part of the Piping specification.

Shortcode is used to cover all the information applicable to the given pipe class. This pipe class is also included in the line number so that field construction engineer can easily identify the material required.

Check the link for the example of a piping class specification.

You can watch this video, where I have explained the above Pipe class in great detail.

What is the piping Specifications?

Piping Specifications are technical documents that are generated by private companies to address additional requirements applicable to a specific product or application.

Piping Specs provides specific/additional requirements for the materials, components, or services that are beyond the code and standard requirements. For Example, if you want A106 Gr B pipe with Maximum carbon of 0.23% against standard requirements of 0.3% Max, you must be specified this requirement in your purchase specification.

Why did Specification require?

  • It allows a purchaser to include special requirements as per design and service conditions.
  • It also allows customization of the product.
  • Please note requirement in the specification is Must meet requirements.

Normally, oil & gas facilities generate their own specification during the FEED stage that is front-end engineering and design or sometimes uses readily available specifications from well-established companies such as Shell, Bechtel, EIL, and chevron.

What is Piping Components?

Piping Components are mechanical elements suitable for joining or assembling into a pressure-tight fluid containing piping system. Components include pipes, tubes, fittings, flanges, gaskets, bolt-nuts, valves, expansion joints, hose pipes, traps, strainers, separators, control valves, safety valves, blind flanges, spectacle blinds, and drip rings, etc.

What is the Piping System?

Piping System can define as when piping components are joined together to perform some specific activities such as convey, distribute, mix, separate, discharge, meter, control, or stop the fluid flows is known as a piping system.

If you want to become an expert in piping components you can buy my full course that covers all details related to piping components.

Pipe Dimension

Pipe dimensions are given in size and schedule numbers. Three different terms are commonly used to define the size of the pipes.

  • NPS – Nominal Pipe Size
  • NB – Nominal Bore
  • DN – Diameter Nominal

You can check the complete guide on Pipe Size and Schedule (Click on the link) for in-depth understanding.

Dimensions of the pipes are covered in following Standard

  • ASME B36.10 – Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe (Carbon & Alloy Steel)
  • ASME B36.19 – Stainless Steel Pipe

What is Small Bore Pipe and Large Bore Pipe?

In the project, you will come across the terms such as small Bore & big bore or large bore pipe.

Small Bore Pipe

Pipe Size up to 2” are considered small bore pipe. However, some companies considered up to 2.5″ pipe as a small-bore.

Large Bore Pipe (Big Bore Pipe)

Pipe Size above 2″ are considered large bore or big bore pipe

Pipe Length

The length of the pipe is mentioned in either meter or feet. During production, pipes are not manufactured in the same lengths, and during the construction of the process plants, you required various lengths of pipes. To address this issue standard has defined pipe lengths in single random and double random categories.

Single random pipes

Single random pipes come in 4 . 8m to 6 . 7m in lengths with 5% of lengths in between 3.7 to 4.8 m

Double random pipes

Double random pipes have a minimum average length of 10.7 m and a minimum length of 4.8 m with 5 % of lengths in between 4.8 m to 10.7 m

Pipe End Types

The pipes come in following end types;

  • Plain Ends
  • Beveled Ends
  • Threaded Ends
  • Socket & Spigot Ends
  • Flanged Ends
  • Buttress Ends

Plain Ends

Plain end pipes are used when socket type weld fittings are used.

  1. Easier Alignment than butt welding
  2. No weld metal intrusion into a bore
  1. The 1/16″(1.5 mm) recess pockets liquid
  2. Use not permitted by code if Severe Erosion or Crevice Corrosion is anticipated.

Beveled Ends

Beveled end pipes are used when butt type weld fittings are used.

  1. The most practical way of joining big-bore piping
  2. Reliable leak-proof joint
  3. Joint can be radiographed
  1. Weld intrusion will affect the flow
  2. End preparation is necessary

Threaded Ends

Threaded end pipes are used with threaded connections in a piping system.

  1. Easily made at the site
  1. Joint may leak when not properly sealed
  2. Use not permitted by code if severe erosion, crevice corrosion, shock, or vibration are anticipated.
  3. A strength of pipe is reduced as threads reduce the wall thickness
  4. Seal welding may be required
  5. The code specifies that seal welding shall not be considered to contribute for the strength of joint

Socket & Spigot Ends

Socket & Spigot End pipes are generally used in the Ductile iron pipeline and non-metallic piping pipeline such as PVC, GRE/GRP.

  1. It can be easily made at the site.
  2. Can accept misalignment up to 10° at pipe joints.
  1. Suitable for low-pressure applications.
  2. Special configuration at the pipe ends required.

Flanged End

Flanged end pipes are used where the bolted connection is required.

  1. Can be easily made at the site
  2. Can be used where welding is not permitted due to material properties or fire hazard.
  3. Dismantling is very easy
  1. It is a point of potential leakage
  2. It cannot be used when piping is subjected to high bending moment.

Buttress Ends

Buttress Ends are used in glass piping and are joined by bolting with the use of backing flanges. This joint connection is not capable of holding high pressure.

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Learn about PIpe class, piping Specification, classification of pipe, types of pipe end, Small and large bore piping, single and double random pipe length.