ASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe) · DN 90

3-1/2 inch Extra strong pipe

Outside diameter 4.000" (101.60 mm), wall 0.318" (8.08 mm), inside diameter 3.364" (85.44 mm), 12.52 lb per foot.

Inside diameter
3.364"
85.44 mm · wall 0.318"

Dimensions

Published dimensions for 3-1/2 inch Extra strong pipe.
Trade sizeNPS 3-1/2 · DN 90
ScheduleExtra strong (XS)
StandardASME B36.10M (welded and seamless wrought steel pipe)
Outside diameter4.000" · 101.60 mm
Wall thickness0.318" · 8.08 mm
Inside diameter3.364" · 85.44 mm
Weight, plain end12.52 lb/ft · 18.64 kg/m

Cross-check: the standard plain-end weight formula W = 10.6802 x t x (OD - t) gives 12.51 lb/ft here, 0.1% from the published 12.52 lb/ft. The published figure is the one printed above.

Why 3-1/2 inch pipe is not 3-1/2 inches

Nominal Pipe Size is a label, not a measurement. NPS 3-1/2 pipe has an outside diameter of 4.000 inches, and it keeps that outside diameter in every schedule made. What the schedule number changes is the wall: at extra strong (xs) the wall is 0.318 inches, so the bore comes out at 3.364 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the wall thickness of 3-1/2 inch extra strong (xs) pipe?

0.318 inches (8.08 mm). The outside diameter is 4.000 inches (101.60 mm) whatever the schedule, so this wall leaves an inside diameter of 3.364 inches.

What is the inside diameter of 3-1/2 inch extra strong (xs) pipe?

3.364 inches (85.44 mm). Inside diameter is outside diameter minus twice the wall: 4.000 - 2 x 0.318 = 3.364 inches.

Is 3-1/2 inch pipe actually 3-1/2 inches?

No. NPS 3-1/2 is a trade size, not a measurement. The pipe measures 4.000 inches across the outside and 3.364 inches across the bore in this schedule. Only the outside diameter is fixed across schedules.

How much does 3-1/2 inch extra strong (xs) pipe weigh?

12.52 pounds per foot plain end (18.64 kg per metre), for carbon steel. Stainless of the same dimensions runs a little lighter, and the figure excludes coatings, linings and fittings.

Not published here

One schedule at NPS 3-1/2 appears in only one of the published tables cross-checked for this section, so it is named rather than printed: XXS. Everything shown above carries at least two independent sources.

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

Extra strong (XS) in other trade sizes