Abbreviation definitions IE: ASME, API, BTU

AAR--Association of American Railroads

AGA--American Gas Association

AISI--American Iron & Steel Institute

ANSI--American National Standards Institute — Formerly ASA

API--American Petroleum Institute

ASA--American Standard Institute — Now known as ANSI

ASM--American Society for Metals

ASME--American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASTM--American Society for Testing Materials

AWWA--American Water Works Association

BALES--Banded lifts of pipe

BAR MILL--Roiling mill where blooms are processed to form billets

BESS--Bessemer

BEVEL--The angle formed between the prepared edge of the end of the pipe and a plane perpendicular to the surface. Standard line pipe bevel is 30 degrees.

BILLET--Round solid bar of steel which is pierced to form a seamless tube or pipe.

BLK--Black --term used when O.D. surface of pipe is protected with a varnish-type oil. Also applies to bare pipe to denote not galvanized.

BLOOM--A semifinished hot rolled product produced on a blooming mill.

B.O.F.--Basic Oxygen Furnace

BRIGOS STANDARD--A standard of thread dimensions. Same as American Standard

B.T.U.--British Thermal Unit

BLDS--Bundles — practice of packaging pipe from 1/8 inch to 1 1/2 inch. Pieces per bundle vary with size.

BURST TEST--A destructive hydraulic test to determine actual yield strength and ultimate strength of seamless and welded pipe.

B.W.--Butt Weld Pipe — See Continuous Weld Pipe

B.W.G.--Birmingham Wire Gauge

CASING--Pipe used as a structural retainer for the walls of a water, gas, or oil well.

C.D.--Cold Drawn — Drawing pipe or tubing through a die to reduce diameter and wall, to obtain closer tolerances, a better finish or higher physical properties.

CHAMFER--A beveled surface to eliminate an otherwise sharp corner. A finishing operation prior to threading.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES--Normally associated with a limited number of chemical elements. Minimum or max imum limits are established in most ASTM and API Specifications.

CUT LENGTH--Pipe out to a specific length as ordered.

CONDUIT--Pipe serving as a duct for electrical wiring. Usually supplied In 10 foot lengths, threaded and coupled. Pipe used is normally galvanized, slightly lighter than standard weight with a smooth interior surface.

CPLG--Coupling — threaded sleeve used to connect two lengths of pipe.

C.W.--Continuous Weld — method of producing pipe normally in sizes from ½ inch to 4 inch.

CU--Copper

C.W.T.--per hundred weight

DIA--Diameter

DIE STAMPING--Permanent marking placed on pipe as required in some specifications.

DOUBLE EXTRA HEAVY--Also known as double extra strong. Available from ½ inch to 8 inch nominal pipe. Wall thickness is twice as heavy as extra heavy pipe with the exception of 8 Inch diameter.

DRL--Double Random Length (35 foot minimum average)

DRIFTED--Attaining a certain minimum I.D. clearance by pushing a mandrel through pipe or tubing.

DRIVE PIPE--Pipe used for driving into ground in water well applications. Supplied with drive coupling.

DUCTILITY--The ability of a material to deform plastically without fracturing. Measured by elongation in a tensile test.

ERW--Electric Resistance Weld Pipe — method of producing pipe normally in sizes from 2 3/8” O.D. through 22” O.D.

E.U.E.--External Upset Ends — used in API tubing and drill pipe.

EXPANDED PIPE--Pipe which. has been enlarged circumferentially by mechanical or hydraulic pressure.

EXTRA HEAVY--Also known as extra strong — pipe with walls heavier than standard weight. Same as schedule 80 in sizes 1/8 inch to 8 Inch diameter.

F.O.B.--Free on Board

FRI Freight

GALV--Galvanizing -- coating pipe with a protective coating of zinc.

GRADE A OR B--Designations used to indicate minimum yield and tensile strengths of steel in seamless and welded pipe.

G.T.--Gross Ton--2,240 pounds

HYDROSTATIC TESTING--High pressure, water test to predetermine pressures as required by specifications.

l.D.--Inside Diameter --The O.D. measurement less double the wall thickness is the I.D. measurement of a pipe or tube.

INGOT--Usually first solid form of steel, Suitable for reworking or remelting.

I.P.S.--Iron Pipe Size--Same as nominal size from 1/8 inch to 12 Inch.

JOINT--Term used to refer to one length of pipe.

LGTH--Length

L.T.C.--Long threads and coupling (OCTG)

LARGE O.D. PIPE--Pipe 14 inch O.D. and larger

L.W.--Lap Weld--Old method of producing pipe 5 inch diameter and over.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES--Tensile strength, elongation, hardness and fatigue limit of steel.

MID-WELDS--Two or more Joints welded to form one long joint.

MINIMUM WALL--Minimum thickness permissible calculated by subtracting minus tolerance from nominal wall.

MN--Manganese

N.A.S.P.D.--The National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors

N.B.S.--National Bureau of Standards

Ni--Nickel

NIPPLE--Short length of pipe 12 inches and under normally threaded both ends.

NOM—Nominal--name given to standard pipe designations 1/8 inch through 12 inch. Does not indicate actual I.D.--easurements, Wall thickness are also expressed as nominal.

N.T.--Net Ton--2,000 pounds

O-D.--Outside diameter

O.H.--Open hearth

PCS--Pieces

P.E.--Plain ends

PERC--Plain end roller cut

PESC--Plain end square cut or saw cut or machine cut

PICKLING--Pipe immersed in acid bath to remove scale, oil. dirt, etc.

PROTECTOR--Sleeve with threads to protect threads

PSI--Pounds per square inch.

RANGE--Allowable lengths in oil field casing and tubing. Expressed as Range 1 (20 foot R/L). Range 2(30 foot RIL) and Range 3 (40 foot R/L).

R/L--Random Length. Varying lengths of pipe.

R&D--Reamed and Drifed — commonly used in water wells to guarantee I.D. clearance

SAW--Submerged Arc Weld — a method of producing very large OD pipe.

SCALE--An oxide of Iron which forms on the surface of steel.

SCHEDULE NUMBERS--ANSI numbers assigned to pipe to designate wall thickness.

SMLS—Seamless--pipe without a seam or weld in the circumference.

SPEC--Specification

SKELP--Long narrow strip of plate of correct thickness and width to produce CW or ERW pipe. SRL--Single Random Lengths — usually 18 foot to 22 foot. Minimum average of 17’6”.

S.T. & C.--Short Thread & Coupled (OCTG).

STENCIL--identification painted on pipe. Specification, size, wall, grade, test pressure, method of manufacture and mill identification are usually indicated.

STO--Standard — Same as Sch. 40 1/8”-1.0”

STRETCH REDUCE--A technique employed in the manufacture of OW pipe in which one or several master sizes of pipe are produced, then stretched reduced through a number of rolls to achieve a variety of pipe diameters. Also used in certain instances in seamless and ERW manufacturing.

TBE--Thread Both Ends

T & C--Threaded and Coupled

TOE--Thread One End

TENSILE STRENGTH--Ultimate bursting strength to resist being pulled apart. Expressed in P.S.I.

TUBE ROUND--Billet

VICTAULIC JOINT--Pipe is grooved near ends to accommodate a victaulic coupling.

YIELD STRENGTH--The tensile stress required to produce a total elongation of .5 percent of the gauge length as determined by an extensometer. Expressed in P.S I.

XHY--Extra Heavy (Extra Strong)

XXHY--Double Extra Heavy (Double Extra Strong)