Pipe Column Measurement
Pipe Column Measurement
(OP)
Is there an instrument available that can measwure the wall thickness of a sealed pipe column in the field? If so, how accurate are they?
I have a tower where some of the leg thicknesses given in the field survey do not correspond to anything in the AISC steel book or other tower manufacturer I am familiar with. I am wondering how he got the measurements he did - no holes to directly micrometer are available.
I have a tower where some of the leg thicknesses given in the field survey do not correspond to anything in the AISC steel book or other tower manufacturer I am familiar with. I am wondering how he got the measurements he did - no holes to directly micrometer are available.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com






RE: Pipe Column Measurement
There's round sections that are not pipe (HSS). See:
http://www.aisc.org/DynamicTaxonomyFAQs.aspx?id=15...
If they're really close, but all a little short, the hollow section manufacturer's have got so good at hitting their thicknesses that they can consistently make the thicknesses the thinnest sectiona allowable by the governing ASTM.
RE: Pipe Column Measurement
Some thicknesses are off by a tenth or so.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com
RE: Pipe Column Measurement
http://www.proceq.com/en/non-destructive-test-equi...
RE: Pipe Column Measurement
Regular UT equipment and a good operator would probably solve this problem for you.
RE: Pipe Column Measurement
Some of the pipe specifications allow up to a 12.5% undertolerance on the thickness. (I think this actually amounts to the hole being off-center relative to the outside, but it is just given as a thickness tolerance.)
The AISC books just show Standard Weight, Extra-Strong, etc., but actual pipe is available in thicknesses other than Std, X-Str, XX-Strong, including some that are lighter-walled than Std Weight.
If a structure is a one-off item, it's most likely made from whatever types of pipe or tubing are commonly available. If it's one of a large number of similar items, the supplier may have had pipe custom-made with a particular wall thickness. On occasion, "surplus" pipe will be available with odd wall thicknesses as well, leftovers from a pipeline project, for example.
RE: Pipe Column Measurement
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com