About ERW Pipes
Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) steel pipe options under standards including IS 1239, IS 3589, and IS 4923. Tell us the correct product standard, grade, dimensions, finish, tests and approved application.
Use this page as a product and specification reference. The quotation must state the exact material grade, dimensions, manufacturer, certification or document scope, inspection, quantity, price, current availability, freight, and proposed delivery timing for the specific RFQ.
Specification reference
| Outer Diameter (OD) | 15mm NB to 500mm NB (1/2" to 20") |
|---|---|
| Wall Thickness (WT) | 1.2mm to 12mm (Light, Medium, Heavy classes) |
| Standards and grades | State the applicable standard and its grade or class; IS 1239, IS 3589, and IS 4923 are not interchangeable. |
| Lengths | State required length and tolerance; offered mill or cut lengths are quotation-specific. |
| Finish | Black, galvanized, varnished, or painted |
Confirm the exact grade, dimensions, tolerance, test certificate, and current availability for your requirement before ordering.
Common applications
These are enquiry contexts, not universal approvals. The project design and governing specification must approve the exact product, grade, dimensions, and service conditions.
- Construction: Structural frameworks, scaffolding, and fencing.
- Water & Plumbing: Drinking water distribution and HVAC systems.
- Automotive: Chassis fabrication and exhaust systems.
- Agriculture: Greenhouse structures and irrigation pipelines.
Potential source references
The quotation must identify the proposed manufacturer, current availability, inspection documents, and delivery basis for the specific RFQ.
- Tata Steel
- Jindal Star
- Surya Roshni
- APL Apollo
Applicable standards and specifications
Technical Definition, Manufacturing Process, and Governing Specifications
Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) steel pipes are formed from steel strip and joined along a longitudinal seam by an electric-resistance welding process. The purchase description should identify whether the requirement is round pipe, a structural hollow section, black finish, or galvanized finish because those choices lead to different standards, dimensions, markings, and inspection plans. Water distribution, fabrication, agricultural, or structural use still requires the product standard and approved design to permit the offered item.
The RFQ should identify the applicable product standard rather than using ERW as the complete specification. This record lists IS 1239 for covered utility pipe, IS 3589 for larger water-pipe requirements, and IS 4736 for hot-dip galvanizing. The amended IS 4736 requirement used in the repository sets a minimum zinc coating mass of 360 g/m².
Grade and Class Matrix: Sizing and Mating Profiles
IS 1239 Part 1 includes Light, Medium, and Heavy wall-thickness classes. Class is a dimensional designation, not a steel grade, and any colour identification or marking must follow the ordered edition and purchase document. Structural hollow-section enquiries may instead refer to IS 1161 grades such as YST 210, YST 240, or YST 310; do not transfer those grade labels to an IS 1239 utility-pipe order without an approved specification.
Do not substitute an ERW utility or structural specification for a boiler, process, or pressure-piping material named on a design drawing. Service suitability depends on the governing code, design conditions, joining method, and inspection category. Send the line class or approved material specification with the enquiry when the intended service is more demanding than ordinary water, fabrication, or structural work.
Technical Dimensional and Mass Tolerances Data Table
Repository ERW dimensions and wall classes for preliminary comparison, with the amended IS 4736 zinc-mass figure used for galvanized supply.
| Nominal Bore (NB) | OD (mm) | Light Class Wall (mm) | Medium Class Wall (mm) | Heavy Class Wall (mm) | Galvanizing Zinc Coating (g/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 NB (1/2") | 21.3 | 2.00 | 2.60 | 3.20 | 360 |
| 25 NB (1") | 33.7 | 2.60 | 3.20 | 4.00 | 360 |
| 50 NB (2") | 60.3 | 2.90 | 3.60 | 4.50 | 360 |
| 80 NB (3") | 88.9 | 3.20 | 4.00 | 4.80 | 360 |
| 100 NB (4") | 114.3 | 3.60 | 4.50 | 5.40 | 360 |
| 150 NB (6") | 168.3 | 4.00 | 4.80 | 5.40 | 360 |
The 80 NB Medium mass matches the repository pipe-weight row. For galvanized options, the amended IS 4736 minimum zinc coating mass used here is 360 g/m². Confirm dimensions, mass basis, ordered standard edition, and coating record for the offered batch.
Worked Weight Sizing and Procurement Calculation
To assist procurement managers with BOQ estimations, let us compute the exact material tonnage for an infrastructure tender in Unnao. The contractor specifies 500 lengths of 80 NB (3") Medium Class GI ERW pipes, each with a standard length of exactly 6.0 meters, to lay a clean-water pipeline.
First, we calculate the unit weight per meter of the 80 NB Medium Class pipe using the standard steel weight formula:
Weight (kg/m) = (OD - t) * t * 0.02466
Where OD = 88.9 mm, and wall thickness (t) = 4.0 mm for Medium Class.
Calculation: Weight = (88.9 - 4.0) * 4.0 * 0.02466 = 84.9 * 4.0 * 0.02466 = 339.6 * 0.02466 = 8.3745 kg/m (rounded to 8.37 kg/m).
Next, the total linear length of the order is determined:
Total Length = 500 lengths * 6.0 meters/length = 3,000 meters.
Finally, we calculate the total payload weight of the consignment:
Total Weight = 3,000 meters * 8.3745 kg/m = 25,123.5 kg (or approximately 25.12 Metric Tons).
Use that planning mass to compare the order with the mill or stockist's commercial mass basis. The dispatch plan still needs bundle count, actual loading limits, vehicle availability, route restrictions, and the site's unloading arrangement before a vehicle is assigned.
Common Procurement Mistakes and Structural Failures
ERW pipe orders in Kanpur Dehat and Unnao are easier to inspect when the buyer resolves these common purchase-description gaps before placing the order:
- Class selected by habit: Light, Medium, and Heavy are dimensional classes. Copy the class from the approved schedule and do not infer it from the application name alone.
- Galvanizing described only as GI: State the applicable coating standard and required acceptance document. Ask how coating mass, appearance, threads, sockets, and bare patches will be checked.
- Marking omitted from the order: Require the relevant standard marking, manufacturer identity, size, class, and batch or heat traceability specified by the purchase document. Agree how cut lengths will retain identity.
Kanpur Steel Market Pricing Mechanics & Regional Delivery Basis
Ask for an itemised ERW quotation that names the size, class or wall, finish, length, quantity unit, commercial mass basis, and proposed manufacturer. Keep material price, coating, threading, cutting, inspection, packing, freight, and taxes visible rather than comparing only a headline rate.
For deliveries from Kanpur to Unnao, Lucknow, Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Bareilly, Patna, or another destination, provide the exact PIN code and site constraints. Ask the quotation to state current availability, proposed loading date, transport responsibility and the basis of any transit estimate; none is guaranteed by this page.
Define the dispatch pack in the purchase order. It may include the invoice, e-way bill, packing list, mill test certificate, coating record, and an inspection release note where ordered. If third-party inspection is required, identify the inspection agency, hold points, notice period, and acceptance format before material is packed.
Standards and Testing Compliance
The ordered edition of IS 1239 Part 1 defines the applicable test method and acceptance requirements for covered tubes. The purchase order should cite that edition and state any additional inspection, witnessing, test-report, or acceptance requirement instead of relying on an uncited universal test-pressure value.
Key Takeaways for Kanpur ERW Pipe Buyers
Key procurement checks for contractors sourcing ERW steel pipes in Uttar Pradesh:
- Proposed source: Ask the quotation to identify which listed mill is offered and whether the material is stock, incoming, or a mill dispatch.
- Galvanized option: For IS 4736 coating requirements, use the amended minimum zinc coating mass of 360 g/m² and state the ordered edition and required coating record.
- Certificate scope: Define whether an MTC, hydraulic test record, coating record, or third-party release note is required; availability is confirmed for the quoted batch.
- Regional delivery: Provide the destination and unloading constraints, then require the offer to state any proposed timing and transport basis for that order.
Receiving checks for ERW and GI pipe
Give stores and inspection staff the final purchase schedule before the vehicle arrives. They should be able to match each bundle to a purchase-order line by product form, nominal bore or outside dimension, wall class, finish, length, and quantity. Separate black and galvanized material as it is unloaded, and quarantine any bundle whose tag cannot be reconciled with the packing list.
Inspect accessible ends and surfaces before removing all straps. Look for transport dents, flattened ends, damaged threads, missing sockets, coating runs, bare areas, deep handling marks, water entry, and mixed lengths. Sampling and acceptance should follow the purchase inspection plan rather than an improvised check at the gate. Record the bundle tag in each photograph so a later claim can be traced.
For fabrication orders, confirm whether cutting, threading, grooving, welding, bending, or painting will occur. The workshop needs the correct class and allowance before nesting cuts. Keep offcuts identified if they may return to project stock, and do not transfer a certificate reference to unidentified pieces.
For galvanized pipe, agree how cut ends, threads, grooves, and fabrication damage will be treated under the project coating procedure. Keep black and galvanized consumables, touch-up materials, and inspection records separate. If the site will store bundles outdoors, prepare supports, drainage, ventilation, and covers that do not trap water against the pipe.
When the order serves several locations, mark bundles by site or work package before loading in Kanpur. The packing list should use the same identifiers as the BOQ. This reduces sorting at a constrained site and gives the buyer a clear record if one class, finish, or length is short or damaged on receipt.
What to include in the RFQ
- Specify the relevant standard or grade where known.
- Provide OD or NB, wall thickness or schedule, required length, and quantity.
- State the delivery city or PIN code and any unloading constraints.
- List MTC, IBR, TPI, marking, inspection, or other documentation requirements.