Cast iron pipe is a historical pipe which found widespread use as a pressure pipe for transmission of water, gas and sewage, and as a water drainage pipe, during the 19th and 20th centuries. It comprises predominantly a gray cast iron tube and was frequently used uncoated, although later developments did result in various coatings and linings to reduce corrosion and improve hydraulics. Cast iron pipe was gradually superseded by ductile iron pipe

Ductile iron pipe

Ductile iron pipe is a pipe commonly used for potable water distribution. The predominant wall material is ductile iron, a spheroidized graphite cast iron, although an internal cement mortar lining usually serves to inhibit corrosion from the fluid being distributed, and various types of external...

, which is a direct development, with most existing manufacturing plants transitioning to the new material during the 1970s and 1980s. There is currently almost no new manufacture of cast iron pipe.

Early Use

The first use of cast iron pipe is not recorded. Cast iron tubes were first manufactured in the 14th century in Europe for cannon and it is presumed that similar tubes would have found use as water pipes at the same time, however, it was not until 1455 in Siegerland

Siegerland

The Siegerland is a region of Germany covering the old district of Siegen and the upper part of the district of Altenkirchen, belonging to the Rhineland-Palatinate adjoining it to the west.Geologically, the Siegerland belongs to the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge...

 that the first officially recorded cast iron water pipe was produced for use in Dillenburg Castle (since destroyed).

The oldest extant water pipes date from the 17th century and were installed to distribute water throughout the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles. These amount to some 35 km of pipe, typically 1m lengths with flanged joints. The extreme age of these pipes make them of considerable historical value. Following extensive refurbishment in 2008 by Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...

 PAM, 80% remain original.

Vertically Cast

The first cast iron pipe was produced in horizontal molds which resulted in an uneven distribution of metal around the pipe circumference. In 1845, the first pipe was cast vertically and by the turn of the century, all pipe was manufactured to this method.

Centrifugally Cast

Subsequent to its invention by Dimitri Sensaud deLavaud, a French-Brazilian, in 1918, much cast iron pipe manufacture shifted to the dramatically different technique of centrifugal casting. Modern ductile iron pipe production continues to use this method of casting.

Standardization

The first standardization of cast iron water pipes in Britain occurred in 1917 with the publishing of BS 78. This standard specified a dimensionless nominal size, which approximately corresponded with the internal diameter in inches of the pipe, and four pressure classes, Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D, each with a specified wall thickness and outer diameter. It is noted that the outer diameter is identical between classes with the exception of sizes 12 to 27, where Classes A and B share one diameter and Classes C and D have another, larger diameter.

Nominal Size	Class
	A & B	A		B		C & D	C		D
	Outer Diameter [in (mm)]	Wall Thickness [in (mm)]	Internal Diameter [in (mm)]	Wall Thickness [in (mm)]	Internal Diameter [in (mm)]	Outer Diameter [in (mm)]	Wall Thickness [in (mm)]	Internal Diameter [in (mm)]	Wall Thickness [in (mm)]	Internal Diameter [in (mm)]
3	3.76 (95.504 mm)	0.38 (9.652 mm)	3 (76.2 mm)	0.38 (9.652 mm)	3 (76.2 mm)	3.76 (95.504 mm)	0.38 (9.652 mm)	3 (76.2 mm)	0.4 (10.16 mm)	2.96 (75.184 mm)
4	4.8 (121.92 mm)	0.39 (9.906 mm)	4.02 (102.108 mm)	0.39 (9.906 mm)	4.02 (102.108 mm)	4.8 (121.92 mm)	0.4 (10.16 mm)	4 (101.6 mm)	0.46 (11.684 mm)	3.88 (98.552 mm)
5	5.9 (149.86 mm)	0.41 (10.414 mm)	5.08 (129.032 mm)	0.41 (10.414 mm)	5.08 (129.032 mm)	5.9 (149.86 mm)	0.45 (11.43 mm)	5 (127 mm)	0.52 (13.208 mm)	4.86 (123.444 mm)
6	6.98 (177.292 mm)	0.43 (10.922 mm)	6.12 (155.448 mm)	0.43 (10.922 mm)	6.12 (155.448 mm)	6.98 (177.292 mm)	0.49 (12.446 mm)	6 (152.4 mm)	0.57 (14.478 mm)	5.84 (148.336 mm)
7	8.06 (204.724 mm)	0.45 (11.43 mm)	7.16 (181.864 mm)	0.45 (11.43 mm)	7.16 (181.864 mm)	8.06 (204.724 mm)	0.53 (13.462 mm)	7 (177.8 mm)	0.61 (15.494 mm)	6.84 (173.736 mm)
8	9.14 (232.156 mm)	0.47 (11.938 mm)	8.2 (208.28 mm)	0.47 (11.938 mm)	8.2 (208.28 mm)	9.14 (232.156 mm)	0.57 (14.478 mm)	8 (203.2 mm)	0.65 (16.51 mm)	7.84 (199.136 mm)
9	10.2 (259.08 mm)	0.48 (12.192 mm)	9.22 (234.188 mm)	0.49 (12.446 mm)	9.22 (234.188 mm)	10.2 (259.08 mm)	0.6 (15.24 mm)	9 (228.6 mm)	0.69 (17.526 mm)	8.82 (224.028 mm)
10	11.26 (286.004 mm)	0.52 (13.208 mm)	10.22 (259.588 mm)	0.52 (13.208 mm)	10.22 (259.588 mm)	11.26 (286.004 mm)	0.63 (16.002 mm)	10 (254 mm)	0.73 (18.542 mm)	9.8 (248.92 mm)
12	13.14 (333.756 mm)	0.55 (13.97 mm)	12.04 (305.816 mm)	0.57 (14.478 mm)	12 (304.8 mm)	13.6 (345.44 mm)	0.69 (17.526 mm)	12.22 (310.388 mm)	0.8 (20.32 mm)	12 (304.8 mm)
14	15.22 (386.588 mm)	0.57 (14.478 mm)	14.08 (357.632 mm)	0.61 (15.494 mm)	14 (355.6 mm)	15.72 (399.288 mm)	0.75 (19.05 mm)	14.22 (361.188 mm)	0.86 (21.844 mm)	14 (355.6 mm)
15	16.26 (413.004 mm)	0.59 (14.986 mm)	15.08 (383.032 mm)	0.63 (16.002 mm)	15 (381 mm)	16.78 (426.212 mm)	0.77 (19.558 mm)	15.24 (387.096 mm)	0.89 (22.606 mm)	15 (381 mm)
16	17.3 (439.42 mm)	0.6 (15.24 mm)	16.1 (408.94 mm)	0.65 (16.51 mm)	16 (406.4 mm)	17.84 (453.136 mm)	0.8 (20.32 mm)	16.24 (412.496 mm)	0.92 (23.368 mm)	16 (406.4 mm)
18	19.38 (492.252 mm)	0.63 (16.002 mm)	18.12 (460.248 mm)	0.69 (17.526 mm)	18 (457.2 mm)	19.96 (506.984 mm)	0.85 (21.59 mm)	18.26 (463.804 mm)	0.98 (24.892 mm)	18 (457.2 mm)
20	21.46 (545.084 mm)	0.65 (16.51 mm)	20.16 (512.064 mm)	0.73 (18.542 mm)	20 (508 mm)	22.06 (560.324 mm)	0.89 (22.606 mm)	20.28 (515.112 mm)	1.03 (26.162 mm)	20 (508 mm)
21	22.5 (571.5 mm)	0.67 (17.018 mm)	21.16 (537.464 mm)	0.75 (19.05 mm)	21 (533.4 mm)	23.12 (587.248 mm)	0.92 (23.368 mm)	21.28 (540.512 mm)	1.03 (26.162 mm)	21 (533.4 mm)
24	25.6 (650.24 mm)	0.71 (18.034 mm)	24.18 (614.172 mm)	0.8 (20.32 mm)	24 (609.6 mm)	26.26 (667.004 mm)	0.98 (24.892 mm)	24.3 (617.22 mm)	1.13 (28.702 mm)	24 (609.6 mm)
27	28.7 (728.98 mm)	0.75 (19.05 mm)	27.2 (690.88 mm)	0.85 (21.59 mm)	27 (685.8 mm)	29.4 (746.76 mm)	1.04 (26.416 mm)	27.32 (693.928 mm)	1.2 (30.48 mm)	27 (685.8 mm)
30	32.52 (826.008 mm)	0.79 (20.066 mm)	30.94 (785.876 mm)	0.89 (22.606 mm)	30.74 (780.796 mm)	32.52 (826.008 mm)	1.09 (27.686 mm)	30.34 (770.636 mm)	1.26 (32.004 mm)	30 (762 mm)
33	35.66 (905.764 mm)	0.83 (21.082 mm)	34 (863.6 mm)	0.94 (23.876 mm)	33.78 (858.012 mm)	35.66 (905.764 mm)	1.15 (29.21 mm)	33.36 (847.344 mm)	1.33 (33.782 mm)	33 (838.2 mm)
36	38.76 (984.504 mm)	0.87 (22.098 mm)	37.02 (940.308 mm)	0.98 (24.892 mm)	36.8 (934.72 mm)	38.76 (984.504 mm)	1.2 (30.48 mm)	36.36 (923.544 mm)	1.38 (35.052 mm)	36 (914.4 mm)
40	42.92 (1,090.168 mm)	0.92 (23.368 mm)	41.08 (1,043.432 mm)	1.03 (26.162 mm)	40.86 (1,037.844 mm)	42.92 (1,090.168 mm)	1.26 (32.004 mm)	40.4 (1,026.16 mm)	1.46 (37.084 mm)	40 (1,016 mm)
42	45 (1,143 mm)	0.95 (24.13 mm)	43.1 (1,094.74 mm)	1.06 (26.924 mm)	42.88 (1,089.152 mm)	45 (1,143 mm)	1.3 (33.02 mm)	42.4 (1,076.96 mm)	1.5 (38.1 mm)	42 (1,066.8 mm)
45	48.1 (1,221.74 mm)	0.99 (25.146 mm)	46.12 (1,171.448 mm)	1.09 (27.686 mm)	45.92 (1,166.368 mm)	48.1 (1,221.74 mm)	1.35 (34.29 mm)	45.4 (1,153.16 mm)	1.55 (39.37 mm)	45 (1,143 mm)
48	51.2 (1,300.48 mm)	1.03 (26.162 mm)	49.14 (1,248.156 mm)	1.13 (28.702 mm)	48.94 (1,243.076 mm)	51.2 (1,300.48 mm)	1.38 (35.052 mm)	48.44 (1,230.376 mm)	1.68 (42.672 mm)	47.84 (1,215.136 mm)

BS 78 was finally superseded when the U.K. harmonised with incompatible European standards, however, the specified outer dimensions continue to remain in effect (albeit in metric form) as the standard pipe outer diameter for ductile iron pipe in Australia and New Zealand through the descendant specification, AS

Standards Australia

Standards Australia was established in 1922 and is recognised through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian government as the peak non-government standards development body in Australia. It is a company limited by guarantee, with 72 members representing groups interested in the...

/NZS 2280.

External links

• Notes on Pipe -- Cast Iron Pipe