ASTM Steel Is Critical to Numerous Industries

Steel pipe (measured on the basis of inside diameter) and steel tubing (measured on the basis of outside diameter) are critical to numerous industries. Tubes are considered structural, while pipes are considered as transport vessels, but both are found in numerous applications, from processing industries to consumer products. In many industries, these products must meet strict criteria set out by industry standards organizations like the American Petroleum Institute (API) or the ASTM (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials).

Welded Pipe and Tubing

Welded pipe or tubing may be made from a hot rolled or cold rolled steel coil. Cold-rolled steel gives the finished product closer tolerances and a smoother surface finish. Welded pipe or tubing is made when the steel coil is slit to a precise width and then formed, welded, sized, and cut. Today, laser welding can be used for applications in industries with higher purity requirements.

Seamless Pipe and Tubing

Seamless pipe or tubing is made from a metal bar that is pierced, extruded, or gun drilled. The process used depends on the metal alloy used. Further processing after piercing, extrusion, or gun drilling may be required to meet dimensional or metallurgical requirements. Cold drawing and cold pilgering are methods that can reduce a pipe or tube's diameter or change its shape.

Process Industries and ASTM Steel Standards

The chemical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, and dairy industries are industries that generally require steel tubing or pipe that meets various ASTM standards. These standards specify things like which alloys the tubes must be made of, nominal wall thickness of the tubing or pipe, or the alignment of tube-to-tube fitting required for orbital welding in the industry.

API Pipe and ASTM Standards

Steel pipe and tubing suppliers must be conversant in the various industry standards. For example, API 5L pipe is a type of API pipe that must meet more stringent criteria than a comparable ASTM pipe. Some pipe is made to meet stringent standards, but it automatically meet less stringent standards as well. Therefore, you may see pipe stamped with markings indicating more than one standard that it meets.

The Right Steel Distributor Can Help You Save Money and Time

Don't be afraid to use the expertise of structural steel and pipe distributors early in your project. Choose the right distributor and you can realize savings due to their knowledge of mill schedules, the worldwide market, and timing of your orders. With a trusted steel distributor on your side from early on, you have a better chance of avoiding mistakes and reworks and staying on or accelerating your schedule.

Expect Worldwide Drilling Projects to Increase in Number

Oil exploration is expected to increase in coming years. A January, 2013 find in southern Australia is just one example of a massive oil deposit that could change that country's status from being an energy importer to being an exporter. This particular untapped shale deposit equivalent to hundreds of billions of barrels of oil could well indicate a coming shale boom down under.

Does Your Steel Distributor Know the Market?

Sourcing oil country tubular goods and structural steel from a supplier that knows the industry on a worldwide basis is your smartest move. Knowledge of product availability and steel rolling schedules can make an enormous difference in the efficiency of delivery, helping the various trades coordinate their work better and preventing scheduling conflicts. In some cases, projects can even be accelerated without compromising safety.

Getting Delivery Right Is a Key to Savings

When your structural steel and steel pipe and tubing supplier has a worldwide network of mills, and expertise with delivery that crosses international boundaries and encompasses the "last mile," you will have fewer headaches and can be more confident of scheduling without the hassles of storing products your project isn't ready for yet.

OCTG Pipe and Structural Steel: There When You Need It

Many suppliers talk about just in time delivery, but when your supplier has the experience to back up the talk, you can be confident that your drilling, pipeline, or construction project will have the products required to proceed right when they're needed. Your supplier should know their products well, but they should also know how the projects that require them work and how to help those projects proceed on schedule.

Involve Steel Manufacturer Early for Cost and Time Savings

Choosing your structural steel supplier is important, but do you know how important it really is? If you are able to make use of your structural steel supplier's knowledge of product availability, you can expect fewer change orders, better coordination between the trades working on the project, and ultimately better on-time performance. Does your supplier know about the steel process, the market, and fabrication efficiencies? It should.

Ask Early On About Structural Steel Product Availability

When you bring your steel supplier on-board during the design phase, you can prevent problems that result in redesigns and reworks and the cost overruns that can result from them. When your steel manufacturer is there early in the project, they can provide guidance regarding such things as steel rolling schedules, and processes that can be done in-shop rather than in the field.

What Suppliers Can Bring to the Table

A good structural steel supplier can provide valuable input when they're involved early on, including:

• Information on commodity savings due to coordinated mill run schedules
• Information on materials selection
• Structural steel connection options that can improve construction efficiency
• Field activities that can be done in-shop (such as pre-assembly, coatings, and attachment of accessories)
• Knowledge of industry and technology trends

How Your Choice of Supplier Helps Keep Costs Under Control

Choosing your steel manufacturer carefully and availing yourself of their expertise can help you keep costs down by doing the following:

• Helping coordinate erection schedules, which enhances safety
• Allowing better trade coordination on the project
• Allowing strategic task overlap that can accelerate the project schedule

In some cases, manufacturers can provide input on minimization of material and fabrication costs too.

Making Just In Time Delivery Work

Your choice of steel supplier is critical with the just in time delivery philosophy. When your supplier can precisely pack and sequence deliveries, your project can realize savings. Every construction project is different, but when your supplier has access to a real-time supplier database and current pricing and production data, you can be confident your steel supplier is procuring your materials most cost effectively.