7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting

Pressure
Calculate pipes internal, allowable and bursting pressure.
Barlow's formula is used to determine

internal pressure at minimum yield

ultimate burst pressure
maximum allowable pressure

Internal Pressure At Minimum Yield

Barlow's formula can be used to calculate the "Internal Pressure" at minimum yield

Py = 2 Sy t / do (1)

where

Py = internal pressure at minimum yield (psig, MPa)

Sy = yield strength (psi, MPa)

t = wall thickness (in, mm)

do = outside diameter (in, mm)

Note! - in codes like ASME B31.3 modified versions of the Barlow's formula - like the Boardman
formula and the Lame formula - are used to calculate burst and allowable pressures and minimum wall
thickness.

Example - Internal Pressure at Minimum Yield

The internal pressure for a 8 inch liquid pipe line with outside diameter 8.625 in and wall thickness 0.5
in with yield strength 30000 psi can be calculated as

Py = 2 (30000 psi) (0.5 in) / (8.625 in)

= 3478 psi

Example - Polyethylene PE pipe

The yield strength of a 110 mm polyethylene pipe is 22.1 MPa. The minimum wall thickness for
pressure 20 bar (2 MPa) can be calculated by rearranging eq. 1 to

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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

t = Py do / (2 Sy)

= (2 MPa) (110 mm) / (2 (22.1 MPa))

= 5 mm

Ultimate Burst Pressure

Barlow's formula can be used to calculate the "Ultimate Burst Pressure" at ultimate (tensile) strength as

Pt = 2 St t / do (2)

where

Pt = ultimate burst pressure (psig)

St = ultimate (tensile) strength (psi)

Example - Ultimate Burst Pressure

The ultimate pressure for the pipe used in the example above with ultimate (tensile) strength 48000 psi
can be calculated as

Pt = 2 (48000 psi) (0.5 in) / (8.625 in)

= 5565 psi

Working Pressure or Maximum Allowable Pressure

Working pressure is a term used to describe the maximum allowable pressure a pipe may be subjected
to while in-service. Barlow's formula can be used to calculate the maximum allowable pressure by
using design factors as

Pa = 2 Sy Fd Fe Ft t / do (3)

where

Pa = maximum allowable design pressure (psig)

Sy = yield strength (psi)

Fd = design factor

Fe = longitudinal joint factor

Ft = temperature derating factor

Typical Design Factors - Fd

liquid pipelines: 0.72

gas pipe lines - class 1: 0.72
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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

gas pipe lines - class 2: 0.60

gas pipe lines - class 3: 0.50
gas pipe lines - class 4: 0.40

Example - Maximum Allowable Pressure

The "Maximum Allowable Pressure" for the liquid pipe line used in the examples above with Fd = 0.72,
Fe = 1 and Ft = 1 - can be calculated as

Pa = 2 (30000 psi) 0.72 1 1 (0.5 in) / (8.625 in)

= 2504 psi

Barlow's formula is based on ideal conditions and room temperatures.

Mill Test Pressure

The "Mill Test Pressure" refers to the hydrostatic (water) pressure applied to the pipe at the mill to
assure the integrity of the pipe body and weld.

Pt = 2 St t / do (4)

where

Pt = test pressure (psig)

St = specified yield strength of material - often 60% of yield strength (psi)

Wall Thickness

Barlow's formula can be useful to calculate required pipe wall thickness if working pressure, yield
strength and outside diameter of pipe is known. Barlow's formula rearranged:

tmin = Pi do / (2 Sy) (5)

where

tmin = minimum wall thickness (in)

Pi = Internal pressure in pipe (psi)

Example - Minimum Wall Thickness

The minimum wall thickness for a pipe with the same outside diameter - in the same material with the
same yield strength as in the examples above - and with an internal pressure of 6000 psi - can be
calculated as

t = (6000 psi) (8.625 in) / (2 (30000 psi))

= 0.863 in

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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

From table - 8 inch pipe Sch 160 with wall thickness 0.906 inches can be used.

Material Strength

The strength of a material is determined by the tension test which measure the tension force and the
deformation of the test specimen.

the stress which gives a permanent deformation of 0.2% is called the yield strength
the stress which gives rupture is called the ultimate strength or the tensile strength

Typical strength of some common materials:

Ultimate and Yield Strength

Yield Strength Ultimate (Tensile) Strength
Material (psi) (psi)
(MPa) (MPa)

30000 75000
Stainless Steel, 304
207 517
45000 98000
6 Moly, S31254
310 676
65000 90000
Duplex, S31803
448 621
15000 55000
Nickel, N02200
103 379
A53 Seamless and Welded 30000 48000
Standard Pipe, Grade A 207 331
A53 Seamless and Welded 35000 60000
Standard Pipe, Grade B 241 414

1 psi (lb/in2) = 6,894.8 Pa (N/m2) = 6.895x10-2 bar

1 MPa = 106 Pa

Modulus of Elasticity or Young's Modulus - and Tensile Modulus for common Materials

Barlow's Pressure Calculator

The Barlow's formula calculator can be used to estimate

internal pressure at minimum yield

ultimate burst pressure
maximum allowable pressure

20 Outside diameter (in)

.05 Wall thickness (in)

30000 Yield strength (psi)

48000 Ultimate (tensile) strength (psi)

0.72 Total Design Factor

Calculate!

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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

Internal Pressure at Minimum Yield (psi): 150

Ultimate Burst Pressure (psi): 240
Maximum Allowable Pressure (psi): 108

Barlow's Wall Thickness Calculator

The Barlow's formula calculator can be used to estimate minimum wall thickness of pipe.

20 Outside diameter (in, mm)

30000 Yield strength (psi, MPa)

150 Internal pressure (psi, mm)

Calculate!

Minimum Wall Thickness (in, mm): 0.05

Example - A53 Seamless and Welded Standard Pipe - Bursting Pressure

Bursting pressure calculated with Barlow's formula (2) for A53 Seamless and Welded Standard Pipe
Grade A with ultimate (tensile) strength 48000 psi. Pipe dimensions - outside diameter and wall
thickness according ANSI B36.10.

A53 Seamless and Welded Standard Pipe - Bursting Pressure

Outside Bursting Pressure (psi) (kPa)
NPS
Diameter
Schedule
(in)
(in) 10 20 30 STD 40 60 XS 80 100 120 140 160 XXS
(mm)

0.675
3/8 12942 12942 17920 17920
17.1
0.84
1/2 12457 12457 16800 16800 21371 33600
21.3
1.05
3/4 10331 10331 14080 14080 20023 28160
26.7
1.315
1 9710 9710 13068 13068 18251 26135
33.4
1.66
1 1/4 8096 8096 11046 11046 14458 22092
42.2
1.9
1 1/2 7326 7326 10105 10105 14198 20211
48.3
2.375
2 6225 6225 8812 8812 13905 17624
60.3
2.875
2 1/2 6778 6778 9216 9216 12522 18432
73
3.5
3 5925 5925 8229 8229 12014 16457
88.9
4
3 1/2 5424 5424 7632 7632
102
4.5
4 5056 5056 7189 7189 9344 11328 14379
114
5.563
5 4452 4452 6471 6471 8628 10786 12943
141

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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

Outside Bursting Pressure (psi)

NPS
Diameter
Schedule
(in)
(in) 10 20 30 STD 40 60 XS 80 100 120 140 160 XXS
6.625
6 4057 4057 6260 6260 8144 10419 12520
168
8.625
8 2783 3083 3584 3584 4519 5565 5565 6611 8003 9038 10084 9739
219
10.75
10 2233 2742 3260 3260 4465 4465 5305 6421 7537 8930 10047 8930
273
12.75
12 1882 2485 2824 3057 4232 3765 5180 6355 7529 8471 9879 7529
324
14
14 1714 2139 2571 2571 3003 4073 3429 5143 6432 7502 8571 9641
356
16
16 1500 1872 2250 2250 3000 3936 3000 5064 6186 7314 8628 9564
406
18
18 1333 1664 2336 2000 2997 4000 2667 5003 6165 7333 8331 9499
457
20
20 1200 1800 2400 1800 2851 3898 2400 4949 6149 7200 8400 9451
508
22
22 1091 1636 2182 1636 3818 2182 4909 6000 7091 8182 9273
559
24
24 1000 1500 2248 1500 2752 3876 2000 4876 6124 7248 8248 9376
610
30
30 998 1600 2000 1200 1600
762
32
32 936 1500 1875 1125 2064
813
34
34 881 1412 1765 1059 1943
864
36
36 832 1333 1667 1000 2000
914
42
42 1143 1429 857 1714
1067

1 in (inch) = 25.4 mm
1 MPa = 103 kPa = 106 Pa
Related Topics
Pressure Ratings of Pipes and Fittings
Pressure ratings of pipes and tubes and their fittings - carbon steel , stainless steel, plastic, copper
and more.

Related Documents
Aluminum Tubing - Allowable Pressures
Allowable pressure for aluminum tubes.
ASME 31.3 Piping Materials - Allowable Pressure Calculator
Calculate ASME 31.3 allowable pressure
ASTM A312 Stainless Steel Pipes - Bursting and Collapsing Pressures
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7/1/24, 8:56 AM Barlow's Formula - Calculate Internal, Allowable and Bursting Pressure

Theoretic bursting and collapsing pressures for stainless steel pipes ASTM A312.
ASTM A53 B Carbon Steel Pipes - Allowable Pressure vs. Schedule and Size
Maximum working pressure of carbon steel pipe at temperature 400oF.
Carbon Steel Pipes - Pressure and Temperature Ratings, Imperial Units
Pressure (psig) and temperature (deg F) ratings for A-53 B and A-106 B, A333, A334 and API 5L
carbon steel pipes - temperatures ranging 100 degF - 700 degF.
Carbon Steel Pipes - Pressure and Temperature Ratings, Metric Units
Pressure (kPa)> and temperature (degC) ratings of ASTM A-106, API 5L and ASTM A-53 Seamless
Carbon Steel Pipes - temperatures ranging -29 degC - 450 degC.
Copper Tubes Type K, L and M - Working Pressures vs. Size
ASTM B88 seamless copper water tubes - working pressures.
CPVC Tubes - Pressure and Temperature Ratings
CTS (Copper Tube Sized) CPVC (Chlorinated Poly Vinyl Chloride) tubes temperature and pressure
ratings.
Metals - Strength vs. Temperature
The influence of temperature on the strength of metals.
Steel Tubes - Working Pressures vs. Size
Normal maximum working pressures for steel tubes - in psi and kPa.
Steels - Endurance Limits and Fatigue Stress
Endurance limits and fatigue stress for steels.
Stress in Thick-Walled Cylinders or Tubes
Radial and tangential stress in thick-walled cylinders or tubes with closed ends - with internal and
external pressure.
Water Hammer
Rapidly closing or opening valves - or starting stopping pumps - may cause pressure transients in
pipelines known as surge or water hammers.
Wrought Steel Pipes - Bursting Pressures vs. Size
Theoretical bursting and working pressure of wrought steel standard, extra strong and double extra
strong pipes.
Young's Modulus, Tensile Strength and Yield Strength Values for some Materials
Young's Modulus (or Tensile Modulus alt. Modulus of Elasticity) and Ultimate Tensile Strength and
Yield Strength for materials like steel, glass, wood and many more.
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