ERW Pipe

Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) pipe is manufactured from steel coils, and the weld seam runs parallel to the pipe. The width of the coil corresponds to the pipe's circumference; consequently, diameters are limited to 24 inches. However, given that the manufacturing process is rapid, it is ideal for large production runs of smaller-diameter sections (≤ 24 inches).

Properties of Nucor Skyline ERW Pipe

Outside diameters from 2-3/8” to 24”
Wall thickness up to 0.625”
Custom lengths and thicknesses
Custom fabrication services
In-house and third-party testing capabilities
Cast and manufactured in the USA

Applications of Nucor Skyline ERW Pipe

bearing piles

Deep foundations are required when surface soils lack sufficient strength to support the loads originating from the structure. Pipe piles are commonly used in deep foundations to transfer building loads to stronger soil strata located at significant depths underground. These loads are resisted through a combination of lateral friction and end-bearing resistance. The pipes can be driven with either an open or closed end, utilizing points or plates. If driven with plates, the tubes can subsequently be filled with concrete to enhance the pile's strength. Generally, however, the funds invested in plates, reinforcing steel, and concrete would be better utilized by allocating them toward a larger, thicker pile. The diameter of pipe piles ranges from a few inches to several feet, and they can be easily spliced together to create piles hundreds of feet in length.

Combined Walls

Large-diameter pipes possess high flexural strength and are frequently used in combined sheet pile walls. The combination of large-diameter pipe piles and steel sheet piles—a system often referred to as "combi-walls", pipe-Z walls, or king pile walls—constitutes a highly efficient system. As with other combined walls, the main pile supports the majority of the load, while the sheet pile transfers that load to the pipe and to the ground.

Structural sections

The symmetry of the pipe imparts equal bending resistance in every direction, making it an excellent product for resisting buckling. The stress required to induce buckling in an axially loaded element decreases as its length increases. The radius of gyration exerts the opposite effect, enhancing a section's capacity to resist buckling. W and HP sections feature different radii of gyration (rx and ry) for the X and Y axes, whereas in the case of a pipe, this value remains constant. The net result is that a pipe can withstand considerably greater loads over long, unsupported spans.

Threaded Micropile Casing

Micropiles are small diameter, bored cast-in-place piles, with most of the applied load being resisted by steel reinforcement. They are constructed by drilling a borehole, often using casing, then placing steel reinforcement and grouting the hole. Micropiles have a wide range of uses and are becoming a more mainstream method of supporting and resupporting foundations, seismic retrofits, stabilization of slopes and even earth retention. Micropiles are an ideal pile for complex sites where low vibration or low noise levels are required, or where limited access such as low headroom and drilling is difficult.

Signposts, towers, and transmission lines

Signage posts and towers are designed to withstand significant bending loads at the base of the structure. The availability and wide variety of wall thicknesses in large-diameter pipes allow designers to select the exact size required to address their specific project. Furthermore, these pipes can be supplied in long sections; they are simple to splice and easy to install in hard ground. Reducing collars can facilitate the splicing of different diameters, making the design as efficient as possible.

Mining

Mining operations are conducted at great depths beneath the surface, under hazardous conditions. Personnel, equipment, and ventilation shafts constitute integral parts of the mine. Vertical pipe sections are frequently used in the construction of such shafts. The wide range of available diameters and wall thicknesses makes steel pipe the material of choice for meeting the diverse requirements of these shafts. Some of these shafts reach hundreds—if not thousands—of feet in length; in such cases, the pipes can be supplied in sections with ends prepared for joining. Additionally, reinforcing rings may be employed to keep pipe wall thicknesses to a minimum.

Manufacturing Process

ERW pipe is manufactured by cold-forming a flat strip of steel into a rounded tube, passing it through a series of forming rollers to create a longitudinal seam. Subsequently, the two edges are simultaneously heated using a high-frequency current and compressed against each other to form the bond. The longitudinal ERW seam requires no filler metal, while impurities present in the heat-affected zone are extruded during the welding process.