In the information age, it’s easy to take the technological achievements of our past for granted. On a cold and windy night, we turned up the thermostat, anticipating a blast of heat to instantly greet us. We expect hot water to flow smoothly from our shower taps on a cold morning. And when it’s time to add milk to our morning coffee, we pour it in with confidence, knowing that the fridge is back to doing its job. While it’s easy to live without contemplating the sources of these modern marvels, none of them would be possible without the introduction of steel pipes.
Reed plants made into pipes (in the more general usage of the word) were first introduced to transport water to the wealthy in ancient China as early as 2000 BC Over 3,500 years later, hollow logs were used by colonial Bostonians to create the first public waterworks system in 1652.
The development of modern welded steel pipe went through several breakthroughs in the mid-19th century. The first modern use of welded steel pipe was to transport coal gas throughout London to operate the recently introduced coal-burning lamp system. The first plants to use what became the modern process for making pipes, known as the butt welding process, opened in Philadelphia in 1832. And in 1895, the first plant to make seamless pipes was built.
The type of pipe used depends on its function. Seamless pipes are lighter and more suitable for transporting liquids, while welded pipes are heavier and more rigid, suitable for transporting gas, electrical conduit and plumbing. Regardless of the function, most modern pipes today are made of steel and its various alloys, including aluminum, copper, and titanium.
So the next time you pay your gas or water bill, take a minute to think about the miles and miles of carbon steel pipes that create an underground network, ensuring that your daily routine is undisturbed.
