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🛡️ DIN EN 10220 Steel Tube Burst Pressure

Calculate allowable and burst pressure for seamless/welded steel tubes per DIN EN 10220 dimensions and DIN material grades.

Inputs

Results

Burst Pressure (P_b)
0 psi
Allowable Pressure (P_allow)
0
psi

Pressure Capacity

0

Calculator Description

DIN EN 10220 is the European standard that specifies the standard dimensions (outer diameter and wall thickness) of seamless and welded steel tubes. Using these dimensions together with the yield strength of the steel grade, this calculator determines the pressure at which an internally pressurized tube bursts (burst pressure) and the allowable pressure after applying a safety factor.

What this calculator finds

It calculates the burst pressure P_b using Barlow’s formula, which is based on thin-wall cylinder (hoop-stress) theory, and then divides by a safety factor FS to give the allowable pressure P_allow usable in real operation.

Why it matters

  • Verifying that a pipe or hydraulic line safely withstands the design pressure
  • Selecting the required wall thickness or material grade and comparing alternatives
  • Pre-checking compliance with pressure-piping requirements

Formula

Burst Pressure Formula (Barlow's)

Barlow’s formula treats bursting as the moment when the circumferential (hoop) stress in a thin-wall pressurized cylinder equals the material strength.

Burst Pressure (P_b)

Pb=2StDP_b = \dfrac{2 S t}{D}

Allowable Pressure (P_allow)

Pallow=PbFSP_{allow} = \dfrac{P_b}{FS}
  • P_b — Burst pressure [MPa]
  • S — Material yield strength [MPa] (e.g. St37.0 = 235 MPa)
  • t, D — Wall thickness and outer diameter [mm]
  • FS — Safety factor (design margin)

How the formula works

  • A thicker wall t or a higher yield strength S raises the burst pressure.
  • A larger outer diameter D lowers the burst pressure for the same thickness (bigger pipes see higher wall force).
  • A larger safety factor FS lowers the allowable pressure, giving a more conservative (safer) design.

Worked example

For St37.0 steel (S = 235 MPa) with D = 48.3 mm and t = 3.2 mm, the burst pressure is P_b = (2 × 235 × 3.2) / 48.3 ≈ 31.1 MPa. Applying a safety factor FS = 4 gives P_allow = 31.1 / 4 ≈ 7.8 MPa.

Useful Tips

Practical tips

  • Take dimensions from the DIN EN 10220 table and enter the correct yield strength for the material grade.
  • Choose the safety factor to suit the service — lower for static water pressure, higher for cyclic, impact, or corrosive conditions.
  • Account for a corrosion allowance by subtracting the expected loss from the wall thickness t.

Limitations & cautions

  • Barlow’s formula assumes a thin wall (roughly D/t ≥ 20); use thick-wall theory (Lamé) for heavy-wall tubes.
  • Welds, joints, and threads may be weaker than the base metal — apply a joint efficiency factor.
  • Yield strength decreases at elevated temperature; use temperature-corrected allowable stress for hot service.