Diameter
Aluminum pipe is available in standard 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-inch sizes. Aluminum pipe is measured by its inside diameter. Several pipe manufactures can also cast pipe to custom sizes for special applications for industry. As well as moving water to irrigate greenhouses, crops and livestock, aluminum pipe is used as drill pipe in the oil and gas industry and used to move heavy-viscosity liquids such as oils and syrups in food manufacturing plants.
Aluminum Pipe Wall Thickness
Four-inch aluminum irrigation pipe has a wall thickness of 0.051 inches. Larger diameters of aluminum pipe have increased wall thickness. Heavy wall aluminum pipe has a wall thickness of 0.064 inches. Heavy wall aluminum pipe is manufactured in 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch diameters. Heavy wall pipe is used when the fluid transported is under heavy pressure.
Length
Due to its light weight and portability, aluminum irrigation pipe is ideal for either hand-moved or mechanically moved irrigation systems. Forty-foot joints are standard, however, aluminum pipe can be custom cut or custom fabricated to adapt to any sprinkler system configuration.
PSI
Aluminum pipe used for irrigation comes with two basic types of connections: bank and hook and twist lock. When 4-inch aluminum irrigation pipe is connected using a band and hook locking system, the psi (pounds per square inch) equals 120. When a twist lock system is employed, 4-inch aluminum irrigation pipe can maintain a psi of 150.