Steel pipes: types, sizes and makers in Tanzania
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Steel pipe comes black, galvanised or stainless, welded or seamless, and is sized by outside diameter and wall thickness. Several makers produce it in Tanzania; Tanzania Steel Pipes in Dar es Salaam makes spiral-welded and induction-welded pipes from ND 80 to 2000 mm, with 70,000 tonnes of yearly capacity.
In stock in Zanzibar
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Steel pipes made in Tanzania
Local makers cover different ends of the market, according to their own websites:
| Maker | What it produces |
|---|---|
| Tanzania Steel Pipes (Ubungo, Dar es Salaam) | spiral-weld and high-frequency induction welded pipes, ND 80–2000 mm, with fittings and joints for water pipelines; 70,000 tonnes a year installed capacity |
| Lodhia Industries | black pipes in a range of diameters and wall thicknesses, for water, scaffolding, fencing and fabrication |
| LangZo Steel | round, square and rectangular tubes, black or galvanised, to the client’s dimensions |
| Sita Steel Rollings | steel tubes and hollow sections, seamless fittings such as flanges, elbows, reducers and tees, plus galvanised and stainless products |
Square and rectangular tubes have their own page: square pipe and hollow sections.
Types of steel pipe
| Type | What it is | Typical use named by the source |
|---|---|---|
| Black pipe | uncoated or black-coated pipe | water, scaffolding, fencing, fabrication (Lodhia) |
| Galvanised (GI, galv) pipe | pipe with a zinc finish | posts, fencing, railings and water pipes; anywhere rust protection is needed (Competitive Metals) |
| Stainless steel (SS) pipe | pipe of stainless steel | products Sita Steel lists for corrosion resistance |
| Seamless (SMLS) pipe | pipe formed without a welded seam | seamless fittings in the Sita Steel range |
| Spiral-welded and HFI pipe | large pipe welded along a spiral or a straight seam | water transmission mains (Tanzania Steel Pipes) |
US stockist Competitive Metals describes galvanised pipe as having a semi-smooth zinc finish that suits outdoor and exposed work, and contrasts it with paint, grease or oil, which it says give only short-term protection.
How steel pipe is sized
Pipe is sized in two systems. The US system names pipe by a nominal size and a schedule: Competitive Metals calls Schedule 40 the most common wall thickness designation and explains that the size refers to the inside diameter.
The European standard EN 10255 for threadable steel tubes works the other way: it lists tubes by outside diameter, from 10.2 to 165.1 mm (thread sizes ⅛ to 6 inches), in a medium and a heavy series of wall thickness. Its own ordering example is a tube of 26.9 × 2.6 mm — outside diameter times wall.
When a quote says “1 inch pipe”, ask which system it means and get the outside diameter and wall in millimetres.
Lined pipes for water mains
Water mains can be lined inside. Tanzania Steel Pipes lists projects with cement mortar lining 6 mm thick to the AWWA C205 standard, and DN 150 pipes lined to 5 mm under DIN 2614 for the Nzoia project.
What to check when you buy
- Type and finish — black, galvanised or stainless, and whether the pipe is welded or seamless.
- Outside diameter and wall thickness in millimetres, plus the series or schedule.
- Length of each pipe and whether the ends are plain or threaded.
- Galvanising for any pipe that stays outdoors or carries water.
- Fittings in the same material and finish, so the joints match the pipe.
Steel pipe in Zanzibar
Kitovu sells from stock in Zanzibar, and these pipes are not among its products. Flat steel for brackets and frames is covered on flat bar; welded reinforcing fabric for slabs on BRC mesh.