While there are many methods for producing steel pipes, the most notable discussion of comparative performance has come from electrowelded and seamless steel pipes. Over time, the techniques used to produce each of the species become more sophisticated.
Electric-welded and seamless steel pipelines exist today as an alternative due to historical beliefs and stereotypes.
Comparison of welded and seamless pipes
For decades, welded pipe was considered less durable in nature because it included a weld, while seamless pipe did not have this alleged structural flaw and was therefore considered safer. Although the welded pipe does indeed have a seam, making it theoretically weaker, manufacturing techniques and quality assurance schemes have improved so much that the welded pipe will perform as expected in service when its tolerances are not exceeded. While this advantage is clear, a criticism of seamless piping is that the rolling and stretching process creates uneven wall thicknesses compared to the more precise thickness of steel sheets to be welded.
Industry standards governing the production and specification of electrowelded and seamless steel pipes still reflect this perception. For example, seamless piping is required for many high pressure and high temperature applications in the oil and gas, power and pharmaceutical industries. Welded pipes (which are generally cheaper to manufacture and more readily available) are used in all industries as long as temperatures, pressures, and other operating parameters do not exceed those specified in the applicable standard.
In structural applications, there is no performance difference between electrofusion and seamless pipe. The two can be interchangeable, it doesn't make sense to use seamless pipes when cheaper welded pipes work equally well.
