Skip to main content
Calcimator

Corrosion Allowance Calculator

Calculate required pipe or vessel wall thickness including corrosion margin per ASME standards.

Inputs

psi
inches
psi
in/yr
years

Results

Nominal Thickness (with tolerance)

0.29 in

Estimated Remaining Life

26.4 years

Minimum Wall Thickness0.16 in
Corrosion Allowance0.1 in
Total Required Thickness0.26 in
Manufacturing Tolerance (12.5%)0.03 in
MAWP at Retirement Thickness500 psi
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Design Pressure, Outer Diameter, and Allowable Stress.
  2. Set Joint Efficiency, Corrosion Rate, and Design Life.
  3. Review Nominal Thickness (with tolerance) and Estimated Remaining Life (years).
  4. Use Minimum Wall Thickness and Corrosion Allowance (in) to inform your decision.
  5. Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.

How the result changes with Design Pressure

Design PressureNominal Thickness (with tolerance)Estimated Remaining Life
2,0090.81 in37.9 years
7,0072.32 in71.5 years
13,0043.81 in104.7 years
18,0014.86 in128 years

What each input means

Design Pressure
Internal design pressure of the pipe or vessel in psi.
Outer Diameter
Outside diameter of the pipe or vessel shell in inches.
Allowable Stress
Maximum allowable stress for the material at design temperature per ASME. Carbon steel SA-106B is ~20,000 psi.
Joint Efficiency
Weld joint efficiency factor. 1.0 for seamless, 0.85 for radiographed longitudinal welds.
Corrosion Rate
Expected corrosion rate in inches per year. Typical refinery service: 0.002–0.020 in/yr.
Design Life
Expected service life before replacement in years.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Design Pressure = 500, Outer Diameter = 12.75, Allowable Stress = 20000, Joint Efficiency = 1 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Nominal Thickness
    Nominal Thickness
    0.29 = 0.29
  3. Calculate Estimated Remaining Life
    Estimated Remaining Life
    26.4 = 26.4
  4. Calculate Minimum Wall Thickness
    Minimum Wall Thickness
    0.158 = 0.158
  5. Calculate Corrosion Allowance
    Corrosion Allowance
    0.1 = 0.1

The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.

More in Energy & Utilities.