Pipes are divided into different categories based on both length and the thickness of their walls. A pipe's wall thickness is especially important to know during construction projects, as a pipe with too thin a wall may burst under pressure. The formula used for calculating the thickness of a pipe's wall is fairly simple, as is the method for figuring out the pipe's wall measurements.
Step 1
Place your ruler or measuring tape over the mouth of the pipe.
Step 2
Measure the diameter of the pipe from the top of the outer wall to the bottom of the outer wall. Note this down on a piece of paper.
Step 3
Measure the diameter from the top inner wall to the bottom inner wall. Note this number down on a piece of paper as well.
Step 4
Plug the two numbers into the following formula:
(Diameter of Outer Wall - Diameter of Inner Wall)/2. The resulting number is the thickness of the pipe wall.