Short answer. For large-diameter water transmission, spiral welded (SSAW) pipe is the practical choice. Seamless pipe is limited by available diameter and becomes uneconomic on long municipal mains.
- SSAW is produced from coil with a continuous spiral weld, covering the large OD range used by water mains.
- Wall thickness is driven by internal pressure plus external loads, not by the manufacturing route alone.
- Seamless may still appear on small-bore station piping; keep those items on a separate line of the take-off.
- Compare delivered cost per metre including lining, external coating, joint coating and transport, not bare pipe only.
AWWA C200 and M11 are the normal water-main references; the owner’s specification governs.
Island and coastal routes add port and barge constraints, so the delivered comparison should also show how many field welds each pipe length creates, not only the bare pipe cost.
See our spiral welded steel pipe for the supply range. Send the OD range and pressure class and we will return a comparable option for each applicable route. Send your enquiry.
