Extra care is required when we are handling API 5L steel pipe and fittings, as they have a much lower impact strength and resistance in comparison to some other pipes. Pipe fittings, whether they are cartooned or loose, should not be tossed or thrown to the ground since they may easily break in that way. In fact, API steel pipe should not be dropped or dragged on the ground especially when the pipe is being unloaded from a truck. This is because there might be impact cracks, splits or scratches on steel pipe fittings and they can weaken or damage the pipe and fitting at the same time.
Heavy or sharp objects should not be thrown onto or against API 5L steel pipe and fittings. On the other hand, pipe fittings should never be mixed in storage bins with other kinds of metal piping products. When we are handling API steel pipe with fork lift, we may only carry one pallet at a time. On the other hand, when we are using a hydraulic boom, we may use the API 5L steel pipe cable for unloading so that chain slings should not be used. Instead, wide canvas or fiberglass slings should be used so as to protect API steel pipe and steel pipe fittings. By doing so, there will be adequate placements on the pallet load to prevent sagging of a load of pipes.
However, the trade flows might be neglected in some cases and this point severely restricts the accuracy of steel pipe fittings. In general, little attention has been paid so far to the analysis and interpretation of temporal patterns of API steel pipe in use. But the patterns of in-use stocks reflect the changing material requirements that are needed to sustain the lives of people in different cultural and geographical areas. Of particular interest is the study of steel pipe fittings, because it is by far the most widely used accessories of steel pipes worldwide. In other words, fittings constitute the technological fabric around which we have built a range of API 5L steel pipe systems.
