The full name of API 2B standard is "specification for the fabrication of structural steel pipe", that is, the manufacturing specification for structural steel pipes.
This standard was formulated by API gravity (API), and the latest version was the sixth edition released in July 2001. It specifies the manufacturing requirements for structural steel pipes used for welding offshore structures. These steel pipes are made of steel plates with longitudinal and circumferential butt welds, usually with an outer diameter of 14 inches or more (40 inches or more for large-diameter welded pipes LWDS), a wall thickness of 3/8 inches or more and a length of less than 40 feet. This standard does not apply to resistance welding (ERW) process or spiral welded pipe.
API 2B standard covers all aspects from material selection, production process to final product inspection. It requires all welds of steel pipes to be full penetration welds, and the welding process should conform to AWS D1.1 standard, and there are strict regulations on the geometric characteristics of steel pipes, such as size, shape, wall thickness deviation and curvature. At the same time, it also requires steel pipes to pass a series of physical and chemical tests, such as tensile test, impact test and hardness test, to verify that their performance meets the design requirements.