Butt-Weld Tees

Equal, reducing and barred butt-weld tees from 1/2" to 48". The branch connection that keeps a full continuous steel section — used wherever a line splits or feeds a lateral, from transmission pipelines to process manifolds.

1/2" – 48" run sizeEqual · reducing · barred teesASME B16.9 / MSS SP-43A234 WPB · A420 WPL6 · A403

Butt-Weld Tees

A butt-weld tee provides a 90° branch with the same or reduced bore as the run, giving full-penetration welded joints without the reinforcement pads or stress concentration of fabricated branches. CREATEEL manufactures equal and reducing tees, including barred tees for high-pressure pigging service, from 1/2" to 48" in seamless and welded construction.

Equal tees are hot-extruded in one piece; reducing tees are extruded with a smaller branch bore, and large diameter tees are fabricated with welded branch and 100% radiography. Supply is available against ASME B16.9, EN 10253 and MSS SP-43 with full material traceability.

Every CREATEEL fitting is shipped with full heat-number traceability from raw material certificate to the stamped marking on the piece itself. Dimensional reports, heat treatment charts and EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificates are issued as standard, with 3.2 certification by third-party inspection (SGS, BV, TÜV) available on request before shipment.

Technical Specifications

Applicable Standards

Standard	Scope	Note
ASME B16.9	Butt-welding tees	Dimensions & tolerances
ASME B16.25	Bevels	End prep
MSS SP-43	Light-wall stainless	Sch 5S/10S
EN 10253-2 / -4	Wrought fittings	European
GB/T 12459	Steel fittings	Chinese
GOST 17376	Tees	Russian
JIS B 2312	Steel fittings	Japanese

Dimensions (ASME B16.9)

Type	Run size	Branch size	Wall
Equal tee	1/2″–48″	= run	Sch 10–160
Reducing tee	1/2″–48″	1/2″–run	Sch 10–160
Barred tee	2″–48″	2″–24″	as specified
Stainless light-wall	1/2″–24″	per MSS SP-43	Sch 5S/10S

Center-to-center and outlet dimensions per ASME B16.9. Barred tees for piggable lines include integral stop bars. Confirm before ordering.

Material Grades

Family	Grade	Spec
Carbon steel	A234 WPB / WPC	ASTM A234
Low-temperature	A420 WPL6 / WPL3	ASTM A420
Alloy (Cr-Mo)	A234 WP11 / WP22 / WP91	ASTM A234
Stainless	A403 WP304 / 304L / 316 / 316L	ASTM A403
Duplex	A815 WPS31803 / WPS32205	ASTM A815
Large welded	A860 WPHY 42–70	ASTM A860

Coating & Surface Treatment

Black / varnished mill finish.
Hot-dip galvanized to ASTM A153 / ISO 1461.
3PE / FBE coating for buried lines.
Pickled & passivated stainless.
End bevels to ASME B16.25.

Packing & Shipping

Plywood cases or pallets, seaworthy packing.
End caps and branch protection.
EN 10204 3.1 MTC; 3.2 with SGS / BV / TÜV on request.
MOQ 5 t per item; lead time 15–30 days.

Types & Range

Equal Tee

Run and branch the same size — the standard manifold fitting.

Reducing Tee

Smaller branch from a larger run; keeps run bore intact.

Barred Tee

Welded bars across the branch for pigging pipelines.

Lateral (45° Y)

45° branch for low-loss take-offs and laterals.

Materials & Standards

Same grade family as elbows: A234 WPB carbon, WP11/WP22/WP91 alloy, A420 WPL6 low-temperature, A403 WP304L/316L stainless. Material selection follows the run pipe so the welded assembly behaves as one homogeneous section.

Standards in brief: dimensions and tolerances per ASME B16.9; ends per ASME B16.25; EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 certification available.

Manufacturing Process

Hot extrusion (bulge forming) line for ASME B16.9 butt-weld tees — one-piece seamless branch, no weld in the crotch.

Pipe Selection

Seamless pipe of the correct grade and schedule is selected so the extruded branch wall meets B16.9 minimums.

Cutting & Welding Blanks

Pipe is cut to run lengths; ends prepared for the hydraulic bulging machine.

Heating

The blank is heated uniformly to ~1000°C in the tunnel furnace of the extrusion line.

Branch Extrusion

Hydraulic rams compress the run while an internal punch draws the branch through the die — a one-piece seamless tee.

Branch Trimming

The branch is machined to height, faced and beveled per ASME B16.25.

Heat Treatment

Normalizing per grade to restore forming-affected properties; charts retained.

Testing & NDT

UT on the crotch area, MT on branch weld area of fabricated tees, full dimensional report.

Marking & Packing

Run × branch sizes stamped with heat number; branch faces protected for export.

Applications

PRODUCT applications copy

OIL & GAS

Pipeline & Manifolds

Equal and reducing tees branch trunklines and meter/valve manifolds.

✓ ASME B16.9 / API 5L

PIGGING

Piggable Lines

Barred tees let pigs pass while taking a monitored branch.

✓ Barred tee / ASME B16.9

WATER

Water & Treatment

Distribution tees for potable and process water.

✓ EN 10253 / GB/T 12459

CHEMICAL

Process & Petrochemical

Alloy/stainless tees for corrosive duty.

✓ A403 WP316L / NACE

POWER

Power Plant Piping

High-temp tees for feedwater and steam.

✓ A234 WP11 / ASME B31.1

CONSTRUCTION

HVAC & Building Services

Riser and plant-room branch take-offs.

✓ A234 WPB

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a buttweld tee used for?

A tee makes a 90° branch connection from the main run — equal tees keep the same size, reducing tees take a smaller branch. It is welded into the line for a permanent, full-strength joint.

Equal tee or reducing tee — how do I order?

For a reducing tee, state run size × branch size, e.g. 12″ × 6″. An equal tee is ordered with a single size, e.g. 8″.

What is a barred tee and when is it needed?

A barred tee has internal bars across the branch opening to guide pipeline pigs past the branch — required on pigging pipelines. Bars are fabricated to your drawing.

What size range do you supply?

NPS 1/2″–48″ (DN15–DN1200), seamless up to 24″, welded above. Schedules Sch 10–160 plus STD, XS and XXS.

What materials are available?

ASTM A234 WPB, A420 WPL6, A403 WP304L/316L, A234 WP11/WP22/WP91 and duplex on request — all traceable to heat number.

Does the branch need extra reinforcement?

No. B16.9 tees are extruded with integral reinforcement in the body, so no reinforcement pad or saddle is required.

How do you control quality?

100% dimensional check per B16.9, hardness and PMI sampling, hydrostatic or NDT on request; EN 10204 3.1 MTC with every order.

What surface treatment can you offer?

Anti-rust oil or varnish as standard; FBE, 3LPE and hot-dip galvanizing available. Ends beveled per ASME B16.25.

What is your MOQ and lead time?

Flexible MOQ — trial orders welcome. Stock items 7–15 days; production 20–35 days depending on size and quantity.