HDPE PN and SDR Ratings Explained: Pressure Classes for PE100 Pipe

Standard: PN / SDR ratings (PE100 HDPE) · HDPE PE100 pressure pipe (Hansen)

What PN means

PN (“pressure nominal”) is the pipe’s rated continuous internal pressure in bar at the reference temperature. A PN16 pipe is designed for 16 bar; a PN10 pipe for 10 bar. It is the number the water authority’s schedule and your pump/pressure calculations both care about — not the price per metre.

What SDR means, and how it sets the wall

SDR (“standard dimension ratio”) is the outside diameter divided by the wall thickness: SDR = OD ÷ e. Because HDPE pipe is sized by outside diameter, a given OD can be made in several wall thicknesses — and SDR is how the standard names them. Lower SDR = thicker wall = higher pressure rating.

The common pairings for PE100 pressure pipe:

PN	SDR	Wall (relative)	Rated pressure
PN10	SDR17	Thinner	10 bar
PN16	SDR11	Thicker	16 bar
PN20	SDR9	Thicker still	20 bar

So “PN16 SDR11” and “PN10 SDR17” are the same idea stated two ways — the PN is the pressure, the SDR is the geometry that delivers it.

How to read a dimension table

An HDPE dimension table gives, per outside diameter, the SDR, the PN, and the minimum/maximum wall thickness and weight. To use it: pick the PN your design pressure requires, find the OD you are laying, and read the wall thickness the matching SDR row gives you. That wall thickness — not the OD — is what you check against the authority’s minimum and what the fittings must match.

PN10 vs PN16 in Malaysian practice

On Malaysian distribution reticulation, PN10/SDR17 is commonly accepted for standard buried mains; PN16/SDR11 is specified where operating pressure is higher, cover is shallower, or the consultant wants the extra surge margin. The full selection logic — surge, derating, authority acceptance, and a worked example — is in the PN10 vs PN16 guide.

What to confirm before you order

For the published PE100 dimensions by OD, SDR, and PN, see the HDPE PN dimension table, then send your schedule for a quotation.