In the beginning was the hollowed-out tree trunk, one of the first capillary tube to be crafted by human hand. With a vast array of models in the plant world to inspire him, Homo sapiens had a much easier job inventing the tube than the wheel for which, by contrast, nature had no example to offer. Bamboo and reed are just two examples of plants with hollow stalks. Nature already knew the value of the tubular form, which combines high stability with the capacity to Transport essential substances for growth, such as water and nutrients, out of the earth.

In technical terms, a tube or pipe is a cylindrical, hard hollow body which usually has a round cross-section but can also be oval, square, rectangular or more complex in profile. It is used on the one hand to convey liquid, gas and solid matter and, on the other, as a construction element. Whatever its purpose, the term covers all sizes and diameters, from the smallest needle pipes right up to wind tunnels. No other profile shape with the same material cross-section has such a high flexural strength, which is what makes the tube so important as a load-bearing element in building.

Tubes for transporting purposes

In the past, people always tried to settle close to water. As the size of the settlements grew, it became increasingly difficult to get the water from the source – the spring, pond, river or lake – to the different dwellings. At first, people used open conduits – initially simple trenches, later stone canals. When the springs and sources were exhausted, aqueducts were used to carry water from the mountains into the towns. Some 300 years A.D., the Romans transported water from the Campagna into their capital and some of their impressive waterways can still be marvelled at in modern-day Europe.

Later, the open canals were covered over and used as closed conduits – and thus the pipeline was born. People were also quick to realize the benefits of closed pipes against open canals for removing waste water. Early pipe materials included wood and stoneware (fired clay), but also easy-to-work metals such as bronze, copper and lead. The first closed pipelines were made around 4,000 years ago of fired clay. The oldest metal pipelines date back to 200 years B.C., first made of bronze and later lead. Lead pipes were cast and chiefly used to Transport water. Copper pipes meanwhile were made from chased copper plate which was rolled and subsequently soldered together.

The advent of an economical method of producing large quantities of cast iron in the 14th century laid the foundation for the manufacture of iron pipes. Gunsmiths and cannon-makers were amongst the first to produce iron pipes. Cast iron pipes were used as early as the 15th century to carry water – some dating back to the 16th century are still in use today. Cast iron pipes also accompanied the development of a public gas supply network, for which compression-proof pipes were a matter of safety and therefore absolutely essential.

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