Attività

Tubes and pipes in technical and everyday use

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.