Abstract: Metal pipe or tubing having increased strength and toughness in a direction transverse to its axis, designed to prevent fractures and inhibit fracture propagation, for example in pipelines carrying fluids such as natural gas or oil. The pipes have localized sections spaced from their ends which have been toughened and strengthened by heat treating or some other known method of toughening and strengthening to a yield strength in excess of 60,000 p.s.i. The heat treating process requires subjecting the localized sections of the pipes to heat them, through their entire wall thickness, to the austenitizing temperature, after which the relevent sections are quenched using a liquid or gaseous quenching medium. The sections are then tempered to provide the desired degree of strength and toughness. These lengths of pipe may be welded in a conventional manner.