Cover black gas pipe in basement ceiling

Question

I am remodeling my basement and have a concern about the black steel gas pipe that runs along the ceiling (below the joists). I plan to strap the ceiling, so I could potentially cover the pipe up with drywall, but is this legal? The only thing I can find in the code book is potentially allowing access to the weird "T" intersection in the photos below. We also might just drywall directly up to the pipe but not cover it and leave it exposed and painted white (for a slightly mechanical look).
This is in Maryland (Montgomery County). Any thoughts?

(ps: ignore the badly installed window; this was discovered when we tore down the existing walls)

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact · Answer

Also in Montgomery County, MD, though that probably doesn't matter much. My similar pipe had a leak once at a joint between two sections, and if it had been covered with drywall that would have been a bit of a repair job (which I have had to do for water leaks).
A drop ceiling or other easily removable (i.e., no tools needed) covering may be a good solution. You could also have a hinged "door" made out of plywood, painted to match the drywall of the rest of the ceiling.

Cover black gas pipe in basement ceiling

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