Piping Design Manual

Hi,

The company i'm working now doesns't have any piping design manuals. One of my tasks here is to put together a descent piping design manual. To avoid any "stupidity" i would like to ask what a good startpoint will be. Are there any examples available? What should be included and excluded in a piping design manual? Any help/hints/tips will be very much appreciated!

Hi nomko,
Depending on what is available at your company, this could be a big task or a very big task to pull together. First you have to ask the question “What do I need as a piper to execute a project?” So let’s start there, what do you need to execute a project? There are two basic piping needs that each company should have that fall into two basic categories: standards and procedures. Let’s start with the basic standards:
1. Drawing cover sheet and drawing index templates.
2. Line spacing chart.
3. Line spanning chart.
4. 3D model and drawing division protocols for field erection versus modularized designs.
5. Piping arrangement examples: field erected and modularized.
6. An isometric example, and instruction on shipping box size, field weld break positioning and spool numbering.
Moving on to basic procedures, your company procedures need to cover the following:
1. Stick files.
2. Inter-discipline drawing reviews.
3. Model reviews.
4. Stress analysis interface between piping and stress.
5. Checking.
6. Manhour estimating.
7. As-builts.
Look around you and see what is available, compile this and then decide what you need to fill in the blanks.
If you really want to go to town, and be prepared for the less than sophisticated clients that have nothing to offer and expect everything from the engineering company, then you’ll also need company standards for:
1. A complete set of piping supports and details, such as: shoes, anchors, guides, base ell’s, trunnions, dummy legs, vents and drains, tracing, instrument hook-ups.
2. Drawing titleblocks and layering.
3. Drawing numbering.
4. Model numbering.
5. Piping classes and branch charts per piping class or classes.
6. P&ID Legend sheets.
7. Line List template and Line numbering.
8. And maybe even commodity coding.
At the least you need to consult with your department manager and CAD support manager, but if you’re working for a full EPCM company, then you should also include the construction manager. Be prepared that once you take on this task it has the potential to grow incredibly. Don’t think for one second that you can do this in your spare time. Expect at least three to six months of dedicated hard graft.
Having gone through this, I know something of what I’m talking about, and you’re free to contact me off-line if you wish for further advice.
There are only two books in existence, both of which I suggest you obtain, that will help in this regard: the first is “Piping Engineering Leadership” by our own JOP. The second is “The Planning Guide to Piping Design”. Both offer great insight into exactly what you’re trying to deal with, and both offer practical examples and solutions that I think will be of great benefit to you in your quest. And there are of course many available tools to you right here on this website.
My best wishes and regards,
Flowr8

Good morning nomko,

I found your question while browsing through the forums on other issues. It's not clear to if it's a piping manual you need for your pipers or if you are looking for a source to train your group with.

The group I have here has a mix of experience and I chose the following book as a reference since even some of the engineers were not familiar with typical piping design practices:

Pipe Drafting and Design (2nd Edition)
Roy A. Parisher & Robert A. Rhea

It gives a pretty complete overview of the piping desing process and the interactions with other design disciplines.

Hope this helps even though the post is old.

Greg