PIPING BASICS , CODE OF PRACTICES & SITE ENGINEER

What is Piping System ?

The Piping network installed to convey the fluid required for chemical processes or otherwise between the various equipment and end users and consist of various components such as valves , fittings ,online measuring instruments etc. is called as Piping system

This Pipe is fluid transforming hallow longitudinal product

Difference between Pipe & tube

Pipe	Tube
It is denoted by Sch. No.	It is denoted by BIRMINGUM Wire Gauge no.
It must be circular	It may or may not be circular
It is used only for mass/ fluid transfer internally	Tube are used for heat transfer phenomenon
It is of definite size like 1” ,2” ¾” etc	It is denoted by any size as per requirement
It sustain the temperature & Pressure	It is not made to sustain high temperature & pressure

Classification of Pipe:

Pipe is classified as

A)   Based on Manufacturing

A.1 Seamed Pipe

A.2Seamless Pipe

A.1 Seamed Pipe

 a) ERW – Electric Resistance Welded Pipe

 b)EFW – Electric fusion welded Pipe

A.2 Seamless Pipe

 a) Extruded Pipe

 b) Centrifugally Cast Pipe

B)   Based on End User

B.1 Pressure Pipe / Process Pipe:

 It is those pipe which are subjected to fluid pressure and or temperature, fluid pressure in generally internal pressure due to fluid being used or may be external pressure and mainly used for plant Piping

B.2 line Pipe: long distance conveying of the fluids and are subjected to fluid pressure . they are not subject to high pressure

B.3 Structural Pipe:

Used only for the structural purpose i.e structural component ( hand Rail ,column Etc. )

Terminology:

ASME  code: ASME Piping codes give stipulations and guidelines for the design materials , manufacture and testing of pressure Piping

American Society of Mechanical Engineer

Head office : Mexico

Edition Every year 1 Jan & 1 June i.e. They are review the code on every six month span

ASTM Code : Special code mainly define the material properties

American Society of Testing & Material

ASME B 31.1  code for pressure piping consist of a number of individual published section

ASME B 31.1 Power Piping : Power Generation Station

ASME B 31.3 Process Piping code : Pretroleum  refineries , chemical , pharmaceutical , textile , Paper & Semiconductor

ASME B 31.4 Pipeline transportation for the liquid hydrocarbons & other fluids

ASME B 31.5 Refrigeration piping

ASME B 31.8 Gas transportation & distribution piping systems

Piping transporting products which are predominately gas between sources and terminals including compressor, regulating and metering station and gas gathering pipeline

ASTM B 31.9 Building services Piping

Piping typically found in industrial institutional, commercial & public building not included in ASME B 31.1

ASTM 31.11  Slurry transportation Piping system:

Piping transportation aqueous slurries between plants and terminals & within terminals pumping & regulating stations

ASTM Section 8 Division 1 & ASTM Section 8 Division 2  are  main equipment manufacturing code

Although there is large code & standard in piping , in the biggest or largest product such as oil & gas, the consultant companies before designing the piping system drawn out the draft the method statement of how the piping fabrication and the erection is carried out in the specified project.

Thus the method statement included

1.    Procedure of fabrication mainly detected the welding procedure which is the extraction of best code and the standard

2.    Piping support standardization

3.    Erection criteria at the site

4.    Some safety measure is also included

ASME is also noted that there is large code and standard is guarantee the best practice of piping technology, but while carrying out the project the ultimate decision is of site engineer.

Thus ASME gives the freedom of doing piping practices while understanding the code and practice and motivate that the site engineer have to put up their own potential of the practices.