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IAAWVU05

Mechanical
Nov 9, 2006
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I landed my first real job in engineering. It seems that I have my work cut out for me in area of piping design. I have glanced through ASME B 31.3, ASME B 16.5 and Crane's Technical Paper No. 410, but the stuff isn't clicking. What are some books that deal with piping design that you would recommend to someone just out of college?

 
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It takes time to grasp these codes. It also requires a visit to a warehouse, construction site or plant to visualize a Class 150 and a Class 1500 flange in the same pipe size. The materials and all of the other lingo also takes time. Your employer does not expect a recent graduate to know these things right out of school. Visit a valve warehouse to touch a 4 NPS (incorrectly called 4") Class 600 (incorrectly called 600 pound) valve -- and a 36 NPS ball valve. See that there is nothing about a 1/2 NPS nipple that is 1/2-inch. You will work it out -- with time.

John
 
Hydraulic design aspects are conver by TP-410, the Camron Hydraulic (available from Flowserve), Section 17 in the GPSA Data Books, Marks' Mechanical Engineering Handbook, or your old college text book(s).

Integrity designs (stress and what not) will be the ASME Codes. I wish I could offer references for pipe stress analysis but I don't know of any given the complexity of the subject.
 
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Process Plant Piping Books (Reference and Training)

For those individuals who are new to the piping profession and want sources to expand their knowledge.
There are a lot of books that address the subject of piping. Some books address HVAC and other building systems piping. Some address fire protection piping. There are still others that address hygienic piping. Finally, there are the books that address process plant piping. Process plants (in this context) are refineries, chemical plants, power plants, waste treatment plants, and others.
The books listed here are piping books for process plants and are just a few of the total that may be available. These happen to be the ones I have in my library. I have used all of these during my career while both working and teaching.

Piping Reference Books:
(Basin Data:)
The Piping Guide
(For the Design and Drafting of Industrial Piping Systems)
David R. Sherwood and Dennis J. Wistance, BS, MS
ISBN 0-914-08219-1

(Advanced Data:)
Piping Handbook
Mohinder L. Nayyar, P.E. (Editor in Chief)
McGraw-Hill
ISBN 0-07-046881-8


Piping Text Books:
(Basic Piping:)
Process Piping Drafting
Rip Weaver
Gulf Publishing Company
ISBN 0-87201-761-3
Also available by the same author
Process Piping Drafting “Workbook”

Process Piping Drafting
Terence M. Shumaker
Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.
ISBN 1-56637-535-5

Piping Drafting and Design
(Using manual, AutoCAD and Pro-Pipe Applications)
Roy A. Parisher and Robert A. Rhea
Gulf Publishing Company
ISBN 0-88415-657-5
Also available by the same author
Piping Drafting and Design “Workbook”
And
Piping Drafting and Design “Instructors Guide”

(Intermediate Piping:)
Process Piping Design – Volume #1
Rip Weaver
Gulf Publishing Company
ISBN 0-87201-759-5

Process Piping Design – Volume #2
Rip Weaver
Gulf Publishing Company
ISBN 0-87201-760-1

(Advanced Piping:)
Process Plant Layout and Design
Ed. Bausbacher and Roger Hunt
Auerbach Publishers
ISBN 0-7913-0543-5

Piping Systems Drafting And Design
Louis Gary Lamit
Prentice-Hall Publisher
ISBN 0-13-676445-2

Piping Material Engineering:
Piping Material Guide, Selection and Applications
Peter Smith
Gulf Professional Publishing
ISBN 0-7506-7743-0

Valve Selection Handbook (3rd Edition)
R. W. Zappe
Gulf Publishing Company
ISBN 0-87201-863-6

Valve Selection and Specification Guide
Van Nostrand Reinhold
Ronald C. Merrick
ISBN 0-442-31870-7

Piping Management Books:
Piping Engineering Leadership For Process Plant Projects
James O. Pennock
Gulf Professional Publishing
ISBN 0-88415-347-9
Email: jopennock@netscape.net



pipingdesigner
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The first thing to understand is that "piping design" means different things to different people. Probably the most common use of the term "piping design" is for the engineers and draftspeople who design and draw the physical layouts of piping. Process engineers like myself sometimes talk of the work that we do in calculating the sizes, flowrates and pressure drops in piping as "piping design" but it would more accurately be termed "hydraulic design".

There are a few engineers who are expert at both aspects, but these guys are very rare and it is much more common to specialize in one or the other. However, it is important for each camp to at least have a superficial understanding of what the other side does - and to respect their input to the final design as vitally important.

Books like Crane #410 and Cameron Hydraulic Data will help you in sizing piping and valves, and calculating the pressure drops, but perhaps that is not what you are interested in. If you want to learn about stress analysis, placing of supports, grades of piping to use in different applications, laying out pipes on racks, and the other physical aspects then the list of books referenced by pipingdesigner will help you more.

Good luck



Katmar Software
Engineering & Risk Analysis Software
 
Hi IAAWVU05,

EVERYBODY had to start somewhere. As a beginner, you show your intelligence by asking questions.

Of course there are several aspects of piping engineering. The word "designer" seems to have replaced the word "draftsman" in North America. Within the realm of piping engineering you will find many specialties, many areas of specialization. Process design includes flow analysis and heat transfer. Structural design includes piping stress analysis and hanger/support design. There have been many books written but many of the best are now out of print. Some of the best books of 20 years ago are now only 50 percent applicable because many of the technologies and methodologies have progressed (changed). Do your best to find mentors who are willing to take patient time with you and direct you to the answers you seek. Discussion boards provide opportunities to find such mentors but beware, there are some misguided self-styled "experts" haunting some discussion boards who live for the sole purpose of belittling people who are sincerely seeking enlightenment. But those people aside, you will find your mentors if you seek them.

Look at my posting at this excellent discussion board:


Good luck and repay the people who would help you by making yourself a competent piping engineer.

Regards, John.
 
Hi IAAWVU05,

I should mention that the COADE Caesar II discussion boad gives you the opportunity to send "Personal Messages" to your mentor of choice. The mentor that you chose is under no obligation to respond to your message but some of them will.

Regards, John.
 
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