Piping Apprentice

[mtb-675]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and new to the world of piping. I am currently doing my time as a piping designer and was wondering if I could use a thread to help me through my time with any stupid questions I have or such. The training I receive is minimum, so i'd like to take my own time to try and better my skills.

After doing months and months of line walking and mark ups I get to go to site for a few spool replacements. Its just a case of old spool out new one in apparently.

SO I've made a little checklist and wondered if others did it differently or any tips for an apprentice. It will obviously be checked but I'm keen to do it correctly.

heres my checklist

spool size
OD of pipe,
spec
flange type
flange thickness (r/f or not)
pcd
bolt no
type of flange, weldneck, slip on.
overall length + r/f if needed
type of bolts
pressure
noting any supports.

Can anyone think of anything else I need? Sorry if this seems a tad beneath some.

 

[SandCounter]

Hi mtb-675.

Lots of great thinking ahead here. I might add . . .
[ul]
[li]Pipe Schedule/wall thickness[/li]
[li]Pipe material, black, stainless steel, etc.[/li]
[li]Coatings, interior/exterior, galvanized, etc.[/li]
[li]Pipe type, seamless, erw, etc.[/li]
[li]Should the spools have pad-eyes to assist with lifting into place?[/li]
[/ul]

 

[pennpiper]

mtb-675,
You wrote:"I'm new to the forum and new to the world of piping." This makes you the most unsafe person at a jobsite. Unsafe to yourself and to the other people at the site.
1, DO NOT go into any jobsite/plant until you have had proper site specific safety training. While onsite DON'T do stupid things.
-
2, Make sure you have the proper clothes, equipment and tools for the site and the assignment. Read this article:

http://pipingdesigners.com/contents...ld-issues/23-section-12a-field-trip-guidlines

-
3. Look at these websites (and others) for related articles:
-

http://pipingdesigners.com,

-

http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=378

-

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/723287

Sometimes its possible to do all the right things and still get bad results

 

[rconner]

As pennpiper has made a reply of paramount importance I awarded him a star. Don't get you or any part of your or anyone else's body between any two operated pieces of, or in the way of any piping, tools, equipment or operating cogs of such, lest you find out that inevitably that steel is a whole lot harder and stronger than mere flesh and bone! Whether or not it is taught in any training, it is also a good idea to make eye contact when you can with any equipment operators when you are anywhere near either end of their equipment or swings.

 

[david339933]

Gasket info...

 

[rconner]

"flange spreaders" (if needed for configuration...)

 

[racookpe1978]

Well, you are asking questions about two very, very different jobs.

You are an engineer, even if "only" a new engineer, and YOUR job requires very different skills than those of even an experienced field pipe fitter, pipe welder, or piping foreman. Yes, you need some of their experience if you are to be a better desk engineer, engineering manager or "checker" or designer. And if you are to become a field engineer (at a construction site, power plant or refinery or chemical plant, or a field pipe line engineer at the wells, pipelines, or storage/tranfer facilities, you will need many times the fitting experience that a desk engineer needs. (Equally, few field engineers can become desk designers without gaining/re-gaining the desk design knowledge and skills needed in the air conditioning and CAD stations and design meetings!)

But "apprentice" level skills are really very junior craftsman input training. Welding or pipe fitting, both requrie apprentice training. You really need EIT-type training from a foreman/general foreman (at a minimum) or field engineer/project manager engineer preferably.

 

[MickMc]

My assumption is that you have already been through all the site inductions and are familiar with the location as you state you have months of line walking and marks up, maybe you were 'punch listing'. My other assumption is that there will be 'toolbox talk' before proceeding.

You seem now to be doing a simple survey of existing spools for replacing and your checklist plus SandCounters and davids suggestions seem adequate although your flange thickness/PCD/Bolt Number can be identified from flange type e.g. Class 150 Weld Neck Raised Face.

Pennpiper as always has given you some good links for overall guidance.

 

[mtb-675]

I have been to site regularly, I am inducted and sat the courses needed. However this is my first survey.

Are flange spreaders required for big bore pipes, say 24" +? its all relatively small bore I'll be working with.

Is there a good site where I can compare various flange sizes to identify if its a BS10 or ANSI etc? I just seem to try various sites via google and can be quite hit or miss, id like to print them off and have an at hand catalogue to the ready.

Another stupid question, I understand there are various different flange standards bs10, ansi, AS, PN. On the flange it should give you which standard it falls under, the class etc. But how do I know what spec pipe to attach to these?

if I call up an ansi 150 flange, how do I know or what pipe to call up?

I understand that all o.d's are standardized, how do I therefore measure the wall thickness if I cant break the line or if its no indicated on flange

 

[europipe]

In Your first post you mention specs, do you mean pipespecs/classes, that covers a lot of the pipes/flanges/fittings/gaskets/bolts to be used, maybe ask the designers at site.

 

[MickMc]

Does the site not have any documentation related to the spools to be replaced i.e. as-built drawings, what did you use for line walking? If not any drawings can you at least get the line numbers of spools which should include the piping classes. From the piping classes if available you should get wall thickness, material grade for particular size and associated flange types e.g. ASME B16.5.

 

[zbest1966]

WOW there is actual work bring a piping designer

 

[europipe]

zbest, you are also available?