Role of Piping Design Engineers

oilandgas blog
PDs are some of the most qualified technical people charged with the responsibility of planning and layout of complicated piping structures in many sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals and manufacturing. They install and operate software and equipment that must conform to norms of the profession to transport fluids and gases without mishap in an industrial building. Piping designers work with other designers, coordinate construction the piping arrangements and also calculate stresses to guarantee the design and construction of the piping systems meet the set safety requirements . They play the central role in defining architectures that would ensure optimal satisfaction of the projects’ needs and at the same time utilize resources effectively.

Piping Design Engineer Role

Thus, role piping design engineers have a crucial responsibility of ensuring the safe and efficient operation of several industries. They design systems in form of pipes for handling fluids including oil, gas, water, and even chemicals from one region to another. SPE piping systems are employed in the utilities plants, industries, factories, and in oil and gas operations.

Piping design engineers applying their knowledge of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural engineering and piping code and standards for the production of the optimum design of piping systems for the various applications. When designing a piping system the following factors have to be put into consideration; the type of fluid to be transported, the flow rate and pressure of the fluid, the distance to be covered and the surrounding environment of the piping system, and the safety and reliability of the piping systems.

Piping design engineers use a variety of tools and techniques to design piping systems, including:

  • Fluid flow analysis software
  • Stress analysis software
  • Finite element analysis software
  • Piping codes and standards

After the piping system has been designed, the piping design engineer will then prepared drawing and specifications of the piping system. Such drawings and specifications will help contractors who will mount the piping system.

The piping design engineers are key professionals whose primary responsibility is to oversee piping systems in order to guarantee appropriate and safe designs. They have to select and specify the materials for the piping system taking into consideration the pressure and temperature of the transported fluids and the surrounding environment for which the piping system is designed for. They must however adhere to all the various piping codes and standards as a piping design engineer.

Here are some of the specific roles that piping design engineers may play:Here are some of the specific roles that piping design engineers may play:

  • Designing piping systems: Piping design engineers who have the skills within the area of fluid mechanics, thermal potentials, structural engineering all in conjunction with the piping code and standard affairs construct the piping systems that are suitable for the particular application.
  • Creating detailed drawings and specifications: Speciality piping engineers are responsible for development of the piping design details and the drawings. Such drawings and specifications are utilized by contractors who put in place the piping system.
  • Reviewing and approving piping installation drawings and specifications: Piping design engineers also check the piping installation drawing and specifications so as to ensure that the piping system was set up properly and to code.
  • Inspecting piping systems during installation and commissioning: Piping design engineers check the piping systems during installation and commissioning of the piping system to verify that the appropriate piping system has been installed in the correct manner showing the right levels of safety.
  • Participating in project meetings and presentations: Piping design engineers are involved in meetings and presentation of the piping design and layout of the piping system.
  • Staying up-to-date on the latest piping design software and technologies: Piping design engineers then follow up with the current technologies appropriate to piping design software so that they can be in a position to use the best technology in the piping design.

Piping design engineers have a critical and significant responsibility in the running of several organizations. They are expected to have an ability of developing the piping systems that can transport fluids in safety and effectiveness in different circumstances.

Piping design engineers are directly involved in decision making right from feasibility and then to conceptual and then to detail engineering The output of this activity is in the form of drawings.

  • Study the process requirements & site condition to design and plan the mechanical system that can support the process operations work.
  • Plan and prepare layout to analyze the space requirement, road access, maintenance space, location of equipment, and requirement of pipe rack
  • Co-ordinate with electrical, instrumentation, process team, civil structural team to understand the elevation & structural requirements.
  • Inform civil structural team about pipe racks, platforms, and structural requirement's.
  • Prepare piping layouts, isometrics and perform stress analysis as required.
  • Selection of components such as valves, fittings, insulation, painting, welding specification, testing requirements to produce an economical design.
  • Prepare datasheet for valves, special type fittings & strainers, moreover co-ordinate with vendor to make sure that the right product is delivered at your home.
  • Prepare specification for vendor quote and perform TBE (technical bid evaluation) at times.
  • Review and ensure that the design is compliance with the international codes & standards, local country codes & client specifications.
  • Prepare the material list depicting all the materials, sizes, specification, special requirements, testing requirements to meet the design. This document shall be used as an input for a procurement team.
  • Review the documents & drawings of vendor supplied equipment's, valves and skids to verify the piping requirements are meet.
  • Perform site inspection at vendor manufacturing unit to qualify a vendor to check that he can supply the bulk requirement on demand.
  • Cross verify the stress report with supports mentioned in the drawings to avoid design flaws.
  • Assisting project engineering team for last minute modification requirement during construction.
  • Prepare as-built drawings after completion of construction and documents as necessary.

piping design engineer responsibilities

A piping design engineer has a critical role to play in the different industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, power plants, and manufacturing industries. Their function include deciding on intensity and designing of piping frameworks for the secure and effective flow of the fluids and gaseous substances in infrastructure facilities. Here are the key responsibilities of a piping design engineer:Here are the key responsibilities of a piping design engineer:

System Design and Layout:

  • Prepare specific working drawings of the piping systems as they relate to the particular project, codes and regulations.
  • Determine the plans for the piping layouts based on process necessities and equipment positions together with issues of safety.
  • The piping arrangement should also be shown via isometric drawings and P&IDs (also known as piping and instrumentation diagrams).

Material Selection:

  • Choose correct material of the pipe by which to transfer the fluid, for example, carbon steel pipes, stainless steel pipes, PVC pipes or exotic alloy pipes according to the type and properties of the fluid, temperature and pressure requirements.

Component Selection:

  • Select appropriate valves, fittings and supports of the piping to be used and they should match the intended project.

Pressure and Stress Analysis:

  • Design for stress using the available software such as Caesar II in order to confirm if the piping system is capable of handling pressure and if it can bear pressure thrust, thermal expansion, and any other force that may be exerted on the system.

Code Compliance:

  • It is necessary to make sure that the piping design is correctly addressed and aligned with all the codes and standards of the specified industry like ASME B31. But there are also other rules governing the industry 3API and local regulations.

Safety and Risk Assessment:

  • Assess the hazards and risks existing in the design of the piping system with a view of applying the safety features on the design.

Cost Estimation:

  • Develop material cost estimates for the purchasing of pipes as well as the acquisition of essential accessories to be installed in the system.

Material Takeoffs:

  • Accomplish material takeoffs (MTOs) in order to get the scale of materials expected to be used in construction.

Discuss and coordinate with other disciplines as ME, EE and Civil to ensure that the piping system blends well with other equipment and systems in the facility layout.

  • Discuss and coordinate with other disciplines as ME, EE and Civil to ensure that the piping system blends well with other equipment and systems in the facility layout.

Quality Assurance and Inspection:

  • Establish service quality control measures and check lists that would instruct the actual piping fabrication and installation processes.

Documentation:

  • Prepare construction drawings for actual structures, reports containing sketches and documents for construction, and commissioning phase as well as as-built drawings.

Project Management:

  • Some of the areas of piping design process that will have to be controlled and co-ordinated include the schedule and the corresponding financial requirements and available resources.

Software Proficiency:

  • Use type of computer based application like CAD and piping design software’s namely AutoCAD, PDMS, SmartPlant 3D etc for delivering design and analysis.

Problem Solving:

  • Identify and solve problems regarding design; including design Interference/ clash and performance problems.

Continuous Learning:

  • Get acquainted with current trends in the industry, new technologies and innovations, and other new findings and developments of piping design to increase their competency levels.

Piping design engineers occupies a central position for any industry since they are responsible for the integrity, safety, and economy of the industrial processes. They are proficient professionals who are essential in the creation and running of centralized piped systems in several industries.

what is piping design engineering

Piping design engineering is defined as the ability to design mechanical piping systems well capable of handling fluids to the optimum standard. Piping systems are in many industries and these are for example in oil and gas, petrochemicals, power generation and manufacturing.

Piping design engineers must consider a number of factors when designing a piping system, including:Piping design engineers must consider a number of factors when designing a piping system, including:

  • The type of fluid being transported
  • The flow rate and pressure of the fluid
  • The distance the fluid needs to be transported
  • The environmental conditions the piping system will be exposed to
  • The safety and reliability requirement of the piping system

Piping design engineers use a variety of tools and techniques to design piping systems, including:Piping design engineers use a variety of tools and techniques to design piping systems, including:

  • Fluid flow analysis software
  • Stress analysis software
  • Finite element analysis software
  • Piping codes and standards

After reach piping system has been designed, the piping design engineer will prepare a set of drawings and specifications of the system. These drawings and specifications will also help the contractors to lay down the piping system to be adopted.

Piping design engineering is a specialized area that requires a lot of effort to be put in, yet there are some industries that cannot run smoothly without it. Through the assessment of piping design engineers, it is clear that he/she holds a central position in developing piping systems that would suit the clients as well as to ensure that safety of the public is well upheld.

Here are some of the specific tasks that piping design engineers may perform:Here are some of the specific tasks that piping design engineers may perform:

  • Draw pipe and tube specification to establish the flow rate needed and the type of pipe.
  • Conduct stress analysis in an effort to be capable of determining the pressure and temperature of the piping system that is to transport the fluid.
  • Bring out a stress analysis of the piping by employing the finite element analysis technique so that the behavior of the piping system can be modeled depending on the prevailing circumstances.
  • Comply with all applicable piping codes and standards
  • Create detailed drawings and specifications for the piping system
  • Review and approve piping installation drawings and specifications
  • Inspect piping systems during installation and commissioning

The piping design engineers are required to have knowledge about the flow of fluids, fluid power, energy value, heat transfer and mechanical properties of materials, in conjunction to basic principles of structural engineering and piping code and standards. They also need to be knowledgeable in the application of a number of kinds of engineering software instrumental in the design and analysis of piping systems.

To be more specific, piping design engineers are much sought after in diverse industries. They can work for engineering firms, constructing firms, oil and firms firms, petrochemical firms, power generation firms, and manufacturing firms.

piping design engineer salary

Thus, the pay that a piping design engineer receives may significantly differ based on factors such as the region, experience, education, industry, and employer. While I can tell you the general figures about piping design engineers’ salaries in the United States as of the data of the last knowledge update in September 2021. One should also realise that salaries change with time and what was true at the time of writing this article may not hold today.

Entry-Level Piping Design Engineer:

  • Salary Range: $55,000 to $75,000 per year

Mid-Level Piping Design Engineer:

  • Salary Range: $75,000 to $110,000 per year

Experienced/Senior Piping Design Engineer:

  • Salary Range: $110,000 to $160,000+ per year

Location-Based Variations:

  • Relative to the place of work, there are differences observed in the amounts of salaries. High cost of living associated with HVCD regions causes piping design engineers to be paid better.

Industry:

  • The compensation of a piping design engineer depends with the industry they operate in. For instance, the professionals such as engineers practicing in the oil and gas sector receive higher remunerations compared to others.

Education and Certification:

  • Higher salary may also be expected when the engineer has a masteral degree or owns a professional certification.

Experience:

  • Therefore, the length of one’s service does influence the determination of his or her remuneration package. A number of years of experience also play a significant role in a professional’s income; the more between that one and five years, the better.

Company Size:

  • Large and financially well-developed employers can influence the degree of medical coverage. It has also been viewed that larger organizations may pay better with reference to the salaries and perks that are being provided to the employees.

Specialization:

  • Those piping design engineers who concentrate on the particular fields or have experience in the particular software may find themselves employable for more remunerated posts.

Benefits:

  • Engineers are often offered other components of wages such as, medical coverage, pension, special payments, and shares.

It is important to remember that these numbers are arbitrary, and often widely could differ. Regarding the best technique for naming the optimum remunerations for piping design engineers, it is quite recommended to turn to the current job advertisements, industry surveys, or reports on occupations and interviews with piping design engineers working in the given region and industry. It must also be pointed out that the salaries might differ over a period of time because of economic factors that affect the industry.

piping design engineer job description

Summary

Facilities piping design engineers design, analyze and prepare documentation for piping systems for industries such as the oil and gas, petrochemicals, power generation, manufacturing among others. Thus, they make effective utilization of their skills in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structures and codes and standards of piping that helps them in developing effective and safe piping systems.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Carry out the analysis of fluids with correct flow rate to see what size and type of piping is required
  • After that, it is necessary to make a Stress analysis that would allow understanding the possibility of the piping system to handle the pressure and the temperature of the transported fluid.
  • Carry out finite element analysis, which would help in predicting how the piping system would respond depending on the circumstance.
  • Comply with all applicable piping codes and standards
  • Create detailed drawings and specifications for the piping system
  • Review and approve piping installation drawings and specifications
  • Inspect piping systems during installation and commissioning
  • Participate in project meetings and presentations
  • Stay up-to-date on the latest piping design software and technologies

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering)
  • 3+ years of experience in piping design
  • The person should have vast knowledge in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural engineering and the code and standard of piping system.
  • Skill of using a variety of engineering software to design and analyze system of piping
  • Good communication and people skills
  • Autonomy and teamwork there also as a candidate I have to point out certain advantages I possess.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's degree in engineering
  • Specialty in certain types of pipes (for example oil and gas, oil and petrochemicals, generation and industrial).
  • There should not be a lack of prior working experience with a project management software.
  • Familiarity with using 3D modeling software

Compensation and Benefits

  • Market competitive remuneration package
  • In regard to benefits the specific options apt to be appealing to a superior employee include;
  • Opportunity to increase one’s value to the engineering profession

Piping design engineering is an important function within a many vertical markets that are dedicated to ensuring the safe and reliable operation of facilities and plants. Higher demand can be seen in them and they can secure a job just anywhere since almost every health facility exists. piping design engineer is that if you are fascinated in having a career in engineering, then Piping Design Engineer is one of the best careers for you.

who is piping design engineer

A piping design engineer is a specialist who plans piping systems for such fields as oil-gas production, chemical companies, electric power stations, and various manufacturing industries. They apply all their knowledge in engineering, professionalism, skill and experience in the subject areas like fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural engineering, piping codes and standards to provide piping systems that are safe and reliable and with optimal efficiency.

Presently, piping design engineers are mostly involved in engineering organizations or firms, construction industries or manufacturing industries. They may also work as consultants or freeter, the Japanese word for the new type of worker who may work for several employers in a year.

Piping design engineers perform a variety of tasks, including:Piping design engineers perform a variety of tasks, including:

  • Carrying out computation on the fluid flow to decide the appropriate size and kind of piping required
  • Stress analysis to determine the possibility of the piping system to supports pressure and temperature of the contained fluid
  • To be specific, applying the finite element analysis technique to predict the response of the piping system at various loads.
  • This must be accomplished while adhering to all the currently active piping codes and standards.
  • Creating detailed drawings and specifications for the piping system
  • Reviewing and approving piping installation drawings and specifications
  • Inspecting piping systems during installation and commissioning
  • Attending meetings and presentation meetings for the project
  • Awareness of the new developments in the piping design software and tools.

The piping design engineers are important personas that are responsible for many operations of the industries safely. They make designs for piping that would be used in conveying fluids in pipelines under diverse circumstances.

This make piping design engineers as key personnel who should possess good knowledge or skill in area such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, civil/structure engineering and the piping codes and standard. They need to also have knowledge in the use of several engineering software that are used in designing and analyzing of the piping systems.

Due to this, piping design engineers are valued in any sector of the economy. They can work with engineering firms, construction firms, oil and gas firm, petrochemical firm, power generation firms, and manufacturing firms.

If you want to climb the professional ladder in engineering, then getting a job of piping design engineer might be the most suitable for you.

piping design engineer resume Sample

Creating a strong resume as a piping design engineer is essential to highlight your skills, qualifications, and experience. Here's a sample resume format tailored for a piping design engineer:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Your Email Address] [Your Phone Number] [LinkedIn Profile (Optional)]

Objective: Highly motivated and efficient Piping Design Engineer with [X years] years’ experience in the design, modeling and coordination of the piping systems. Skilled at using typical applications in the industry and make sure that all safety and regulatory guidelines are met. This comes with an aim of being able to apply my education as well as training to further the success of [Company Name].

Professional Experience:

Piping Design Engineer | [Company Name] | [Location] | [Month Year to now]

  • Supervise the design and arrangement of the piping systems to be used in [industry/sector] projects proposed in and out of the company.
  • Consult with other parties and professionals who are working on the construction of the total layout of the facility to incorporate the piping systems in order to avoid obstructions and defrees up space as much as possible.
  • Incorporate the AutoCAD, PDMS, and SmartPlant 3D to develop the piping drawings, IS, and P&IDs.
  • Perform stress and pressure analysis to determine cogency and safety of the system by applying the Caesar II tool.
  • Explain manage the buying of products and construction works from approved suppliers and contractors for the project as per the project timelines and cost estimates.
  • Conduct checks on the installed piping systems to ensure that they meet the required quality standards and that are properly aligned.
  • Address all matters that are related to design and assisting during the implementation of the project.

Piping Designer | [Company Name] Company | [Location] | [From – To]

  • Provided support to senior engineers in the generation of piping designs and layouts of the [industry/sector] projects.
  • Developed pipelines mezzanine and second floor piping layout in Auto CAD, communication and instrument air piping system layout in PDMS to support the project visualization.
  • Held prepared material takeoffs and cost estimate which can be so useful in the project budgeting and purchasing arena.
  • Making design reviews and attending agitations including project meetings with a view of keeping in check of clients’ demands and the goals of the project.

Education:

BSC Mechanical Engineering | [Name of University] | [City/Region] | [Year of Passing.

  • Relevant Coursework: Engineering Mathematics, Solid Mechanics, Statistical Quality Control, Control Systems and Signal Processing, Non-conventional Energy Systems.

Certifications:

  • [Include any license and or certifications pertinent like Professional Engineer (PE), AutoCAD Certification, etc. ]

Skills:

  • Piping Design Software: AutoCAD, PDMS, SmartPlant 3D, Caesar II etc.
  • P&IDs and Isometric Drawings.
  • Stress analysis and pressure calculations are among the most prevalent yet complex services offered by roll forming companies.
  • Material Selection and Procurement.
  • These are specific to the pipe to pipe application such as: Regulatory Compliance (ASME B31. 3, API, etc. ).
  • Project Management and Coordination.
  • Good Interpersonal communication and group work.

Professional Memberships:

  • [Include any industry affiliations that the organization is affiliated to for instance the ASME, AACE and others. ]

References: Available upon request.

When writing your resume make sure it has a clear structure, zero or few mistakes, and is relevant to the job you wish to be employed at. Examine your achievements, technical skills, and any achievement concerning piping design projects. Applying this recommendation may help you in getting more interviews and progressing in your career as piping design engineer since the job of resumes is to get interviews for the candidate at the initial level of their career.

Table of Contents