Piping Systems Codes and Standards

Piping systems are generally designed on the basis of codes and standards. Codes and standard  plays a very important role for the proper selection of  specific material required in designing and construction of piping system.  Codes and standards helps us in the proper selection of specific material, reduces cost, inconvinence and confusion too. These standards are given by professional societies, committees and trade organizations. The purpose of each code is to maintain personal and industrial safety in a particular activity or equipment. A code is basically a standard accepted by government and are often developed by the same organization that develop standards. These organizations develop Recommended Practices which are considered as good engineering practices while designing the piping systems.

Piping Codes

Piping codes defines the requirements of design, fabrication, use of materials, tests and inspection of pipes and piping systems – what you need to do. Or, you can say it is  a set of general rules or systematic procedures  which is developed for design, fabrication, installation and inspection prepared in such a way that it can be adopted by legal jurisdiction and made into law.

A code has a limited jurisdiction defined by the code. A code is not law, but can be adopted into law.

Standards:

Standards are prepared by professional group or committee. They are set of documents which are believed to be proper and good engineering practice and which contain mandatory requirement.

Recommended Practices:

Recommended Practices are also prepared by professional group or committee. They are set of documents which are believed to be proper and good engineering practice but which are optional.

Apart being considered as regulations, Codes and Standards shall be considered as a ‘design aids’ since they provide guidance from experts.

For design and selection of equipment and piping systems, each country has its own code and standard but they can follow code and standards developed by other countries. The most commonly used is American National standards. Other than American there are British, German, Japanese standards etc available. The major organizations for standards are:

• ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers – ASME is one of the leading organizations in the world developing codes and standards
• ASME – Performance Test Codes – The ASME Performance Test Codes provide standard directions and rules for conducting and reporting tests
• ASME B31 – Pressure Piping – A survey of one of the most important pressure pipe codes – ASME B31, earlier known as ANSI B31
• CSI MasterFormat Specifications – Construction Specifications Institute’s 2004 Master-Format Edition
• DIN – Deutsches Institut für Normung – DIN – the German Institute for Standardization
• ISO – Pipe, Tube and Fittings Standards and Specifications – International Organization for Standardization – ISO – pipe, tube and fittings standards and specifications

Some other major organisations are :

Sr.No	Country	Abbreviation	Organization
1	American	ANSI	American National Standards Institute
2	Canada	SCC	Standard Council of Canada
3	France	AFNOR	Association Francaise
4	British	BSI	British Standards Institute
5	Europe	CEN	Committee of European Normalization
8	Germany	DIN	Deutsches Institute Fur Normung
7	Japan	JIS	Japanese Industrial Standards Committee
8	India	BIS	Bureau of Indian Standards
9	Worldwide	ISO	International Organization for Standards

Above mentioned list is of the piping system  codes and standards  which  helps us to reduces significant cost while designing the piping systems.

ImageSource : Engineers India Limited

ArticleSource : The Engineering Tool Box

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