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Pipeline Design Engineering: ASME B31.4/B31.8 Oil & Gas

Name: Pipeline Design Engineering: ASME B31.4/B31.8 Oil & Gas
Rating: 4.2 (121 reviews)

Piping Engineering, Wall Thickness, Stress Analysis, Pigging, Pipeline Construction | Mechanical Engineering Standards

Created byProjectEngPro Engineering and Project Management

Last updated 6/2026

English

What you'll learn

Apply ASME B31.4 and B31.8 to liquid and gas pipeline design and know where PD 8010 and IGEM/TD/1 apply
Classify substance and location, and check proximity distances to set the design factor
Size a pipeline and calculate wall thickness for internal pressure, external loads and corrosion allowance
Design crossings for roads, railways, rivers and existing pipelines and pick a construction method
Specify block valve spacing, valve types, actuation and blowdown for a transmission line
Select utility, cleaning and intelligent pigs and design a line that can be pigged
Plan pipeline construction from right-of-way and spread set-up through welding, coating and lowering-in
Prepare pre-commissioning, testing, reinstatement and handover documentation

Course content

6 sections • 43 lectures • 11h 9m total length

Introduction12:34
An overview of the pipeline design module and how the design process for oil and gas pipelines under ASME B31.4 and B31.8 is structured.
Quality Plan, Laws, Regulations, Permits8:25
How a pipeline project quality plan is set up, and the laws, regulations and permits that shape pipeline design before routing begins.
Routeing13:26
How a pipeline route is selected, balancing terrain, land use, environmental constraints, crossings and population along the corridor.
Standards17:44
Which design codes and standards govern oil and gas pipelines, including ASME B31.4 and B31.8, and how they fit together on a project.
Substance Classification7:35
How pipeline substances are classified by hazard, and how the fluid category affects design requirements and safety margins.
Location Classification 119:17
How location classes are set from population density along the route, and how they drive the design factor used for gas pipelines.
Location Classification 226:21
How location classification is applied in practice along a route, including changes in class over the pipeline life and their effect on design.
Proximities14:09
How proximity to buildings and populated areas is assessed for a pipeline, and how separation distances are used to manage risk.
Pipeline Sizing4:39
How to size a pipeline diameter from flow rate, pressure drop and velocity limits for liquid and gas service.
Wall Thickness Design 132:11
How pipeline wall thickness is calculated for internal pressure using the Barlow-based formula, design factor, material yield strength and corrosion allowance.
Wall Thickness Design 230:44
How wall thickness design goes beyond hoop stress to cover location class, external loads and minimum thickness for handling and construction.
Section 1 Quiz: Pipeline Design

Overview and History12:22
How pipelines cross rivers, roads, railways and utilities, the history of crossing techniques, and how regulations and standards have evolved.
Protection Methods & Stressing and Design Factors9:25
How pipelines are protected at road, rail and river crossings, and the stress and design factors used to keep crossings safe.
Construction Methods 111:53
The construction methods for pipeline crossings, from open cut to trenchless techniques such as boring and horizontal directional drilling, and how to choose between them.
Construction Methods 210:33
More crossing construction methods, including pipe ramming and other trenchless options used where surface excavation is not possible.
Crossing Roads, Rail, Rivers and Pipes13:46
How pipelines cross roads, railways, rivers and existing pipelines, and how cost, safety, environment and ease of installation decide the method.
Section 2 Quiz: Pipeline Crossings

Pipeline Valves - Overview12:21
An introduction to pipeline valves, what they do, where they sit on a pipeline, and their role in safety, operation and maintenance.
Pipeline Valves - Types of Valves24:27
The main families of pipeline valves, from gate and ball valves to pressure regulating valves, and where each is used.
Pipeline Valves - Actuation10:13
How pipeline valves are actuated manually, remotely or automatically, and the types of actuators used to control flow.
Pipeline Valves - Block Valves32:00
How block valves isolate pipeline sections in emergencies and for maintenance, and how block valve spacing requirements are set.
Pipeline Valves - Blowdown10:46
How gas pipeline sections are safely depressurised through blowdown, and the valves and procedures used for maintenance and emergencies.
Section 3 Quiz: Pipeline Valves

What are 'Pigs'?18:47
What pipeline pigs are, how they travel through a pipeline, and why they are essential for maintenance and inspection.
Utility Pigs20:44
The types of utility pigs used for cleaning, batching and other routine pipeline maintenance, and how each works.
Cleaning Pipelines9:13
Why pipeline cleaning matters, the debris that builds up in pipelines, and how cleaning pigs and programmes keep lines efficient.
'Unpiggable' Pipelines8:03
Why some pipelines cannot take inspection pigs, the technical challenges involved, and practical ways to inspect them.
Smart Pigs 120:04
How smart pigs collect pipeline condition data, and how in-line inspection tools developed from early caliper pigs to modern intelligent tools.
Smart Pigs 216:29
How magnetic flux leakage smart pigs detect metal loss, covering magnetisation, sensors and signal interpretation.
Smart Pigs 321:47
How ultrasonic smart pigs measure wall thickness and detect defects, and how combination tools find several defect types in one run.
Smart Pigs 417:40
How crack detection works with ultrasonic, transverse field and EMAT tools, and how measurement accuracy affects in-line inspection results.
Tethered/Cable Pigs & Selecting a Pig7:05
How tethered and crawler tools inspect unpiggable pipelines, and how to select the right pig and inspection method for a given line.
Practice and Standards & Using all Data18:17
The standards and good practice for smart pigging, and how to combine in-line inspection data with other data for pipeline integrity management.
Section 4 Quiz: Pipeline Pigging

Foundations of Pipeline Construction: Project Management, Costs & Communication16:51
Why project management, cost control and communication underpin successful pipeline construction projects.
Pipeline Route Planning, Right-of-Way Essentials & Working Width Engineering13:28
How pipeline routes are planned for construction, what the right-of-way must provide, and how working width is calculated.
Spread Method & Pre-Construction Planning20:04
How the spread method organises pipeline construction into moving crews, and the planning needed before work starts on site.
Construction Sequence Part 1: Deliveries, Setting Out, Clearing& Grading16:47
The first construction steps on a pipeline spread, covering deliveries, setting out, clearing and grading the right-of-way.
Construction Part 2: Stringing Out, Bending & Archaeology17:49
How pipe is strung out along the route and bent to follow terrain, and how archaeology is managed during construction.
Construction Part 3: Welding, Field Coating & Weld QA17:04
How pipeline girth welds are made and checked, and how field coating protects the welded joints.
Construction Part 4: Tie-ins, Inspection & Field Joint Coating16:06
How tie-ins join pipeline sections around obstacles and equipment, and how inspection and field joint coating complete the line.
Construction Part 5: Trenching, Ditching & Lowering-In12:43
How the trench is dug and the pipeline is lowered in, coordinating equipment to place the pipe safely in the ground.
Construction Part 6: Obstacle Crossings & Backfilling17:06
How pipeline construction crews deal with rivers, roads and existing utilities, and how backfilling protects and secures the pipe.
Land Restoration & Environmental Reinstatement6:38
How the land is restored after pipeline construction, and the environmental reinstatement steps that return the right-of-way to its former use.
Pre-Commissioning & Operational Readiness14:20
The pre-commissioning tests and procedures that prove a new pipeline is clean, sound and ready for service.
Post-Construction Surveys, Documentation & Handover7:31
The surveys, documentation and handover steps that close out a pipeline construction project after physical work is complete.
Section 5 Quiz: Pipeline Construction

Requirements

No prior pipeline experience is needed, concepts are explained from the start
A basic engineering background will help you follow the calculations
A calculator is useful for the wall thickness and sizing examples
No software or code purchases needed to follow the course

Description

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

A pipeline is designed once and then operates for decades. Errors in routeing, wall thickness or valve spacing are expensive to fix after it is in the ground.

Pipeline design is not the same as plant piping. It has its own codes, its own location rules and its own construction methods.

This course takes you through the full design and construction of an onshore pipeline to ASME B31.4, ASME B31.8, PD 8010 and IGEM/TD/1.

In this course you will learn how to design and build an onshore oil and gas pipeline.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TO DO

By the end of this course you will be able to:

Apply ASME B31.4 and B31.8 to liquid and gas pipeline design
Classify the substance and the location, and check proximity to buildings
Size a pipeline and calculate wall thickness for pressure, external loads and corrosion
Design road, rail, river and pipeline crossings
Specify block valves, actuation and blowdown
Select utility, cleaning and intelligent pigs for a given line
Plan the construction sequence from right-of-way to tie-in and lowering-in
Prepare for pre-commissioning, testing and handover

HOW THE COURSE IS TAUGHT

Follows the life of a real pipeline, from route to handover
Code requirements explained alongside the reason behind them
Wall thickness and sizing calculations worked step by step
Construction explained in the order it happens on site
Section quizzes with explained answers, and a course exam

WHAT IS COVERED

Quality plans, laws, regulations and permits
Routeing, standards, substance and location classification, proximities
Pipeline sizing and wall thickness design
Crossing protection methods, stress and design factors, and construction methods
Valve types, actuation, block valves and blowdown
Utility pigs, cleaning, unpiggable lines and intelligent pigs
Construction planning, right-of-way, the spread method and working width
Welding, field coating, trenching, lowering-in, backfilling and reinstatement
Pre-commissioning, post-construction surveys and handover

100 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Every section ends with a quiz built around realistic scenarios, so you test your understanding as you go and reinforce what you have learned. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

Enrol today and learn how a pipeline is designed and built, from route to handover.

Who this course is for:

Mechanical, civil and process engineers moving into pipeline design
Piping engineers who need to understand cross-country pipelines as well as plant piping
Project engineers overseeing pipeline construction without a design background
Graduate engineers joining pipeline operators, EPCs or consultancies
Construction, inspection and maintenance staff who want to understand the design behind the work

Pipeline Design Engineering: ASME B31.4/B31.8 Oil & Gas

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Pipeline Design11 lectures • 3hr 7min

Pipeline Crossings5 lectures • 58min

Pipeline Valves5 lectures • 1hr 30min

Pipeline Pigging10 lectures • 2hr 38min

Pipeline Construction12 lectures • 2hr 56min

Course Exam0

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: