When a pipeline or LACT engineer reaches for a handbook, the usual problem is a scope mismatch: facility piping, pipeline design, pumps, and structural work need different references. Build the library around the work your team performs, then select the governing code for each project before buying supporting books. Put current standards ahead of general handbooks when a design decision depends on code requirements.
Sort the requests by engineering scope
List the work your office actually supports before choosing titles. The stated scope spans pipelines, facility piping, structures, tanks, fluid processing, pumps, fasteners, and HVAC; no single handbook covers all of those well.
- Pipeline: design, construction, maintenance, integrity, repair, and pipeline rules of thumb.
- Facility and process piping: design, layout, drafting, materials, and valves.
- Fluid processing and hydraulics: fluid properties, transients, line looping, heat exchangers, and hydraulic data.
- Rotating equipment: pump selection, design, operation, and troubleshooting.
- Structures and storage: steel structures, welded structures, tanks, and bulk-solids bins.
- Cross-discipline: bolted joints, HVAC, and general mechanical design.
Mark each category as frequent, occasional, or outside your team’s work. Buy for frequent work first; add specialized books when projects repeatedly require them.
Choose the governing pipeline codes first
For pipeline work, the recommendations identify ASME B31.3 plus either ASME B31.4 or ASME B31.8, depending on which code governs the particular pipeline. They also name API 1104. Treat that list as a starting point, not a substitute for deciding the applicable code on each project.
- Identify the system and project scope.
- Have the project’s code basis or responsible engineering authority determine which code applies.
- Acquire the applicable current edition and any required companion material.
- Record the edition in the library catalog and project design basis so calculations and reviews use the same reference.
Do not buy B31.4 and B31.8 as interchangeable alternatives. If applicability is unclear, stop before applying a rule and resolve the code basis. The recommendations also list ASME VIII-1 alongside B31.3 for facility piping; confirm its applicability to the equipment and project rather than treating it as a pipeline code.
Stock pipeline and LACT references around recurring work
The pipeline-focused list includes George A. Antaki’s Pipelines and Pipeline Engineering: Design, Construction, Maintenance, Integrity, and Repair, API Pipeline Rules of Thumb Handbook, and Pumping Station Design. The LACT and pipeline recommendations also include hydraulic, fluid-property, and process references.
- Cameron Hydraulic Data and the Goulds Pump Manual are named as hydraulic and pump references; the recommendation describes the Goulds manual as free. Check the current publisher or manufacturer listing for availability and edition details.
- Crane TP 410 is recommended for fluid-flow and hydraulic work.
- J. M. Campbell’s Gas Processing and Conditioning, Volumes 1 and 2, is recommended for hydrocarbon-fluid property estimates, line looping, heat exchangers, and rules of thumb.
- The GPSA Engineering Data Book, Volumes 1 and 2, is also recommended.
These titles support different kinds of work; do not expect a rules-of-thumb reference to replace the governing code or a project-specific design calculation. Identify which calculations your team performs most often and make those references easiest to access.
Build a separate shelf for facility piping
Facility piping recommendations span design, drafting, layout, materials, valves, and management. For a compact starting set, consider Piping Handbook, edited by M. Nayyar; Process Piping Design to ASME B31.3, by Becht; and Piping and Pipeline Engineering, by Antaki. The suggestions also include Peter Smith’s Piping Material Guide: Selection and Applications and valve-selection handbooks by R. W. Zappe and Ronald C. Merrick.
For a team that produces or checks piping drawings, add a drafting reference rather than expecting a design handbook to teach drafting workflows. Suggested titles include Process Piping Drafting by Rip Weaver and Piping Drafting and Design by Roy A. Parisher and Robert A. Rhea. Other listed options cover process-plant layout, detail engineering, and piping engineering leadership.
Match the purchase to the deliverable: design calculations, material selection, valve specification, layout, and drafting are distinct tasks. Confirm title, edition, and availability before purchasing; the recommendations include books from different publication periods.
Cover pumps, structures, tanks, and support disciplines
Use targeted references for disciplines that a piping or pipeline handbook cannot fully address.
- Pumps: recommendations include Know and Understand Centrifugal Pumps by Bachus, Centrifugal Pumps by Sulzer, Pump Handbook (4th Edition) by Karassik, and Troubleshooting Centrifugal Pumps and Their Systems. Select according to whether the need is fundamentals, design, or troubleshooting.
- Structures and weldments: listed choices include Design of Welded Structures or Design of Weldments by Blodgett, Steel Structures by Gaylord and Gaylord, and Steel Designer’s Manual by Davison and Owen. A separate recommendation names the AISC Manual of Steel Construction; confirm the edition relevant to the project.
- Tanks and bins: the suggestions include Aboveground Storage Tanks by Myers and Design of Steel Bins for Storage of Bulk Solids by Gaylord.
- Fasteners: consider books by Bickford, including Introduction to Bolted Joint Design, and Bolted Joint Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications by Tomotsugu Sakai.
- HVAC and general mechanical: the recommendations name ASHRAE Handbooks, HVAC Equations, Data and Rules of Thumb by Bell, and Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design.
Verify editions, access, and usefulness before ordering
Book lists are not purchase specifications. Several recommendations provide edition details or ISBNs, while others give only a title and author. Validate each candidate before ordering.
- Confirm the exact title, author or editor, edition, publisher, and current availability with the publisher or bookseller.
- For code and standards documents, verify the edition required by the project and your organization’s controlled-document process.
- Ask the engineers who perform the work to identify the calculations, design checks, or troubleshooting tasks they need the book to support.
- Check whether the office already has a licensed digital copy or subscription. One recommendation notes that many titles may be available through Knovel; confirm access rights and the included editions.
- Catalog each purchase by discipline and intended use, and make the code basis and edition visible to users.
Verify the book against a known task before relying on it: locate the relevant method or design topic, check its assumptions and references, and compare the result with the project’s governing requirements. A handbook is a working reference, not automatic approval of a design.
Avoid buying a broad library with no code control
- Do not select a pipeline code by habit; determine which code governs the specific pipeline.
- Do not treat recommendations from different disciplines as substitutes. Pump troubleshooting, piping material selection, tank design, and structural design need their own references.
- Do not rely on an old edition simply because it is already on the shelf. Check the edition required for the work and the organization’s document controls.
- Do not buy every suggested title at once. Prioritize frequent work and fill gaps based on repeated project needs.
- Do not let a rules-of-thumb book replace code checks or engineering review.
FAQ
How do I choose between ASME B31.4 and B31.8?
Determine which code governs the specific pipeline from the project code basis or responsible engineering authority. The recommendations identify B31.3 plus either B31.4 or B31.8, not both as interchangeable choices.
How do I build a starter library for a LACT and pipeline team?
Start with the applicable pipeline codes, API 1104, and pipeline references such as Antaki’s Pipelines and Pipeline Engineering. Add hydraulic, pump, and fluid-processing references based on the calculations and equipment your team handles most often.
Which handbooks help with facility piping design?
The recommendations include Nayyar’s Piping Handbook, Becht’s Process Piping Design to ASME B31.3, and a piping-material guide by Peter Smith. Add separate drafting or valve references if those are regular deliverables.
When should I stop and escalate a handbook question?
Stop when code applicability, edition, or a design requirement is unclear; ask the project’s responsible engineering authority to resolve the code basis. For current editions or errata, check with the standards organization or publisher before using the reference.