ASME B31.3 - Process Piping Design & Engineering

ASME B31.3 - Process Piping Design & Engineering

Course Overview

Program Title: ASME B31.3 Process Piping Design, Materials & Fabrication
Duration: 4 Days (32 Contact Hours)
Schedule: November 24-27, 2025 | January 27-30, 2026
Timing: Full-Day (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
Location: Riyadh, Dammam | Online Live
Course Code: STC-B313-2025-11
Investment: 3,400 SAR (Early Bird: 2,720 SAR)

Course Description:

Comprehensive training on ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code covering design, materials, fabrication, inspection, and testing of piping systems in refineries, petrochemical plants, and chemical facilities throughout the GCC region.

Course provides in-depth knowledge of pressure design calculations, material selection for corrosive services, piping components, flexibility analysis, support design, welding requirements, NDE, and pressure testing aligned with Saudi Aramco, SABIC, and international standards.

Target Audience:

• Piping design engineers and designers

• Mechanical engineers in EPC firms

• Project engineers specifying piping systems

• Piping stress engineers

• API 570 inspectors enhancing design knowledge

• Fabrication and construction personnel

Prerequisites:

• Mechanical or piping engineering background

• Understanding of piping systems and components

• Familiarity with engineering calculations

Course Curriculum Highlights

Day 1: B31.3 Scope, Materials & Design Pressure

• ASME B31 Code family: B31.1, B31.3, B31.4, B31.8 differences

• B31.3 scope and applicability

• Piping classes and service categories (Normal, Category D, Category M)

• Material selection per ASME B31.3 Table A-1

• Allowable stress values and stress intensification factors

• Design pressure and temperature

• Pressure-temperature ratings for flanges (ASME B16.5)

• Corrosion allowance and mill tolerance

• Material specifications: ASTM A106, A312, A333, alloy materials

Day 2: Pressure Design & Component Selection

• Straight pipe pressure design:

  • t = PD / (2SE + PY) (internal pressure)

  • External pressure and vacuum considerations

• Branch connection design: SIF (stress intensification factors), reinforcement

• Pipe bends and elbows: Pressure design and flexibility factors

• Reducers and swage nipples

• Flanges: Material, rating, gasket selection

• Valves and fittings: Pressure rating, end connections

• Expansion joints: Types and application

• Piping supports: Types, spacing, design loads

• Practical exercises: Calculate pipe thickness for various services (high pressure, high temp, corrosive)

Day 3: Piping Flexibility, Stress Analysis & Supports

• Piping flexibility requirements (B31.3 Chapter IV)

• Thermal expansion and contraction

• Flexibility analysis methods: Guided cantilever, Caesar II, AutoPIPE

• Allowable stress ranges for sustained, occasional, expansion loads

• Stress intensification factors (SIF) for fittings

• Nozzle loads on equipment

• Support design: Shoes, hangers, anchors, guides, spring supports

• Vibration considerations and pulsation dampening

• Low-temperature piping and impact testing requirements

Day 4: Fabrication, Welding, NDE & Testing

• Fabrication requirements per B31.3 Chapter V

• Welding procedures (WPS) and qualification (PQR) per ASME Section IX

• Weld joint types and preparation

• NDE requirements: RT, UT, MT, PT based on piping class

• Visual examination (100% requirement)

• PWHT requirements for carbon steel and alloy piping

• Hot bending and cold bending limits

• Pressure testing: Hydrostatic, pneumatic, alternative leak test

• Test pressure calculation: 1.5 × design pressure (minimum)

• Inspection and examination documentation

• Saudi Aramco piping standards (SAES-L-series)

Learning Outcomes

• Design process piping systems per ASME B31.3

• Calculate pipe wall thickness for various services

• Select appropriate materials and components

• Perform basic flexibility analysis and support design

• Specify welding, NDE, and testing requirements

• Ensure compliance with B31.3 and GCC standards

• Coordinate piping design with API 570 inspection requirements

Course Materials

• ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code (latest edition)

• ASME B16 standards (flanges, fittings, valves)

• Course workbook (300+ pages)

• Piping calculation spreadsheets

• Piping component selection guides

• Saudi Aramco SAES piping standards overview

• Sample piping specifications and drawings

Instructor: Eng. Yasir Al-Mansour, 18 years piping design with Bechtel, Fluor, Aramco projects

Registration: scitcc.com/asme-b313 | +971566922928