Piping is a major expenditure in the design and construction of industrial, refinery, petrochemical, or power-generating plants when one considers engineering costs, material costs, and fabrication and field labor costs. Proper planning and execution of the design and routing of pipe can have a major impact on controlling the total installed cost (TIC).
Piping design and equipment arrangement are interrelated subjects that cannot be well taught in the classroom. Most good designers throughout history have learned their profession by a combination of academic and practical work. Field and design office plus a little shop experience is good preparation for designing or teaching. This topic is very broad-based and relies on a sound mechanical engineering background and a lot of common sense. The use of previous designs and drawings is a good way to learn and improve on current designs.