To be a piping designer you should know about (not necessarily in this order):

how to read P&IDs, i.e. know the plant process.

drafting practices: i.e. drawing content and drawing revision process.

plot plan development.

basic understanding of fluids and fluid flow.

piping materials and piping specifications.

application of company standards: shoes, anchors, guides, base ell supports,

dummy legs, etc.

application of client standards: clearances, platforms, operation, maintenance,

etc.

the meaning of piping classes, e.g. 150, 300. etc.

the meaning of piping schedules and wt, e.g. sch. 40, 80, etc.

pipe connections, i.e. threaded, socket-weld, butt weld and flanged and the
associated fittings to achieve this.

basic welding practice and welding symbology.

types of valves and why and where they are used.

the many types of equipment and their function/operation.

how to pipe to the many types of equipment.

the function and required installation of the many types of instruments.

the purpose of and how to create and dimension a general arrangement drawing.

the purpose of and how to create an isometric.

spool fabrication, field welding, and spool erection.

module design, fabrication and erection.

construction execution.

basic understanding of stress analysis.

safety codes and practices (Process Safety Management, construction safety,

etc.)

A few things you have to understand:

Defining scope of Piping engineering is quite difficult. Because it is vast: Process

piping, off-shore piping, underground piping, sub-sea piping, cross-country
piping, Nuclear piping, Mineral industry piping, Lined piping, Low & high
temperature piping. The list goes on.

Importance of piping In a "normal" plant (No specially built, high cost equipment)
piping (design, engineering, erection, testing, rework etc) constitutes 30% to
45% plant total cost. Hence, if you use a good design & engineering practice,
right away you could save 5% of plant cost (3% saving always exists). If you
calculate this amount, it is huge & hence proper importance should be given to
piping at all stages.

Importance and limitations of advanced 3D modeling tools. There are many 3D

modeling softwares used widely in the piping industry. PDS, PDMS, Bentley
etc. Dont rush to learn the software thinking that that is Piping Engineering or
Deisgn. If you get an opportunity learn it. They are good tools, but a tool is
good only when the operator knows how to use it. If you know piping design,
these tools are very handy. Other wise they are nothing at a minimum,
dangerous at worst.

Some separate tasks or disciplines include

Piping layout & design engineering A guy specialized in this area is called Piping
Design Engineer or Piping designer.. If you wish to be in this field, you need to be
good at International codes, layout capability with a vision for daily operation,
maintenance methods, erection, dismantling methods etc. This field need more
common sense than hi-fi engineering skills. This field also include, Pre-bid engineering
(Proposal engineering), Conceptual engineering, Basic engineering and Detail

engineering (Dont ask me what are these. You will know them in due time)

Piping stress analysis A guy specialized in this area is called Piping stress Engineer
or Piping flexibility engineer. If you wish to be in this field, you need to be good at
stress analysis skills using software line CAEPIPE, CAESER, AUTOPIPE etc

Piping material & specifications engineering A guy specialized in this area is called
Piping Material engineer or Piping Spec. Engineer. If you wish to be in this field, you
need to be good at materials & their properties, thorough knowledge of international
codes (ASME/API/ASTM to name few), good knowledge of corrosion engineering &
very good knowledge about proper use of valves & pipe fittings.

Piping fabrication, erection & quality control engineering A guy specialized in this area
is called Piping site engineer or Piping field engineer. If you wish to be in this field,
you need to be good at quality control skills (NDT/NDE inspections), work scheduling &
progress monitoring skills, dealing with erection contractor on daily basis etc.

Dont think that the above four fields are independent. They are interdependent. Even if
you are in one of the above fields, you need to know all the four fields very well to
function as a good engineer. Thats why dont make up your mind now to pursue any
one of the above fields.

Check out the following web sites (by category and type)
General info

A Piping Tutorial <http://www.engineer.c a/engineer/pipingtutorial . htm>

Valve Selection Guide <http://www.coleparmer .ca/techinfo/techinfo.
asp/htmlfile=SelectingV alves.htm& ID=703#anchor1>
Applets for pumps <http://www.lightmypum p.com/applets.htm#applets 6>

ASME B31.3 summary <http://engstandards.l anl.gov/engrman/6mech/pdf s/D20AppA-ASME_ B31.3-r1a. pdf>

For CAESAR II questions (as well as code questions) http://www.coade.com/ubbt
hreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb =postlist&Board=1& ;page=1
For pipe slopes (drains, etc.), http://www.hawsedc.com/se wslope.htm
Geometry
Pipe Dimensions Chart <http://www.principalm etals.com/utilities/pipec hart.htm>
Pipe Sizes and Dimensions <http://www.maselmon.c om/Content.aspx?ContentID
=24>
Metric Flange and fitting dimensions <http://www.tfes.com/p df/flangeSheetMetric.pdf&
gt;

Materials Data
Pipe Specifications <http://www.usstubular .com/products/seamslp.htm >
MatWeb <http://www.matls.com/ >

On-line Books
Books and Publications <http://www.pipingdesi gn.com/books1.html>
Glossaries <http://www.pipingdesi gn.com/glossary.html>
Piping Databook <http://books.google.c om/books?id=0q9EZGfvv0MC& gt;

Education and Training

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Process Piping Drafting
<http://www.sait.ab.ca /pages/cometosait/academi c/certificates/appd.shtml >
Note: In North America, The University of Houston and SAIT may have the best known
programs dedicated to piping design/engineering

Fluid flow
Fluid Properties <http://webbook.nist.g ov/chemistry/fluid/>
Pressure Drop Theory <http://www.pipeflow.c o.uk/public/control.php_p
ath=/497/503/510>
Equivalent Lengths <http://www.cheresourc es.com/eqlength.shtml>

Internet forums
Piping Design Central <http://www.pipingdesi gn.com/>
Engineering Communities of Practice - ASME <https://cop.asme.org/
COP/Public/Home>
Steam-List Information <http://www.swopnet.co m/engr/mail_lists/steam_l
ist_info.html>

Professional Associations
National Board <http://www.nationalbo ard.org>
ASME <http://www.asme.org&g t;
ASTM <http://www.ansi.org/& gt;
ANSI <http://www.ansi.org/& gt;
Procure and study the following textbooks (not on-line)

1. "Process Plant Layout & Piping Design" by Roger Hunt

2. "The Piping Guide" by David R. sherwood & Dennis J. Whistance

3. "Piping Handbook" by Mohinder L. Nayyar

4. "Piping Handbook" by S. Crocker, Reno Ceyton King This is like a bible.

Collect it. You will know its importance in due time.

5. "Piping and Pipe Support Systems: Design and Engineering" by Paul R. Smith,
Thomas J. Van Laan

6. "Casti Guidebook to ASME B31.3 : Process Piping" by Glynn E. Wood

7. "Technical Paper 410, Flow of Fluids Through Valves, Fittings & Pipe", Crane
Co (maybe the best less than US$30 you will ever spend)