Blog 1U: A reason for everything

Jop , When I came across your post I couldn't believe your former Piping Manager had coined the phrase “In piping there is a reason for everything.”, I thought that was my mantra!! I have been telling all the juniors I have mentored over the years exactly that.
I have always taught my guys that the best design of any line is the often only one left after you have mentaly rejected the other possible routings.Your first idea is rarely your best or final one as it does not meet all of the required parameters. I guess that was the kind of answer Mike Garofalo was looking for rather than "I dont know".
Not only in the design but in draughting too, The efficient logic of plan only single line Piping GA's with full flange widths and OD's only on vertical lines or fittings was something that was only used in The International Petro Chemical companies in the US and UK. When I arrived in Calgary in 1980 Fluor & Bechtel were the only places you saw this, every where else they were wasting thousands of manhours drafting in doube line with full sections and elevations. I lost count of the times that I argued that a GA is not intended to be a work of art but only a means to produce an Iso.That was the checkers major consideration as to whether a GA was complete. Unfortunately in the dumb 2D CAD transition to 3D.those mistakes were repeated with the justification that CAD was quicker. Those who supported that view could not understand that relocation of one line running across and above a rack necessitated twice as many line break relocations of all the other lines.
Of course 3D changed all that, gradualy the logical reasons were forgotten or wittled away and with it we lost the art of thinking about what we're designing. As well as losing those giants of the industry such as yourself and Mike Garofalo who brought respect to what we do. I believe we are now witnessing the end of the Golden Piping Design era, there is very little respect or appreciation left for what we do, the bottom line now is only as cheap as possible with outsouced third world CAD operators.
With Great Respect
Alan