i work for a company that does not do things the way normal engineering companies do. we all know that it is crazy not to have a line list developed for a project and how valuable it is. that being said how do i explain to them the need to develop and maintain a line list? i don't even know where to begin.

I must ask if your company includes the normal full complement of other Engineering groups (Mechanical Equipment, Vessels & Tanks, Electrical and Instrument/Control Systems)?
If these groups exist then hypothetically their deliverables include "Lists" that defines the magnitudes of their work and indeed help organize and control that work effort.
These Lists would include:
Mechanical Equipment = "Equipment List" (Pumps, Exchangers, Heaters, etc)
Vessels & Tanks = Vessel & Tank List
Electrical = Motor List, Breaker Panel List, Transformer List, etc.
Instruments & Control Systems = Control Valve List, PI List, TI List, Level Instrument List, Flow Instrument List, etc

The same goes for the Piping Engineering and Design Groups on a project (Material Engineering, Piping Layout & Design, Pipe Stress and Piping Material Control). The Piping Department's focus is all the lines that connect the equipment and contributes to making the plant work. All of the piping groups need the line list in their work. The Line List is created from the P&IDs and is a very valuable tool for the defining and organization the overall piping effort. Any Company that does not allow for the inclusion of a Line List in the Piping work effort and deliverables is asking the piping group to work with their hands tied behind their backs.

Line List (Line Table)
As the Piping Material Engineer (or designate) performs the line numbering of the P&ID he or she also initiates the first draft of the Line List (or Line Designation Table) data base. The resultant document from this data base will be extensive for a whole project but will be broken down by plant area.


In addition to the line identification elements (indicated above), the Line List (data base and document) will or should also include important information for the design process and construction process such as the following:
• The line commodity
• The phase (liquid or gas)
• The origin of the line
• The destination of the line
• The line pressure, both the normal operating pressure and the maximum operation (or Design) pressure
• The line temperature, both the normal operating temperature and the maximum operation (or Design) temperature
• An indicator code for Stress Analysis requirements
• PWHT requirements
• The insulation thickness (optional)
• The line schedule (optional)

The line list once initiated will have many additions, deletions and be used by lots of people throughout the project both in the design office and in the field.

One of the first and most important activities where the line list is used is when the definitive labor hour estimate in generated. The number of lines on a project has a direct bearing on the labor hours required. This is true for the piping design activities in the home office, the pipe fabrication shop and for the installation contractor in the field. So it is very important to get it right.

ROI (Return On Investment)
Who else benefits from the Line List and how?
- The Sub-Contracts Administrator - Developing the Scope Of Work for Field Installation
- The Piping Installation Sub-Contractor - Seeing a definitive listing of the work w/ details
- The Hydro-Test Contractor - Scope of Work and the ability to assemble test packages based on same test pressures
- Insulation Sub-Contractor - Scope of Work, Work Planning, Grouping work by Insulation Type
- Construction Management - Piping Completion Punch List
- Start-Up Team - Work Scope and Planning, System start-up coordination,
- Client - Operator Training
There is no limit.

J. Freeman: Please contact me via e-mail (jopennock@netscape.net) and I will send you a sample form for a simple Line List.