Pipeline Rules of Thumb Handbook, Seventh Edition: A Manual of Quick, Accurate Solutions to Everyday Pipeline Engineering Problems,   ISBN:9781856175005

Customer Rating: 

I had three semesters of calculus in college, two semesters of physics, two of chemistry, several geology classes. I took those classes because at one time I thought maybe I'd like to be a geologist, go all over the world looking for oil. But I got interested in other stuff, wound up studying other stuff and sort of left the sciences behind. So when I got a chance to review this tome, and it is a tome, I thought I had the background for it. I don't.

This is a book of charts, tables & formulas. If you're an engineer, then I can see where this book is a must have. I can see if I ever would have stuck with geology, this book would have been a must have. Some of the pages did take me back to those difficult classes, made me remember how hard staying up all night and studying for those exams was.

This certainly a five star book and I wouldn't be surprised if it's used as a textbook, it has that kind of feel to it. If you do the kind of work that requires this kind of knowledge, even with my limited background, I can see where this book would be a big help. It's obvious to me, even with a cursory glance through this book, and I gave it much more than that, that this is the be all and the end all of pipeline engineering.

Customer Rating: 

This book is a good reference book for anybody that is involved with piping systems but it is concentrated more on plant type piping systems.

Below is a list of chapters in the book:

1. General Information - basic engineering principles
2. Construction
3. Pipe Design
4.Electrical Design
5. Hydrostatic Testing
6.Pipeline Drying
7.Control Valves
8. Corrosions & Coatings
9. Gas-General
10.Gas-Compression
11.Gas-Hydraulics
12. Liquids-General
13.Liquids-Hydraulics
14.Pumps
15.Measurement
16. Instrumentation
17. Leak Detection
18. Tanks
19. Maintenance
20. Economics
21. Rehabilitation-risk Evaluation
22.Conversion Factors

I find this book informative but in my case, the approach is too much towards the industrial systems. I am a mechanical engineer and I usually deal with building services (HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, e.t.c.). For my area of work this book is informative but it is not extremely helpful. One thing that is worth mentioning about it: it has a lot of information about gas systems. This can be very useful especially when designing a special system that is not usually documented well in codes or other specialty books.

Like all the text books out there, this has a hefty price tag. If you need the information in it is probably wort it but only to have a copy in your library I think is a bit too expensive.

For people that are thinking that this would be hepful in taking the PE exam, don't bother. There are far better books out there for the exam.

Customer Rating: 

As many know who read my cookbook reviews I spend half the year in the Caribbean living on a sailboat and I thought that would be a perfect place for this book. When you're at sea, you have to be sort of a jack of all trades, not me, hubby Dub. He has to be a refrigeration expert, because you have to keep your food cold. He has to be a diesel mechanic, because even though it's a sailboat, you want that engine to work, the generator too. He has to be a fiberglass guy, a painting pro and so many other things. And I thought, since we have PVC pipes running throughout the boat, that he should be a pipe expert as well. Well he almost is, but a little knowledge never hurt anyone.

But the knowledge in this book is so far beyond what one would need on a sailboat. Nevertheless, we took this big and heavy book down to the Trinidad, because we have some friends their who work off shore on oil rigs and we thought they could put it to use and sure enough there was one guy, our friend Gary, who is studying engineering, because he wants to be more than a roustabout, who was pleased as punch to get this book. He says he understands the formulas and that the book will be a big help to him. He has a friend who has the previous edition and he said he's always been jealous, because he couldn't afford his own copy. Well, now he has it and Dub and I feel that we did a good thing.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Customer Rating: 

My brother is an engineer and I ordered this book because his birthday. He was thrilled that it was much lighter than previous editions, although HUGE; the paperback format really takes a lot of weight off. He read through it in about six weeks and says he's used it on jobs (of course he'd been using the older version).

I don't understand a word in this book, but if my brother is happy (and he's a smart cookie), I'm sure others will be, too.

Customer Rating: 

This is the Bible of the industry for everyday solutions to pipeline engineering problems, and widely used throughout the industry for more than 30 years. This new edition (seventh) features recommended drill sizes, calculations for calculating grounding resistance, updated National Electrical code and ASTM standard reinforcing bars.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone in the field.