Knowledge base
Terms from piping design and prefabrication, explained briefly and factually.
Bill of materials
A bill of materials lists every part of a pipeline with quantity, size, material and standard. It is the basis for ordering, prefabrication and the cost estimate.
Clash detection
Clash detection checks a 3D model for objects that overlap or come too close, so that collisions are found in the design instead of on site.
IFC (Industry Foundation Classes)
IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open, vendor-neutral file format for building and installation models, standardised as ISO 16739.
Inch-dia
Inch-dia (inch-diameter) is a measure for welding work: the nominal diameter of each weld in inches, added up over all welds. It is used to estimate hours.
Isometric drawing
A piping isometric is a drawing of one line or spool in isometric projection, with all dimensions, components and the bill of materials needed to fabricate and install it.
PCF (Piping Component File)
A PCF (Piping Component File) is a text file that describes a pipeline component by component, so that other programs can make isometric drawings or calculations from it.
Piping specification
A piping specification (piping class) defines which pipes, fittings, flanges, gaskets, bolts and valves may be used for a given medium, pressure and temperature.
Point cloud
A point cloud is a set of measured 3D points of an existing space, made with a laser scanner or a LiDAR sensor. It is used as the basis for new piping.
Spool
A spool is a prefabricated part of a pipeline: pipes, fittings and flanges welded together in the workshop and installed on site as one piece.
Weld list and weld dossier
A weld list records every weld of a pipeline with its number, type, size and status. It is the basis for weld inspection and for the weld dossier.
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