What is Piping Isometric drawing?

How to Read Piping Isometric

Drawing?
January 17, 2021 by Vaibhav Raj
In our last article of What is Piping, we gave you a summarized understanding of Piping
Isometric Drawings. Here we will focus on getting familiar with Piping isometrics. From
understanding what Piping Isometric drawing is to Obtaining knowledge of Reading it in
the most appropriate and easy manner. For reading any Piping isometric drawing you
must have to familiar with these 04 important things:
1. Co-ordinate System
2. Piping Symbols
3. Understanding of Directions
4. Pythagoras Theorem (For Rolling movement of Pipe)
Let’s first focus to know what is a piping Isometric? Which will help you with the
fabrication and Erection of the pipe in its proper location.

More to Read: What Is RF Pad? How To Calculate Reinforcement pad dimensions?

Table of Contents
 What is Piping Isometric drawing?
o The main body of a piping Isometric drawing is consist of:
o Section of Left or right of Piping Isometric drawing includes:
o Bottom Section of Isometric Drawing contains:
o Calculations for Piping data from Isometric drawing
 Features of Piping Isometric Drawings
 The coordinate system of Piping Isometric
o Features of Piping coordinate system
 Piping Symbols for Isometric Drawings
o Feature of Piping Drawing symbols
o Piping Symbol chart for Piping Isometric or P&ID
 How to Read Piping Isometric Drawing?
o Example of Rolling angle calculation:
 Conclusion

What is Piping Isometric drawing?

After establishing a 3-D model in PDMS, SP3D, or any other software, Piping designers
have to communicate the same information to the person who is executing that piping
job either in the yard for fabrication or in the field for Erection/Construction. The
conveyed information must be enough for the execution person. So that, they can
understand well and get a vision of the fabrication of Spools and how the piping is
connected with other equipment or special items.

Here comes the role of Piping Isometric drawing. This kind of drawing helps a designer
to transfer his vision of piping connections to the team executing construction projects.
Piping isometric is a representation of a single pipe line in a process plant with exact
dimensions and Bill of Material (BOM). It is the most important deliverable of any
project where piping plays a vital role.
By Definition, Isometrics drawings are a graphic representation of a 3D routed line in a
2D plane that combines height, length of pipe in a single drawing with a 30º angle on
both sides from horizontal.
The main body of a piping Isometric drawing is consist of:
1. Line Number
2. Flow direction
3. Piping components
4. Weld joint type and its location
5. Continuation isometric number
6. Co-ordinates and Elevation of Pipe
7. Connection details with equipment
Section of Left or right of Piping Isometric drawing includes:
1. Piping component description
2. Material code
3. Nominal size of components
4. Quantity of components
5. Whether a field or shop item
Bottom Section of Isometric Drawing contains:
1. Project name, Client, PMC ( Project management consultancy), and Contractor
details
2. Pipe line details i.e. Line number, Line size, fluid code, Design, and operating
temperature, and Pressure
3. Piping class, Inch-Meter, Inch-Dia
4. Special notes created for any drawing. i.e. Stress criticality, Heat expansion, etc
Calculations for Piping data from Isometric drawing
1. Inch Meter: Length of pipe (in meter) x Size of pipe ( in inch )
2. Inch Dia: Size of Pipe joint ( in inch) x No, of Joints
3. Insulation Area (in m²): [π(Pipe OD+ insulation thickness)] (all in meter) x
Length of Pipe ( in meter )
 4. Weight of Pipe: π x diameter of the pipe (in m) x length (in m) x thickness (in
mm) x density of pipe material.
Density of CS = 7.85 g/cm3
5. The volume of Water required for hydro testing: π x {Pipe ID (in meter)}² x
Length of Pipe
More Resources: Heat Tracing in Piping: Types, Working, Use, Installation,
Comparison (Steam Tracing vs Electrical Tracing)

Features of Piping Isometric Drawings

Isometric drawing is a 2D drawing that enables a person to get a vision of a 3D view of a
line. Some important feature of any piping isometric is as follows:

1. All isometric drawings are prepared irrespective of Line length and size as well as
piping components but this gives the exact dimension of everything mentioned in
the drawing.
2. The line diagram shown in the isometric drawing can’t define line size. Actual line
size can be obtained from BOM or NB (nominal bore) mention in isometric.
3. This can also represent a line which not traveling in the exact North, south, east,
west, up, or Down direction.
4. This can indicate the type of joints to be done among piping components that will
be used.
5. This can give you fluid flow direction, Equipment connection details, and a special
item attached to it in a single plain.
More Resources: An Overview on Different types of piping drawing used in Piping
Project Construction

The coordinate system of Piping Isometric

If you are a science student then I am sure you have learned about coordinate systems.
Yes…!! the same coordinate system which works on three Axis. i.e. X-axis, Y-axis, Z-
axis. To learn about coordinate systems you have to just modify your concept up to
some extent.
Here you have to keep 03 important points in your mind always while reading Piping
isometrics:
1. Value of Northing or Easting always increases while a pipeline moves in that
direction and Vice-versa. For Example: Consider at some point Northing of
Pipe’s face is N 524.196 and the pipe traveled towards the south by 10.94m then
the current coordinate of that point will be, 524.196-10.94=513.256 (Value of
Norting after line movement).
2. When Line moves in East or West direction only, Value of Northing doesn’t
change.
3. If the Line is moving in an upwards or downward direction then the Northing or
Easting of that point doesn’t change. There will be an effect only on the value of
Elevation.

Now take a quiz to check what you have understood from this section

Welcome to quiz on Piping Co-ordinate System