PIPELINES

Too vague: gas pipeline, oil pipeline, water pipeline, distrbution lines, transmission lines, intrastate lines, interstate lines, DOT??ÿ

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If gas and pipeline work underground, then you are for a new world. Huge $$ comes with huge liability. I've very little of this work for under ground pipe mapping. If I remember correctly it seems this was the only time I used horizontal curves in a profile, instead of a parabolic curve. Sounds odd, is then called a vertical curve?

@mightymoe Sorry I didn't elaborate, i work in a oil and gas firm. its a gas pipeline

Are you doing fieldwork or office??ÿ Are you licensed and in charge, or just labor?

If just field labor, long waiting periods followed by lots of GPS locations, ground shots and welds.?ÿ Just shoot what you're supposed to, don't go doing any extra topos or ok-ing any re-routes for the contractors, without talking to your supervisor first.

Posted by: @leegreen

If gas and pipeline work underground, then you are for a new world. Huge $$ comes with huge liability. I've very little of this work for under ground pipe mapping. If I remember correctly it seems this was the only time I used horizontal curves in a profile, instead of a parabolic curve. Sounds odd, is then called a vertical curve?

Circular curve vs. parabolic curve

Therefore, circular vertical curves.

@peter-lothian?ÿ

Thank you. Too early on a Monday for the brain.....

Yes, that's it. The circular curve is used in profiles for pipelines.

Pig launchers, Pig catchers, DOT requirements, screw compressors, it's a big field of responsibility. For the big transmission lines each and every weld needs to be located and entered into a database, the interstate transmission lines are highly regulated. Because of the way pipelines are constructed wide ROWs need to be staked then stripped and finally the surveyor needs to be on site to locate the pipeline as it's installed. Lots of field time and lots of GIS data collection. Of course there needs to be design and ROWs.?ÿ

Then there are distribution lines which are "less" regulated. The types of lines utilities build to subdivisions. Lower pressure, less danger.?ÿ

I have avoided the major pipeline projects, old hands that I know would be more helpful than me concerning details, maybe some will chime in. I've been more connected to the utility line work which is mostly legal; acquiring easements, staking centerline. "Simple" stuff.?ÿ

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I just noticed the OP's profile. They are from Ghana. Procedures and roles could be much different there.

I wish @wendell could show the OP's country and state near their name on the post. It would help our response to be more aligned with their needs.

@leegreen?ÿ

No doubt he can throw out everything I know about pipelines since it's all about US procedures.?ÿ

Wherever you are in the world if you are surveying on a natural gas pipeline I expect you will do a lot of walking or waiting or both.

In the US, pipeline surveyors seem to have a bad reputation, but the ones I worked with were some of the most well rounded and skilled men I have worked with.?ÿ

I was working with one when it became clear that there was a connectivity issue with the gps equip, he used a multimeter and solder iron that he had in the truck to diagnose and fix the gear on the spot. Troubleshooting like that can save a day of production when the nearest paved road is a half hour away.

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I've done tons of pipeline projects (high pressure gas ones or for the army) : staking trajectory, workzone, as-builts etc

But never the calcs for bending and other stuff. That is high speciality.

All in all the best jobs i ever did. Not relaxing as you tend to be driving all the time from one welding station to another but pipeline workers are a special breed, my kind of folks to work with.

In the seventies I worked for a small engineering shop whose bread and butter was pipeline public works projects.?ÿ Gravity pipelines (storm and sewer)?ÿ were especially stakeout intensive, with a sewer minimum grade of 0.08% (24"+ pipe), so accurate levelling?ÿ was paramount.?ÿ Typically alignment and grade was staked on an offset line every 50'.?ÿ The world changed when pipe lasers became available; then only the ends of pipe spans at manholes needed staking, except in horizontal curves where trad 50' staking was still required.

New pipeline? Existing? Only doing waterbody crossings?

Office or field? Pipeline in the office is easy money, in the field you'll be busting your ass for 6 10's but it's good money