interdisciplinary check – What Is Piping: All about Piping Engineering

What is IDC or Inter Discipline Check? IDC or “Inter Discipline Check” is related to the quality of engineering deliverables. This term is frequently used in the engineering design and consulting field. The main objective is to provide error-free Engineering deliverables to the construction team that paves way for a smooth Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of the Plant or Processing Facility. This is a very good tool for improving the quality of engineering deliverables with minimum error. This article specifically explains the Definition, Description, and Importance of IDC. Engineering Disciplines involved in Design firm Normally, a multi-disciplinary team is engaged in providing consultancy and design services in the chemical process industry in engineering design and consulting firm. The engineering teams that normally constitute the engineering design and consulting firm are Process EngineeringPiping EngineeringCivil and Structural EngineeringMechanical Engineering (Static and Rotary)HSE Engineering Instrumentation Engineering Electrical Engineering Project Engineering Quality Assurance (QA) Telecommunications Engineering Costing Engineering, etc. Importance of IDC Process During the execution of any project, All the above-mentioned engineering teams prepare several engineering documents and deliverables. However, with very few exceptions, most of the projects are multi-disciplinary in nature. It means, to complete engineering activity drawings, documents, and calculations are required from all disciplines. To brief, the complete engineering package of any project comprises items from all disciplines. In a multi-disciplinary project environment, drawings, documents, and deliverables for all disciplines become a joint or co-ordinated effort of all disciplines. Also, the process engineering group is the start point of any project. As many inter-related disciplines are involved in creating engineering deliverables, chances of missing an item or generating an error are high. The IDC process, therefore, is an activity to ensure the following: Complete project awareness creation among the assigned multi-disciplinary teamEnsuring that all critical documents/drawings/calculations are reviewed, marked and corrected as required by the multi-disciplinary team for correct inputs, removal of errors and ensuring that the project quality plan is followed for producing first-class project deliverablesAssure that information is flowing periodically during the project execution phase. For example, vendor data, design review(s), HAZOP data, etc. are captured in the engineering deliverables which ensures that these deliverables are useful up to the level for the construction of the plant. Documents requiring IDC The author, being a process engineer, The IDC is explained in context to process engineering. The process engineering documents/drawings that need an IDC from other disciplines are typically listed below: Process Flow Diagrams (need IDC only from Instrumentation and QA)Project Design Basis (Require IDC from Piping, Instrumentation, Mechanical, HSE, Electrical, Civil, Projects, QA)Process & Instrument Diagrams (IDC from Piping, Mechanical, Instrumentation, Electrical, HSE, Projects, QA, Civil)Process Datasheets of Equipment (Piping, Mechanical, Instrumentation, Electrical, QA)Instrument Process Datasheets (Instrumentation, Piping, Electrical, QA)Hazardous Area Classification Drawings (Electrical, Instrumentation, HSE, Mechanical, Piping. QA)Operating, Control and Safeguarding Philosophy (Instrumentation, Mechanical, Piping, QA)Plant Operating Manual (Piping, Instrumentation, Mechanical, HSE, Electrical, QA)Commissioning and Pre-Commissioning Procedures (Mechanical, Instrumentation, HSE, Piping, QA)Design Review and Closeout Report (Instrumentation, Mechanical, HSE, Piping, Electrical, Projects, QA)HAZOP Review and Closeout Report (Piping, HSE, Instrumentation, Projects, Mechanical, Electrical, QA) The aforementioned deliverables are just a few examples of the important process/HSE deliverables that require an IDC. Similarly, there are many more deliverables and some of them could also be project-specific. Some of the engineering deliverables from other disciplines that need IDC from the process are: Piping Material Requisitions or specificationsMechanical Material Requisitions or specificationsInstrument Material Requisitions or specificationsPipe / Valve / special in-line fittings Vendor DataElectrical Load List prepared by ElectricalEquipment (Static / Rotating / Package) Vendor DataInstrument Vendor Data IDC Matrix Not all disciplines are required to review all deliverables. For example, A process engineer does not need to do an IDC for a transformer or sub-station specification, or an IDC of civil foundation drawings and structural piles. In a similar way, the process engineer need not review an electrical single-line diagram or instrument loop drawings. It doesn't make sense for a process engineer to review cable schedules. So IDC is required from relevant disciplines only. So there must be some analysis of what deliverable requires an IDC and from whom. That's why good engineering companies prepare an IDC matrix that specifies the discipline-wise individual deliverable which requires an IDC and from whom. About the Author: This article is written by Mr. Ankur Srivastava, a Chemical Engineer with more than 33 years of process engineering experience in oil and gas, refining, polymers and petrochemical industries.