CAD 路 Free
Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3)
The piping fundamentals an EPC contractor or refinery hires for: pipe sizes and schedules, fittings, flanges, gaskets, bolting and valves, materials and piping classes, ASME B31.3 wall thickness, plot plans, pipe racks and nozzle orientation, reading and drawing isometrics with cut lengths, weld numbers and a BOM, supports and spans, thermal expansion and flexibility, line lists, MTOs and hydrotest.
Inside the course
From the lessons
Piping in a plant: the team, the deliverables and the workflow
Learn with EngrWaqas
Fittings, flanges, gaskets and bolting
Piping Mantra
![[English] Piping Material Codes & Specification](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1YQ9dpa6_lw/mqdefault.jpg)
Materials and piping classes
Welding and NDT
Plot plans, equipment layout, pipe racks and nozzle orientation
Piping Mantra
Drawing isometrics: cut lengths, weld numbers, the BOM and CAD tools
Technical Piping
Thermal expansion and flexibility basics
Piping Mantra
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Explain how piping fits into an EPC project and what each piping deliverable is for; read pipe tables and calculate weights; choose fittings, flanges, gaskets, bolting and valves for a service; select materials and read a piping class; calculate B31.3 wall thickness and pick a schedule; read plot plans, rack layouts, GA drawings and nozzle orientations; read isometrics and draw them with cut lengths, weld numbers and a BOM; place supports from span tables; calculate thermal growth and recognise when a line needs stress analysis; and produce a line list, an MTO and a hydrotest pressure.
- Read pipe tables: NPS, DN, OD and schedule, and work out bore, weight and water content
- Choose fittings, flanges, gaskets and bolting, and pick a flange class from the B16.5 rating table
- Select valves by duty and lay out the valves around a pair of pumps
- Read a piping class and choose materials for cold, hot and corrosive service
- Calculate ASME B31.3 wall thickness with corrosion allowance and mill tolerance
- Read plot plans, rack sections and nozzle orientations, and check pump NPSH
- Read and draw isometrics with coordinates, cut lengths, weld numbers, spools and a BOM
- Place supports, estimate thermal growth, and produce a line list, an MTO and a hydrotest pressure
For you
Taking Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3) from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project 路 about 10 hours
Designing a gas plant condensate line: line list, wall thickness, isometric with cut lengths and BOM, supports, MTO and hydrotest
Take one new process line from the P&ID to a test-ready design: fill its line list row and choose the class, prove the wall thickness to ASME B31.3, draw the isometric with coordinates, cut lengths, weld numbers, spools and a bill of materials, place and load the supports, screen its flexibility, work the MTO with surplus and write the hydrotest pack summary. The sample pack shows each document for a gas plant near Darwin, Australia.
Sample document pack, 5 documents, filled in for the scenario
- RegisterLine list extract: 6"-P-2104-B1A
- ReportWall thickness calculation: 6"-P-2104-B1A
- BOMIsometric 6"-P-2104-B1A: route, cut list, welds, BOM and MTO
- PlanSupport plan and flexibility screening: 6"-P-2104-B1A
- ProcedureHydrotest pack summary: test system TS-2104 (line 6"-P-2104-B1A)
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
13 modules 路 36 lessons 路 6h 38m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01Piping in a plant: the team, the deliverables and the workflow2 lessons29m
- 02Pipe sizes, schedules, weights and manufacture2 lessons31m
- 03Fittings, flanges, gaskets and bolting3 lessons33m
- 04Valves: types, standards and selection2 lessons30m
- 05Materials and piping classes3 lessons18m
- 06ASME B31.3: scope, structure and wall thickness3 lessons42m
- 07Plot plans, equipment layout, pipe racks and nozzle orientation4 lessons42m
- 08Reading piping isometrics3 lessons25m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner to intermediate. For mechanical graduates and diploma holders, draughtsmen and pipe fitters moving into piping design. You need school geometry and trigonometry and a spreadsheet; no piping experience is needed. If P&IDs are new to you, P&ID Reading and Instrumentation Design Documents is a good companion course.
- Software
- A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the calculations. For drawing isometrics, LibreCAD (free 2D CAD with an isometric grid) or FreeCAD (free 3D CAD; the Dodo add-on draws pipes, elbows and flanges). AutoCAD and its Plant 3D toolset are optional: free to eligible students and educators on the Autodesk Education plan, otherwise a short trial. Squared or isometric paper works for every exercise. What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None. Any laptop that runs a spreadsheet and LibreCAD is enough.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Nothing to install
A spreadsheet is enough for every calculation, and every isometric can be drawn on isometric paper or in LibreCAD (free 2D CAD with an isometric grid, librecad.org). FreeCAD with the Dodo add-on and AutoCAD with the Plant 3D toolset are useful but optional.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 01Free
LibreOffice
The Document Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer (Intel or Apple silicon), Linux
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- up to 1.5 GB of disk space on Windows
LibreOffice is free, open-source software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, for any use including business. Calc is its spreadsheet.
Steps
- 1.Open the LibreOffice download page.
- 2.Check the page has picked your operating system, then select Download.
- 3.Run the installer (administrator rights are needed on Windows).
- 4.Start LibreOffice Calc for spreadsheet work.
- 5.Save as .xlsx if you need to share files with Excel users.
- Choose the latest main version unless your organisation asks for the older, more conservative release.
Official download pagelibreoffice.org - 02Free and open source
FreeCAD
FreeCAD project (open source)
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Account
- None needed
FreeCAD is released under the LGPL 2.0 or later and is free for any use, including commercial work. The course uses its TechDraw workbench, version 1.1 or later.
Steps
- 1.Open the downloads page on freecad.org.
- 2.Choose the installer for your operating system (the AppImage on Linux).
- 3.Run the installer and start FreeCAD.
- 4.Open the TechDraw workbench from the workbench list to make drawings.
- Feature control frames are built from a balloon with a rectangular shape, Unicode GD&T symbols and '|' between compartments, as module 12 shows.
Official download pagefreecad.org - 03Free trial: 15 days
AutoCAD
Autodesk
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11 64-bit; AutoCAD for Mac on recent macOS versions
- Account
- A free Autodesk account
- Size
- about 10 GB of disk space for AutoCAD on Windows
The AutoCAD trial lasts 15 days in most regions (30 in a few), expires on its own and cannot be extended. Students and educators can get free one-year educational access through an Autodesk Education plan, renewable while they stay eligible; education licences are for learning only.
Steps
- 1.Open the AutoCAD free trial page on autodesk.com and select Download free trial.
- 2.Sign in to your Autodesk account, or create one.
- 3.Answer the short questions about how you will use AutoCAD.
- 4.Download the installer from your Autodesk account and run it.
- 5.Start AutoCAD and sign in with the same Autodesk account.
- If you are a student or teacher, use the Autodesk Education route instead: it lasts a year, not 15 days.
- Plan your practice before starting the trial, since it cannot be extended.
Official download pageautodesk.comAlternatives
- Autodesk Education plan: Free one-year access for verified students and educators, renewable while eligible.
- LibreCAD: Free open-source 2D CAD if you only need basic drafting practice.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3) at a glance
Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3) is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for mechanical graduates, diploma holders, CAD draughtsmen and pipe fitters moving into piping design at EPC contractors, refineries and gas plants worldwide. It has 13 modules and 6h 38m of video lessons by Piping Mantra, HardHat Engineer, The Piping Engineer and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Mechanical graduates, diploma holders, CAD draughtsmen and pipe fitters moving into piping design at EPC contractors, refineries and gas plants worldwide
- Format
- 13 self-paced modules, 6h 38m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. For mechanical graduates and diploma holders, draughtsmen and pipe fitters moving into piping design. You need school geometry and trigonometry and a spreadsheet; no piping experience is needed. If P&IDs are new to you, P&ID Reading and Instrumentation Design Documents is a good companion course.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the calculations. For drawing isometrics, LibreCAD (free 2D CAD with an isometric grid) or FreeCAD (free 3D CAD; the Dodo add-on draws pipes, elbows and flanges). AutoCAD and its Plant 3D toolset are optional: free to eligible students and educators on the Autodesk Education plan, otherwise a short trial. Squared or isometric paper works for every exercise.
- Hardware
- None. Any laptop that runs a spreadsheet and LibreCAD is enough.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Piping Mantra, HardHat Engineer, The Piping Engineer, Welding and NDT, PipingStress, Technical Piping, saVRee, Basics4Piping, I4I Academy, WeldTube, EPSC DESIGN, Plant 3D virtual factory, Learn with EngrWaqas, The Engineering Mindset (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
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Learner reviews
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Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3), and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Who is this piping design course for?
It is for mechanical graduates and diploma holders, CAD draughtsmen and pipe fitters who want to move into piping design or layout at an EPC contractor, a refinery, a gas plant or a chemical plant. It also suits engineers from other disciplines who need to read piping drawings with confidence.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the practice tasks, the project and the final assessment are free, and the software used is free to download or free on an education plan. The certificate is optional.
Do I need to buy a copy of ASME B31.3?
No. The notes explain the structure of the code, its fluid service categories and its wall thickness and test pressure formulas in our own words, with worked numbers. A working designer uses the licensed edition named in the project specification; the 2024 edition is the current one.
Which software does the course use?
A spreadsheet such as LibreOffice Calc for the calculations, and LibreCAD (free 2D CAD with an isometric grid) or FreeCAD with the Dodo add-on for drawing isometrics. AutoCAD with the Plant 3D toolset is optional, free for eligible students and educators on the Autodesk Education plan. Every exercise can also be done on isometric paper.
What will I be able to do at the end?
Read a piping class and a line list, pick a flange class and a pipe schedule, read and draw an isometric with cut lengths, weld numbers and a bill of materials, place supports from a span table, estimate thermal growth, and work out an MTO and a hydrotest pressure. The optional project takes one line from the P&ID to a test-ready design.
Is this useful for piping jobs in the Gulf and on international projects?
Yes. ASME B31.3 and the ASME B16 and API component standards are used on most oil, gas and petrochemical projects worldwide, including the large EPC projects in the Gulf, and the deliverables taught here (line lists, piping classes, isometrics, MTOs and test packs) are the ones those contractors ask new designers to produce.
How long does the Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas course take?
About 12 hours of video, notes and practice at your own pace, of which under 7 hours is video. The optional project takes about 10 hours more.
What certificate does the Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas course give?
An EDWartens certificate of completion, issued when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not an ASME, API or other professional credential, and EDWartens is not affiliated with ASME, API or any software maker.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Piping Design and Isometrics for Oil and Gas (ASME B31.3)
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Piping Mantrathe lessons on FEED, fittings, flange types, valves, codes and standards, equipment layout, nozzle orientation, the 30 percent model review, pipe supports and spans, thermal expansion and anchors, the stress critical line list, MTO, shop and field welds, and pressure testing
- HardHat Engineerthe guides to pipe sizes and schedules, API 5L against A106 pipe, piping material selection, and anchors, guides and limit stops
- The Piping Engineerpiping isometric drawings for beginners, reading isometrics and calculating slopes, and the recap in the final module
- Welding and NDTthe English lessons on pipe sizes, schedules, NPS and DN, and on piping material codes and specifications
- PipingStresspipe rack design tips and the hand calculation of an expansion loop
- Technical Pipingselecting a flange rating class from ASME B16.5, and drawing a piping isometric from an orthographic view in AutoCAD
- saVReethe animated explanation of gate, globe, ball and butterfly valves
- Basics4Pipingthe chapter-by-chapter tour of ASME B31.3
- I4I Academythe minimum required thickness calculation and schedule selection to ASME B31.3
- WeldTubereading and drawing pipe-fitting isometric blueprints from the fitter's side
- EPSC DESIGNthe piping line list and its columns
- Plant 3D virtual factorythe AutoCAD Plant 3D beginner tutorial, from a 3D model to isometrics and drawings
- Learn with EngrWaqasthe piping engineering workflow in EPC projects, from P&ID to isometrics, that opens the course
- The Engineering Mindsetpump NPSH basics for the pump suction layout module
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.