Here, Stewart Jones, Customer Technical Advisory Engineer, Conveyance Tubes at Tata Steel explores the merit of combining academia with practical industry knowledge to deliver accredited CPD courses, while addressing a wide range of industrial challenges and risks.

Within the Building and Industrial Services Sector, particularly in the area of correct pipework specification, selection and compliance, there is a clear need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as many engineers still refer to withdrawn and outdated standards.

For example, BS1387 and API are still commonly specified tube specifications, even though BS1387 was withdrawn in 2004 and API is actually an American line pipe specification, so is not a harmonised standard in accordance with relevant Regulations or Directives, such as the CPR (Construction Products Regulation) or the PED (Pressure Equipment Directive).

Specifying withdrawn legacy standards can lead to procurement and compliance issues, incorrect or poor quality products getting into the supply chain, and issues with technical and service life performance that may result in early failures or increased maintenance costs throughout a building’s lifespan.

By attending appropriate CPD courses it is possible to keep up-to-date with the latest processes, products and standards, as well as technical advances, such as BIM (Building Information Modelling), as well as the use of VR (Virtual Reality) and other new methods of working.

To address the pipework and challenges now faced by building services engineers, specifiers and designers, initiatives such as BISPA (the Building & Industrial Services Pipework Academy), at the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, have been established.

BISPA is a collaborative endeavour, combining the academic knowledge of both Loughborough and Cranfield Universities with the practical and manufacturing expertise of Tata Steel and its Tubes business.

By providing a range of courses spanning all knowledge levels from novice to advanced, BISPA caters for those beginning their CPD journey as well as professionals looking to gain a more detailed insight into pipework specifications, installation best practice, corrosion awareness and the use of BIM and VR.

Attendees will gain first-hand experience of using BIM software to create and modify models in hands-on practical sessions aimed at both intermediate and advanced levels. Also within the facility are several pipework training rigs, which provide engineers with the opportunity to carry out installations and training activities. By providing a safe and controlled environment to perfect their skills, with the support of industry experts, attendees will feel confident when approaching challenges whilst on-the-job.

In association with Tata Steel, course attendees will also explore the two main methods of manufacturing carbon steel welded tubes, hot-finished and cold-formed. Although these processes create products of a similar specification, they actually perform quite differently in service due to underlying factors and properties. Attendees will learn all about the technical advantages that the premium hot-finished tubes have over commodity cold-formed ones.

BISPA’s corrosion CPD covers the issues associated with galvanic corrosion reactions and the risks seen when using stainless steel within traditional carbon steel and copper pipework systems.  Whilst there is a perception that stainless steel is corrosion resistance, it can actually corrode, become easily contaminated, or result in increased corrosion within other parts of the system.  So requires a very different mind-set during storage, fabrication and installation.

Other variables that affect a product’s service life, such as pressure ratings, heat transfer, joint construction and integrity, are also covered by BISPA courses, enabling participants to obtain a thorough understanding of the main factors influencing pipework design.

The accredited CPD courses provide clear guidance, enabling attendees to develop and further their career, and are approved by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Attending academic and industry created CPD courses is essential for every profession for career progression as well as for improving best practice within the industry. For building services engineers and consultants who create pipe and tube specifications, CPD is essential to ensure that up-to-date standards are specified and that the correct materials are used in order to prevent the possibility of failures throughout the building’s lifespan.

For more information on BISPA CPD courses click here>>