Pipeline Engineering Courses at UBC

Introduction

 

The Faculty of Applied Science has introduced three courses in pipeline engineering, IGEN 450, 451, 452 that will be of interest to students in several of the Faculty’s BASc programs.  Students may complete one or more of three pipeline engineering courses through their choice of technical electives.

Read more about the Pipeline Integrity Institute (PII), the UBC group which supports the operation of these three courses:

 

 

Courses and Selected Student Comments

    • IGEN 450 (3) Pipeline Engineering

      Pipeline materials and material selection; fracture mechanics; manufacturing and processing; welding and corrosion; soil-pipe interactions; surveying and site investigations; slope stability; natural hazards; pipeline loads and response. [3-0-0]. Prerequisite: Either (a) MECH 221 or (b) APSC 278 and one of CIVL 215, MTRL 263 and one of CIVL 230, MECH 260.

      • “It was very applicable and broad entry-level knowledge for the industry. Gave me a better idea about what part of the industry I found most interesting, and a good base-level understanding of concepts coming out of school. Definitely felt like I was several steps ahead of my other EIT colleagues in terms of industry knowledge.” – undergrad MECH student.
      • “The learning in the project course is very applicable. Bringing in guest lectures to speak on topics they are experts was very interesting and useful. By having professors that rotate so they are only teaching the topics that they are most familiar with. Mickelson for fluid dynamic, Ed for Corrosion protection etc. This courses are taught very well. If all UBC course were taught this way I would have gone to more lectures. Having fortis bc involved with the project course was very engaging” – undergrad IGEN student  

Energy infrastructure; pipe flows; equipment & facilities including compressors, pumping stations, coolers and controls; terminals; pipeline integrity; corrosion control. [3-0-0].    Prerequisite: Either (a) MECH 221 or (b) APSC 278 and one of CIVL 215, MTRL 263 and one of CIVL 230, MECH 260.

      • “They brought in many industry experts to do lectures which was helpful to keep the courses engaging and industry relevant….. This was one of my favourite courses. I think it is very valuable for anyone going into oil and gas, heavy civil or environmental fields. I think this class was very good at linking the academic and industry practices. I have used this information in my career on a few occasions also. ”  – undergraduate CIVL student
      • “I think the last module focusing on integrity and monitoring systems was very valuable since those were topics I had no background in. I had taken fluid and corrosion courses in Materials Engineering, however had no understanding of pipeline infrastructure. I would highly recommend the course as it densely covers a variety of topics and provides a great introduction to the pipeline industry which is prominent in Western Canada. I also noticed employers/companies look for students that have an understanding or background in pipeline monitoring/infrastructure which is considered an asset” – undergraduate MTRL student 

    • IGEN 452 (3) Pipeline Design

Pipeline and pipeline system design reflecting applicable policies, regulations, design codes and design guidelines; construction management and construction techniques; risk assessment and mitigation; linear optimization; route selection; field monitoring and testing; technical design project. [2-0-2].  Prerequisite: IGEN 450.

      • “IGEN 452 is the most interesting course among other Pipeline courses because we acquired lots of new and practical knowledge from this course. Although most of the time in this course was spending to do self-reading (e.g., read HDD design manual and Z662), it was a fruitful experience to start a HDD pipeline and work with other students from different disciplines.”   PhD Candidate from CIVL
      • “I believe the final project in 452 is very useful since it relies on using the actual Pipeline Code (CSA Z662). no other courses I took relied on the same codes and standards that are used in the industry. using the same resources that industry does helps smooth the transition from academic life to career life.”   – undergraduate IGEN student

Individual Program Requirements

Individual program requirements with respect to technical electives, as relevant to the three pipeline engineering courses, are understood to be as follows.  However, students are required to confirm formal

 requirements with their respective program websites and/or advisors.

    • Civil Engineering.  CIVL students are required to complete 15 credits of technical electives in 4th year.  Of these, IGEN 450, 451 and 452 may be taken without restriction from the List A courses.
    • Integrated Engineering.  IGEN students are required to complete 18 credits of technical electives in 3rd and 4th years.  Any and all of IGEN 450, 451, 452 may be taken towards completion these elective requirements, and can be counted as courses and combined with the MTRL, CIVL or MECH specializations, or considered as a separate IGEN specialization.
    • Materials Engineering.  MTRL students are required to complete 21 credits of technical electives in 4th year through one of three streams.  They may take a maximum of two of the three courses IGEN 450, 451 and 452 towards a maximum of 9 credits that are available outside stream-specific course requirements.
    • Mechanical Engineering.  MECH students (general program) are required to complete 9 credits of technical electives in 4th year, 6 credits of which must be in the General A Technical Elective category.  Any selection of IGEN 450, 451, or 452 may be taken towards completion of this requirement. MECH students enrolled in the options programs (Thermofluids, Biomedical, and Mechatronics Option) are required to complete 3 credits of outside technical electives in 4th year. This requirement can be fulfilled with any one of the IGEN 450/451/452 courses.

 

Interactions with Industry

Students registered in the Pipeline Engineering courses who are also registered in the Co-op program are encouraged to seek a work term relating to pipeline engineering.  To facilitate this, the Co-op Office will advise students, upon request, those employers who are active in the pipeline sector, and as well sponsors of the Pipeline Integrity Institute  are encouraged to provide work-term placements whose postings specifically identify pipeline engineering.

 

Student Advising

For student enquiries and advising, please contact:

Dr. Jon Nakane

Email: jon.nakane@ubc.ca

Phone: 604-822-0794

Office: FORW 106A