Monthly Archives: February 2026

AS2885 Doesn’t Design/Operate Pipelines: Engineers Do

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In the Australian pipeline industry, AS2885 is the standout standard for ensuring pipeline safety through its full lifecycle. Unfortunately (or fortunately), because it is such a solid Standard, it’s often treated as though it is a textbook and as if “it” designs/operates the pipeline.

It doesn’t.

Engineers do.

AS2885 provides the structured safety framework, covering threat identification and control, risk evaluation, design factors, and verification. But it deliberately avoids prescribing many detailed design and operational outcomes. That’s intentional. The standard assumes competent engineers will apply judgement to real-world conditions.

Problems arise when compliance replaces thinking.

Across projects and reviews, technical decisions are sometimes justified by citing clauses, rather than demonstrating engineering reasoning. Threat assessments become templated. MAOP becomes a spreadsheet output. Rupture mitigation becomes a checklist. Documentation exists, but the technical logic is thin.

Pipeline safety is not achieved through documentation (though that’s so very important); pipeline safety is achieved through knowledge and understanding.

Every pipeline has a unique combination of route, materials, operations, and protection systems. AS2885 expects engineers to interpret how these interact and to justify why the resulting design is safe.

A simple test of real competency is this:
Can the engineer explain why the design/operational condition is safe without immediately pointing to a clause?

Clause compliance should support engineering judgement, not replace it.

AS2885 defines the framework. Engineers deliver the safety outcome.

The difference is where professional competence lives.

(disclaimer: the above article is based on a bunch of dot points from me, but tbh, ChatGPT wrote it. And by admitting that here (I couldn’t publish without disclosing the AI input) … it’s probably the last time I’ll publish a ‘mostly AI’ article like this, because, I don’t like how it makes me feel. Interesting! …

More questions than answers….

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In the last few weeks, I’ve been fortunate to have experienced interactions in rooms full of very smart people (irl and virtually). 

These ‘rooms full’ are from various capacities: the ME-038 Standards committee, two different pipeline design teams I’m advising, the APGA Research and Standards committee, a pipeline system operator I’m auditing, and several individuals who are in the process of signing up for the March cohort my AS2885 Pipeline Pathways training course.

If you’ve met me, you might have the sense that I favour asking questions over trying to answer them. I like being curious, and I thrive on conversations that go both ways: questions and answers from all participants.  I think back-and-forth discussions are the best.

In the last while, I’ve definitely been developing a list of more questions than answers in the AS2885 space.  These are questions, though, without a right/wrong, yes/no answer.  They are philosophical, grey, requiring judgement and a lot of ‘it depends’.  At least that’s how I’ve answered them in my mind. 

I’m not sure this blog/LinkedIn is the place to be answering them – mostly because I’m not sure the written word is fully reliable (AI anyone?). 

I’m contemplating a series of online ‘lunch n learn’ Q&A sessions to discuss these types of techno-strategic questions. I’m conscious that no one wants to give out free consulting services, and, we’d have to be careful about responsibility for answers (when there is so much grey). 

As an industry though, it feels like we’d benefit from a chance for curious people to have a community space for discussion … kind of like a mastermind group, I guess? 

So, my call to action here is not necessarily to answer the questions below here (though you can try if you want to!), but rather, would you be interested in monthly Q&A (‘series of queries’) type mastermind sessions, to tackle interesting questions like these?

Questions I have rattling around my to-do list, in no particular order:

  • How is a 50% design review different to a Safety Management Study workshop?
  • SFAIRP vs ALARP (that old chestnut).
  • Do we need to write original reports anymore, if AI does a good job of summarizing the meeting transcript?
  • How does this industry maintain high safety & reliability when the financial benefits are under so much pressure?
  • How can the AS2885 series evolve to reflect ‘pipeline systems’ (networks) and storage-bottle pipelines instead of the legacy style of “point A to point B long skinny thin wall” type assets?
  • How wide should a pipeline easement be?
  • On our operating pipelines, should we give more attention to corrosion issues, or to third party interference issues?
  • Why don’t we build pipelines that are 12mm thick, which virtually eliminates impact threats?
  • What is actually required to meet the compaction over pipelines requirement?
  • What is the damage mechanism that vibration causes to pipelines?

How to… learn about AS2885

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I’m writing this today with a buzz in my brain, coming off a full (long yet inspiring) day yesterday of being in a room (and onscreen) with an inspiring group of about 15 pipeliners, all taking in learnings about AS2885, from an Operations lens.

I took them through the contents of AS2885.3 (Operations and maintenance), providing insights and clues along the way of how to the Standard shapes their roles, tasks, skills and competencies… and ‘why’ they keep all those records (!).

It wasn’t a training course in ‘how to operate your pipeline’, it was a course designed for insights into why they operate it that way (and keep all those records) …because of the principles of AS2885.

I loved that the group included new pipeliners with less than 2 years’ experience, as well as long-duration pipeliners with over 15 years. Everybody contributed to the learning.

We can all always be learning, even after 30 years, like me, and this group reminded me of that.

So let’s cover the ways you can get exposure to AS2885, and let’s keep the knowledge circulating.

Noting though that AS2885 is not meant to be a textbook telling you how to design / construct / operate a pipeline … it is an agreed Standard of minimal requirements to be met, so that YOU can write specifications, procedures and checklists appropriate to your business, tasks and outputs.

This is all so that our AS2885 pipelines are kept safe … which is the paramount endeavour of this industry and AS2885.

I invite those not listed to add your offering in the comments, or contact me and I’ll revise this post.

Please add more opportunities in the comments.

By the way, I asked the question of Google, and got this response from its AI Overview … it’s not too bad of an overview:

THIS IS AI CONTENT BELOW:

Learning about AS 2885, the Australian Standard for high-pressure gas and liquid petroleum pipelines, is best achieved through specialized industry resources that offer both the technical requirements and the “intent” behind those requirements. 

Here are the primary ways to learn about AS 2885:

1. Key Online Resources (Essential)

  • AS2885.info: This is the primary wiki dedicated to interpreting and understanding the AS 2885 suite. It provides technical background, explains the intent of clauses, and helps with application uncertainties.
  • AS2885-INFO.blog: A companion blog to the wiki where you can read about recent updates, ask questions, and explore in-depth articles about the standards.
  • APGA (Australian Pipelines and Gas Association): The APGA provides an overview of the standards, training, and a knowledge base for members.
  • Standards Australia: Purchase the official, up-to-date, seven-part standard directly from the Standards Australia Store. 

2. Key Components to Study

To truly understand AS 2885, you must understand its structure, which includes:

  • Part 0: General Requirements
  • Part 1: Design and Construction
  • Part 2: Welding
  • Part 3: Operation and Maintenance
  • Part 4: Pipeline Subsea (If applicable)
  • Part 5: Field Pressure Testing
  • Part 6: Pipeline Safety Management 

3. Training and Development

  • Specialized Courses: Look for training, such as the 40-minute introductory course on Safety Management Studies (SMS) by ROSEN or courses provided by industry experts
  • APGA Competency Standards: PIPeD Pty Ltd and APGA offer courses that align with the competency requirements for engineers working with the standard.  (sj ed – PIPEd is defunct, sadly).

4. Key Concepts to Focus On

  • Safety Management Study (SMS): The cornerstone of AS 2885, which manages risks for pipelines.
  • Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP): Understanding how this is determined (e.g., at 80% of specified minimum yield stress).
  • Threat Assessment: Designing against specific failure modes.
  • “Written in Blood”: Recognizing that many rules in the standard are the result of past incidents and accidents. 

5. Engage with the Community

  • Ask Questions: If you have questions about the interpretation of the standard, submit them to info@as2885.info to get answers from experienced industry professionals.
  • Read Case Studies/Issue Papers: The wiki often references issue papers that provide background on how to apply the standard. 

Note: AS 2885 is a set of requirements, not a textbook, so it is recommended to pair reading the standard with the practical guidance on AS2885.info.