The Mission
Process Industry Practices (PIP) is a member-driven, self-funded consortium that develops and maintains a library of voluntary engineering practices for the process industry. Operating under the umbrella of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) at the University of Texas at Austin, PIP harmonizes internal company standards across design, procurement, construction, and maintenance. By replacing redundant internal specifications with a shared technical library, PIP helps member organizations reduce costs and improve capital efficiency across the oil, gas, and chemical sectors.
Whether you are a piping engineer aligning designs with ASME B31.3, a structural lead designing blast-resistant buildings, an electrical specialist specifying power equipment, or an IT professional managing industrial cybersecurity for control systems, PIP provides the practical, field-tested guidance that supports complex process facility projects. PIP leverages the collective expertise of owner companies and engineering contractors to ensure that technical requirements are consistent, safe, and immediately applicable to real-world engineering challenges.
PIP develops and maintains a comprehensive library of over 550 voluntary practices organized across 14 engineering disciplines. These standards cover the entire lifecycle of a facility – from initial design and procurement to commissioning and maintenance. Unlike theoretical frameworks, PIP practices are developed by the companies that actually build and operate these facilities, ensuring they address the practical needs of the plant floor while maintaining rigorous safety and quality benchmarks.
PIP’s work spans critical areas including piping systems, civil and structural design, electrical specifications, and process control. These practices are designed to be used directly or modified for specific project requirements, offering the flexibility to adopt industry-wide best practices without sacrificing unique technical needs. By operating within the University of Texas research infrastructure, PIP ensures its standards are grounded in both academic excellence and industrial reality, providing a bridge between theoretical engineering and mechanical implementation.
Process Industry Practices serves as a collaborative hub where owner companies and engineering construction contractors eliminate the cost of maintaining hundreds of competing internal standards. PIP advances the interests of the process industry by providing a single, unified library of practices that streamline the design and construction of petrochemical, refining, and manufacturing facilities. Through its discipline teams, PIP coordinates the volunteer expertise of over 850 professionals to keep technical practices current with evolving safety requirements and technology.
On issues ranging from industrial cybersecurity to electrification, PIP represents the collective priorities of companies that depend on technical consistency to remain competitive. The consortium also develops practices for emerging technologies, such as EV charging station implementation for industrial sites. Through its relationship with the Construction Industry Institute, PIP provides research-backed guidelines that help engineers navigate the complex regulatory and technical environment of the global process sector, ensuring that safety and sustainability go hand-in-hand.
Process Industry Practices was founded in 1993 by a small group of owner companies and contractors who realized that maintaining unique, proprietary engineering specifications for every company was an expensive and inefficient approach to shared technical problems. Based at the University of Texas at Austin, PIP has grown into a vital industry resource that addresses the technical requirements of the global process sector from a centralized, non-proprietary perspective.
Over the decades, PIP has evolved to encompass 14 distinct disciplines, including advanced process control and industrial cybersecurity. Today, PIP’s membership includes some of the world’s largest process industry leaders. The consortium’s collaborative model facilitates the transfer of technical knowledge across borders, reinforcing the safety and reliability of the global process industrial base. Whether in North America, Europe, or the Asia-Pacific region, PIP practices help engineers deliver high-quality projects that meet the rigorous demands of modern industrial operations.
PIP membership connects process industry owners and contractors with a massive network of engineering expertise. Members gain full access to the PIP library for direct project use, allowing them to bypass the high costs associated with developing and maintaining internal specifications. This access ensures that an organization’s technical foundation is always aligned with current industry consensus and safety requirements.
Beyond the documents themselves, members benefit from participating in PIP discipline teams. This allows engineering professionals to influence the development of the standards they use daily, ensuring that the practices reflect their specific operational needs. Membership also provides a collaborative professional network for solving common technical problems and developing leadership within the engineering community, ensuring that best practices are shared across the sector.
PIP leverages the University of Texas research infrastructure to provide the educational foundation for next-generation process engineers. By participating in discipline teams, professionals gain deep technical knowledge of shared practices and develop the leadership skills required to manage complex facility projects. This collaborative environment ensures that best practices for design, procurement, and construction are passed down and implemented throughout the sector.
Through its connection with the Construction Industry Institute, PIP provides research-backed guidance that stays at the forefront of technological change. This ensures that engineers are trained in the most current safety requirements and emerging industrial technologies, such as electrification and cybersecurity.
By fostering a community of shared knowledge, PIP helps the process industry maintain a high level of operational excellence and safety. This ongoing professional development is essential for reducing errors, improving capital efficiency, and delivering high-quality infrastructure projects across the global industrial base.
About PIP
What does PIP stand for?
PIP stands for Process Industry Practices. It is a self-funded consortium within the University of Texas at Austin that develops voluntary engineering practices for the process industry.
What disciplines does PIP cover?
PIP publishes over 550 practices across 14 disciplines, including Piping, Electrical, Civil/Structural/Architectural, Process Control, Machinery, and Industrial Cybersecurity.
What types of standards does PIP develop?
By providing a shared library of industry-standard practices, PIP eliminates the need for companies to maintain expensive internal standards. Some members report up to a 70% reduction in internal standards maintenance costs.
Does PIP address industrial cybersecurity?
Yes. PIP’s Process Control discipline includes dedicated practices for designing cybersecurity countermeasures in Industrial Control Systems (ICS), covering hardware, software, and network security.
Is PIP a government organization?
No. PIP is a private, self-funded consortium operating under the Construction Industry Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. It is funded by its member companies, which include process industry owners and contractors.
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