Pressure Vessel Design
Pressure vessel design for WA industry
Element Mechanical Design engineers pressure vessels, pipelines and bunded transport containers for mining, resources and industrial clients across Western Australia. We design to AS 1210, AS 1692 and AS 4041, produce complete fabrication drawing packages, and manage design registration with WorkSafe WA and DMIRS from first concept through to certification sign-off.
Pressure equipment that has to be right
Western Australia treats pressure vessels, pipelines and transport containers as regulated equipment. Before fabrication begins, they require design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS, and the design documentation has to satisfy the relevant standard before the regulator will accept the application. Get that documentation right the first time and you save weeks of back-and-forth with the regulator.
So we engineer, document and submit pressure vessel designs to the standard as a complete package for the regulator. Specifically, that package includes shell thickness calculations, nozzle reinforcement, head design, saddle and support analysis, and weld joint efficiency. All of it goes into the submission, not as an afterthough.
The standard is not optional. A pressure vessel designed to less than AS 1210 is not a design. It is a liability.
Daniel Berti, Mechanical Engineering Team Leader
What we design
Static pressure vessels
We design fixed pressure vessels to AS 1210 for process facilities, mine sites and industrial plant. The design scope covers shell and head thickness, nozzle reinforcement, manway sizing, saddle and lug supports as well as lifting attachment design. From there, we produce the fabrication drawings, nozzle schedules and weld maps as part of the same engagement, then submit them to WorkSafe WA or DMIRS for design registration.
Mobile pressure vessels
We also design pressure vessels for mobile applications: skid-mounted, vehicle-mounted and trailer-mounted vessels that operate under transport and dynamic loads on top of internal pressure. In practice, mobile vessel design accounts for road transport tie-down loads, dynamic amplification under movement and the combined stress state at nozzles and supports during transit. See Mobile Plant Design for the broader mobile equipment context.
Pipelines and piping systems
We design above-ground and above-grade pipelines and process piping systems to AS 4041. The design scope includes pipe wall thickness selection, branch reinforcement, flange selection and ratings, support spacing, thermal expansion and flexibility analysis, and pressure testing requirements. Where pipelines run through cyclonic regions, we also include wind load analysis to AS/NZS 1170.2. See Cyclonic Wind Loading.
Bunded transport containers
We design bunded transport containers for hazardous fluids, chemicals, fuel and lubricants that move by road. The design scope covers the containment vessel, bund structure, transport frame, tie-down points and lifting attachments. Because these containers travel loaded, we design them to withstand road transport loads and to meet the spill containment requirements for the fluid being carried. We then produce the fabrication documentation alongside the design registration package. See Fabrication Design.
Storage tanks
We design above-ground storage tanks to AS 1692 for bulk liquid storage at process facilities and mine sites. The design scope covers shell courses, roof type selection, bottom plate, inlet and outlet nozzle positions, venting requirements and secondary containment bund sizing. Where a tank needs structural assessment of its supporting structure or foundation, we build that into the same engagement. See Fixed Plant Design.
Pressure vessel assessment and re-rating
We assess existing pressure vessels against current standards, whether a vessel has missing documentation, needs re-rating to a higher design pressure, or is moving to a different service. In each case, we produce a written fitness-for-service assessment or a re-rating report with updated design calculations, and then we manage the amended design registration submission where required.
Services we apply to pressure vessel design
Pressure vessel design rarely sits in isolation. Typically, the same engagement also calls for structural analysis, simulation and certification. So we scope and deliver them together.
CAD
We model every pressure vessel design in 3D before we issue any fabrication drawings. The CAD model then acts as the single source of truth for geometry. Specifically, the fabrication drawings, nozzle schedules and FEA models all derive from it, which eliminates the risk of inconsistency between documents.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Where pressure vessel geometry gets complex (non-standard nozzle arrangements, irregular supports, or combined pressure and external load cases), we run FEA to confirm the stress levels meet AS 1210 acceptance criteria. We then include that FEA evidence in the certification submission whenever hand calculations fall short of satisfying the design verifier.
Fabrication Design
We document every pressure vessel design with a complete fabrication package: general arrangement, shell and head detail drawings, nozzle schedule, weld map, material schedule and cut list. Because the fabrication documentation comes from the same model as the design calculations, the workshop receives drawings that match exactly what we registered.
Certification
Pressure vessels in WA require design registration before fabrication. So we produce the full certification evidence package, including the design calculations, FEA reports, drawing package and compliance statement. Beyond that, we manage the submission to WorkSafe WA or DMIRS through to approval. We do not simply hand you a folder of documents and leave the submission to you.
Cyclonic Wind Loading
Pressure vessels and pipelines going into WA cyclonic wind regions need wind load analysis as part of the structural assessment. In those cases, we calculate wind loads to AS/NZS 1170.2 and fold them into the combined load case analysis for vessels and piping on exposed mine sites and process facilities in Regions C and D.
Pressure vessel design capabilities
| Pressure vessel standard | AS 1210 (Pressure vessels) |
| Storage tank standard | AS 1692 (Steel tanks for flammable and combustible liquids) |
| Piping standard | AS 4041 (Pressure piping) |
| Welding standard | AS/NZS 3992 (Pressure equipment welding) |
| Design scope | Shell and head thickness, nozzle reinforcement, support and saddle design, weld joint efficiency, lifting attachment design, transport load cases |
| Certification | WorkSafe WA and DMIRS design registration: calculations, FEA evidence, drawing package and compliance statement |
| Software | SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, ANSYS, FEA pressure vessel analysis |
| Integrated with | Fabrication Design, FEA, Certification, Cyclonic Wind Loading |
How a pressure vessel design engagement works
- Briefing: First, we confirm the vessel type, design pressure, design temperature, fluid service, material preferences, site location and any transport or installation constraints. We also clarify whether the vessel needs design registration and with which authority.
- Concept design: Next, we establish the vessel geometry, shell and head configuration, nozzle arrangement and support type. Additionally, for mobile vessels and transport containers, we confirm the transport load cases at this stage.
- Design calculations: Then we complete all pressure vessel calculations to AS 1210, covering shell thickness, head thickness, nozzle reinforcement, support analysis and weld joint efficiency. For pipelines, the calculations follow AS 4041.
- 3D model and fabrication drawings: After that, we build the full 3D model and produce the fabrication drawing package, including the general arrangement, shell and head details, nozzle schedule, weld map and material schedule.
- FEA (where required): For complex geometry or combined load cases, we then run FEA on the vessel model and produce the stress analysis report for the certification package. See Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
- Certification submission: Finally, we compile and submit the complete design registration package to WorkSafe WA or DMIRS, and we manage the process through to approval. See Certification.
Frequently asked questions about pressure vessel design
About pressure vessel design
Yes. Under WA regulations, pressure vessels above certain size and pressure thresholds count as classified plant. They require design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS before fabrication begins. Before the vessel can be built, the regulator needs a complete design documentation package (calculations, drawings and a compliance statement) submitted and approved. We produce and submit that package as part of the design engagement.
A static pressure vessel sits permanently at a fixed location, where internal pressure, dead weight and wind drive the main loads. A mobile pressure vessel, by contrast, travels by road, so we also design it for transport loads. Those loads include tie-down forces, dynamic amplification during transit and the combined stress state at nozzles and supports while the vessel is moving. As a result, mobile vessels need additional load cases in the design calculations, and they typically need transport-specific tie-down and restraint details in the fabrication drawings.
Yes. We design bunded transport containers for hazardous fluids, chemicals, fuel and lubricants that move by road. The design covers the containment vessel, bund structure, transport frame, tie-down points and lifting attachments. From there, we calculate bund capacity, confirm the spill containment arrangement and produce the complete fabrication drawing package. Where the container meets the threshold for classified plant, we also manage the design registration submission as part of the same engagement.
Technical questions
We design pressure vessels to AS 1210, storage tanks to AS 1692 and pressure piping to AS 4041. In addition, welding documentation follows AS/NZS 3992. Where a project carries international requirements (ASME Section VIII, PED or others), we discuss the applicable standard at briefing and confirm the design basis before we start calculations.
We turn to FEA when the vessel geometry falls outside the scope of the AS 1210 design-by-formula rules, such as non-standard nozzle configurations, irregular or non-circular heads, combined pressure and external load cases, or localised stress concentrations at supports and attachments. We also use it when a design verifier asks for stress evidence beyond what hand calculations provide. Either way, we assess whether a vessel needs FEA during the design calculation stage and include it in the scope when it does.
Yes. For vessels with missing or incomplete documentation, we produce a fitness-for-service assessment based on physical inspection, dimensional survey and material verification. From there, we calculate the allowable operating pressure and temperature for the vessel as found, identify any deficiencies against AS 1210 and provide a written assessment that confirms the safe operating envelope or the remediation required. Finally, where a vessel needs re-registration, we manage that submission as part of the same engagement.
Project and process questions
Yes. Element Manufacturing, our sister division in Malaga, can take the fabrication drawing package straight to production. Because they receive the DXF files, cut lists, nozzle schedule and PDF drawings we produce, they can proceed without re-briefing or file conversion. Between them, their plate rolling, welding and CNC machining capability covers most pressure vessel fabrication requirements.
A straightforward pressure vessel with standard geometry, a single fluid service and no FEA requirement typically takes two to three weeks, from briefing through to a complete design registration submission. A more complex vessel, for example one with multiple nozzle arrangements, an FEA requirement, or combined transport and pressure load cases, takes three to six weeks. Either way, we give you a timeline at briefing.
Need pressure vessel design in Perth?
If you’re ready to begin, send us your design pressure, fluid service, site location and any existing geometry. We will then come back with a scope and a quote, usually within one business day.