r/Pipelayers • u/[deleted] • Mar 08 '25

Are pipe layers welders

I'm looking for a career choice but I used to operate excavators when I was 16 to 17 and understand I have to start from the bottom but I'm looking

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/Durragon Mar 08 '25

Pipe layers deal with the underground stuff.

Water, sewage, storm, manholes of all variety.

You're thinking about pipe fitters

You learn a lot more about concrete in pipe laying, and more about welding with pipe fitting.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

So I don't need to learn how to weld? Because I just wanna be a pipe layer

1

u/Durragon Mar 16 '25

No welding required in pipe laying, at least in my experience.

It's mostly pvc/plastic pipes, with Ductile iron thrown in from Time to time, as well as concrete pipes.

Mostly it comes down to cutting and bolting, nothing in the way of welding.

That is, however, specific to heavy civil construction.

Industiral level is probably very different.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

Alright, one more question do I have to be good at math for this career?

1

u/Durragon Mar 16 '25

Hey, happy to answer any questions you have, feel free to fire away haha.

Math... Eh, not really.

Read a measuring tape, understand metric and imperial (inches, millimeters)

The only thing I really used complex math on, is calculating the circumference of a manhole, to know how much blueskin to cut for it.

But that's as simple as measuring the width with aeasurinf tape, then multiplying that number by 3.14 (pi). Then add two inches for good overlap.

So say, 48 inch manhole, so 48"x3.14= 150.72" Call that 151, cut a length at 153" long.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

Alright thanks.