Material

• Determining the material for the pipeline is a combination of weighing price against functionality. Water pipes must contain high pressure and can be either reinforced plastic or metal. Drain and waste pipelines handle little pressure, but must be strong and durable. Ceramic pipes do this job very well.
  
  Pipelines carrying caustic or dangerous chemicals, steams or oil have to not only contain the pressure, but also be resistant to corrosion. Certain composite plastic materials and special (but expensive) metal alloys are usually specified for these applications.
  
  

Slope

• The most important consideration when building pipelines is accounting for the slope the pipeline will follow. Slope is the gradual and sustained downward angle the pipeline follows so gravity can move the media to its destination. Although some pipelines are pressurized to pump media, even in these designs, the slope is still necessary for them to successfully cover great distances.
  
  A pipeline does not always have to travel downhill. It can be flat or even go uphill for some distance. The important calculation, however, is that the overall length of pipeline ends in a lower location than it begins. This is especially true when building sewer pipe or other installations moving waste media. Slope is also important when building pipelines for very low-viscosity liquids such as oil or industrial slurries. Accounting for the slope of just 1 foot over several thousand feet can be the difference between a well-functioning pipeline and a clogged pipe moving very little.
  
  

Insulation

• Pipelines often carry media that is very hot or very cold. Steam pipes and cryogenic liquids can tax the most sturdy pipe materials. Building insulated pipelines means assessing the media in the pipeline and the environment where it will be constructed. No matter what material is used for the pipe (metal, plastic, ceramic), insulation surround the length of the pipeline and the capability to maintain and access the pipeline is important. This means building an above-ground pipeline. This means not only laying pipe, but also constructing the support platforms and fastening brackets to attach the pipeline.