Abstract: In order to overcome the deficiencies of traditional design methods in general layout of pipeline engineering, the building information modeling (BIM) has been incorporated into general layout design. On the basis of the collaborative design of Civil 3D and Infraworks which are developed with BIM, data from all stages (e.g. planning, design, construction and operation) is imported into the 3D model, so that precise and complete data could be available for the operating staff when they use the model during the whole life cycle of the engineering project. This collaborative design method was applied to the general layout design of an oil depot. It is shown that the designers can get rid of trivial and superfluous design modification and concentrate more attention on the design itself. Moreover, the design results are shown in three dimension. In this way, the design results can be displayed in WYSIWYG format. It provides a valuable reference for the innovation and development of general layout design in the oil and gas storage and transportation engineering in the future.