Index: Ringtoets/Piping/src/Ringtoets.Piping.IO/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReader.cs
===================================================================
diff -u -r9fd6d5a7d2289de6a5c6447fe8e0a9019cf75701 -ra6c81de65875f5d507f49d393f237181cfe9a4a2
--- Ringtoets/Piping/src/Ringtoets.Piping.IO/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReader.cs	(.../PipingCalculationGroupReader.cs)	(revision 9fd6d5a7d2289de6a5c6447fe8e0a9019cf75701)
+++ Ringtoets/Piping/src/Ringtoets.Piping.IO/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReader.cs	(.../PipingCalculationGroupReader.cs)	(revision a6c81de65875f5d507f49d393f237181cfe9a4a2)
@@ -19,12 +19,18 @@
 // Stichting Deltares and remain full property of Stichting Deltares at all times.
 // All rights reserved.
 
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Xml.Linq;
 using System.Xml.Schema;
+using Core.Common.IO.Exceptions;
+using Core.Common.Utils;
+using Core.Common.Utils.Builders;
 using Core.Common.Utils.Reflection;
 using Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Properties;
+using CoreCommonUtilsResources = Core.Common.Utils.Properties.Resources;
 
 namespace Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Readers
 {
@@ -33,14 +39,21 @@
     /// </summary>
     public class PipingCalculationGroupReader
     {
-        private readonly XmlSchemaSet schema;
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates a new instance of <see cref="PipingCalculationGroupReader"/>.
         /// </summary>
-        public PipingCalculationGroupReader()
+        /// <param name="filePath">The file path to the XML file.</param>
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException">Thrown when <paramref name="filePath"/> is invalid.</exception>
+        /// <exception cref="CriticalFileReadException">Thrown when <paramref name="filePath"/> points to a file that does not exist.</exception>
+        public PipingCalculationGroupReader(string filePath)
         {
-            schema = LoadXmlSchema();
+            IOUtils.ValidateFilePath(filePath);
+            if (!File.Exists(filePath))
+            {
+                string message = new FileReaderErrorMessageBuilder(filePath)
+                    .Build(CoreCommonUtilsResources.Error_File_does_not_exist);
+                throw new CriticalFileReadException(message);
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -66,6 +79,8 @@
 
         private void ValidateToSchema(XDocument document)
         {
+            XmlSchemaSet schema = LoadXmlSchema();
+
             try
             {
                 document.Validate(schema, null);
Index: Ringtoets/Piping/test/Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Test/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest.cs
===================================================================
diff -u -r4ef4e426c0a77d547b58ec56581f292ddb3ed381 -ra6c81de65875f5d507f49d393f237181cfe9a4a2
--- Ringtoets/Piping/test/Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Test/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest.cs	(.../PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest.cs)	(revision 4ef4e426c0a77d547b58ec56581f292ddb3ed381)
+++ Ringtoets/Piping/test/Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Test/Readers/PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest.cs	(.../PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest.cs)	(revision a6c81de65875f5d507f49d393f237181cfe9a4a2)
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@
 // Stichting Deltares and remain full property of Stichting Deltares at all times.
 // All rights reserved.
 
-using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using Core.Common.IO.Exceptions;
+using Core.Common.TestUtil;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using Ringtoets.Piping.IO.Readers;
 
@@ -29,26 +32,66 @@
     public class PipingCalculationGroupReaderTest
     {
         [Test]
-        public void Constructor_Always_ReturnsNewInstance()
+        [TestCase("")]
+        [TestCase("      ")]
+        [TestCase(null)]
+        public void Constructor_NoFilePath_ThrowArgumentException(string invalidFilePath)
         {
             // Call
-            var pipingCalculationGroupReader = new PipingCalculationGroupReader();
+            TestDelegate call = () => new PipingCalculationGroupReader(invalidFilePath);
 
             // Assert
-            Assert.NotNull(pipingCalculationGroupReader);
+            var expectedMessage = $"Fout bij het lezen van bestand '{invalidFilePath}': bestandspad mag niet leeg of ongedefinieerd zijn.";
+            TestHelper.AssertThrowsArgumentExceptionAndTestMessage<ArgumentException>(call, expectedMessage);
         }
 
         [Test]
-        public void Read_ReturnsExpectedCollectionOfReadPipingCalculationItems()
+        public void Constructor_FilePathHasInvalidPathCharacter_ThrowArgumentException()
         {
             // Setup
-            var reader = new PipingCalculationGroupReader();
+            char[] invalidFileNameChars = Path.GetInvalidFileNameChars();
 
+            string validFilePath = TestHelper.GetTestDataPath(TestDataPath.Ringtoets.Piping.IO,
+                                                              "Valid piping configuration.shp");
+            string invalidFilePath = validFilePath.Replace("piping", invalidFileNameChars[3].ToString());
+
             // Call
-            IEnumerable<IReadPipingCalculationItem> result = reader.Read();
+            TestDelegate call = () => new PipingCalculationGroupReader(invalidFilePath);
 
             // Assert
-            Assert.IsEmpty(result);
+            var expectedMessage = $"Fout bij het lezen van bestand '{invalidFilePath}': bestandspad mag niet de volgende tekens bevatten: {string.Join(", ", invalidFileNameChars)}";
+            TestHelper.AssertThrowsArgumentExceptionAndTestMessage<ArgumentException>(call, expectedMessage);
         }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void Constructor_FilePathIsActuallyDirectoryPath_ThrowArgumentException()
+        {
+            // Setup
+            string invalidFilePath = TestHelper.GetTestDataPath(TestDataPath.Ringtoets.Piping.IO,
+                                                                Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString());
+
+            // Call
+            TestDelegate call = () => new PipingCalculationGroupReader(invalidFilePath);
+
+            // Assert
+            var expectedMessage = $"Fout bij het lezen van bestand '{invalidFilePath}': bestandspad mag niet verwijzen naar een lege bestandsnaam.";
+            TestHelper.AssertThrowsArgumentExceptionAndTestMessage<ArgumentException>(call, expectedMessage);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void Constructor_FileDoesNotExist_ThrowCriticalFileReadException()
+        {
+            // Setup
+            string invalidFilePath = TestHelper.GetTestDataPath(TestDataPath.Ringtoets.Piping.IO,
+                                                                "I_do_not_exist.shp");
+
+            // Call
+            TestDelegate call = () => new PipingCalculationGroupReader(invalidFilePath);
+
+            // Assert
+            var expectedMessage = $"Fout bij het lezen van bestand '{invalidFilePath}': het bestand bestaat niet.";
+            var message = Assert.Throws<CriticalFileReadException>(call).Message;
+            Assert.AreEqual(expectedMessage, message);
+        }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file