INTRODUCTION TO

PROCESS PLANT
LAYOUT AND PIPING
DESIGN
• Understanding the fundamental aspects of process
plants, plant layout and piping design.
• Understanding the procedures and the workflow
methods used in designing process plants and
piping systems.
• Understanding the physical quantities and units
used in process plant layout and piping design.
▪ Process plants encompass all types of facilities involved in the chemical/physical processing of
raw materials into desired finished products or intermediates for further processing.
Examples of such processing facilities include the following:
▪ Refineries.
▪ Chemical/Petrochemical Plants.
▪ Fertilizer Plants.
▪ Offshore Processing Facilities.
▪ Power Plants.
▪ Pulp and Paper Mills.
▪ Food/Beverage Industries.
▪ Pharmaceutical Plants.
▪ Water Treatment Plants.
▪ Waste Treatment Facilities.
▪ The design of process plants is a complex team effort involving different
disciplines of engineering: process (chemical), mechanical, piping, electrical,
instrumentation, controls, materials and project. It also requires considerable
management and coordination skills.
▪ The objective is to design and construct a plant in a cost-effective manner that
will meet the process requirements and client specifications and that will
operate in a safe reliable manner. Other factors to be considered in the design
of process plants are:
▪ Short design, engineering and construction schedules and getting the plant on stream as
quickly as possible.
▪ Minimizing or even eliminating field rework, which significantly increases plant
construction costs.
▪ Constructability.
▪ Maintainability.
▪ Operability.
▪ Satisfying environmental requirements.
▪ Minimizing costs.
• Development and refinement of “Plot Plans”. Plot plans are representations of precise
location of equipment and their associated infrastructure (foundations, ladders, platforms
etc.). Plot plans are developed taking into consideration process, client and safety
requirements. Plant coordinates are used extensively in specifying equipment locations
• Establishing equipment nozzle locations. Nozzles are components of equipment that connect
to pipe.
• Routing of pipes. This is a dynamic and iterative process until the equipment and nozzle
locations are finalized.
• Designing equipment ancillaries such as foundations, platforms, and stairways.
• Location of safety equipment such as fire hydrants and safety showers.
• Being cognizant of the location of structures, instruments, control valves, electrical raceways
and miscellaneous plant items while routing pipe.
THE SALIENT SKILLS AND QUALITIES
REQUIRED FOR PLANT LAYOUT AND
PIPING DESIGN ARE AS FOLLOWS:
• Sufficient knowledge of the process being used including function of each equipment. This information is obtained
from the process group in the form of “Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)”. PFDs are discussed in detail in Chapter 2.
• Knowledge of the operating and maintenance procedures used for equipment.
• Common sense and attention to detail.
• Ability to think creatively to solve layout problems and challenges.
• Ability to think and visualize spatial relationships between plant items in three dimensions.
• Ability to effectively use computer tools such as 3D modeling software and pipe stress analysis software.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to function effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary project team.
• Effectively communicate and resolve layout issues and problems with project management.
• Ability to produce, maintain and update project drawings and documents.
• Awareness that conscientious, quality effort during the design and engineering phase can shorten project schedules
resulting in economic benefits and client goodwill.
DATA USED IN PLANT LAYOUT AND
PIPING DESIGN
▪ Massive amounts of data is generated and used in plant layout and
piping design. Proper management of plant data is necessary to ensure
data accessibility and data integrity, which in turn contributes to the
overall quality of the project. Plant data can be classified into three
categories.
▪ Project data consists of information such as plant location, local codes and
regulations, access roads, waterways, railways, seismic conditions, climate data
(average temperature, wind speed and direction, and rainfall).
▪ Design and engineering data is internally generated during the design and
engineering phases of the project. Examples of such data include equipment sizes,
service conditions (temperature, pressure etc.), and mass flow rates.
▪ Vendor data consists of information provided by equipment vendors by means of
vendor drawings and data sheets.
RULES OF THUMB FOR PLANT
LAYOUT AND PIPING DESIGN
▪ The approach to plant layout and piping design can vary depending on the nature of the plant and
the project. For example, the design philosophy for an offshore facility is quite different from that
for an onshore chemical plant simply because of limited space available on offshore platforms.
However, there are a few useful rules of thumb that can be followed.
▪ Knowledge and understanding of project requirements and project documents.
▪ Conservation of space and resources.
▪ Arrangement of equipment in a neat, organized manner taking into account process needs and safety.
▪ Attention to detail including adjacent equipment, supports and other items, which can cause potential
clashes between piping and equipment/supports.
▪ Consideration of constructability, operability and maintainability of the plant.
▪ Routing of pipe in a neat, orderly and symmetrical manner keeping in mind the future needs of the plant.
▪ Avoiding excessive changes in elevations and directions.
▪ Ensuring consistency in design.
▪ Avoiding excessive amounts of relocations and revisions by “doing it right the first time”.
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED IN
PLANT LAYOUT AND PIPING DESIGN
• N,S,E,W: North, South, East and West • UG: Underground
• CL: Centerline • f: Diameter
• El: Elevation • OD: Outside Diameter of pipe
• TOS: Top of Steel • ID: Inside Diameter of pipe
• BOP: Bottom of Pipe • TL: Tangent Line
• POS: Point of Support • TYP: Typical
• BBP: Bottom of Baseplate • PFD: Process Flow Diagram
• ISBL: Inside Battery Limits • P&ID: Piping and Instrumentation Diagram
• OSBL: Outside Battery Limits
• AG: Above Ground
▪ Front end engineering and design
▪ Detailed design and engineering
FRONT END ENGINEERING AND
DESIGN
▪ The complex task of designing and building process plants consists of several phases – design, engineering, procurement and
construction. The design phase itself consists of conceptual design, design study and detailed design. The conceptual design phase
starts with the Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and client specifications. The project scope is also defined during this phase. The working
documents used during this phase are the PFD and the Conceptual Plot Plan. Based on the PFD, a large chemical plant or offshore
production facility is sub-divided into several small, manageable areas. A Plot Plan is then generated for each area. Boundary limits
for each area are specified using spatial coordinates. The boundaries are known as match lines and play an important role in
combining the smaller areas. In offshore platforms, plot plans are generated for each deck of the platform. The outcome of the
conceptual design phase is usually preliminary sizes and locations of major equipment, which results in the plot plan for use during
the design study phase.
▪ The design study phase plot plan is reviewed and discussed by the client and by the project disciplines. Vessel supports and ancillaries
are located during this phase. Preliminary routing of major lines also takes place during this phase. The outcome of the design study
phase is a final plot plan and a preliminary Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID). The P&ID contains details and specifications of
all equipment, piping, fittings, instrumentation and control valves. The P&ID also contains references to detailed drawings of
equipment. The P&ID serves as the primary reference document in communication between engineering and design personnel in all
disciplines. Thus, the P&ID is an important working document in the design and engineering of process plants and piping
systems. The final plot plan and the P&ID must be approved by all disciplines including safety and loss control.
▪ The conceptual design and design study phases together constitute the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase of the project.
The P&ID, plot plans and elevations are used in building a three dimensional electronic model of the process plant. This 3-D model
will contain all the components of the plant including equipment, piping, fittings, control stations and support structures. In recent
years, the ability to build 3-D electronic models has been greatly enhanced due to advancements in computer hardware and software.
 DETAILED DESIGN AND
▪
ENGINEERING
The FEED phase is followed by the detailed design and engineering phase where every piece of equipment and every component of piping systems is finalized and specified for
procurement. During this phase, piping isometric drawings known as “Issued-For Design (IFD)” drawings are generated for analysis and comment by piping engineers and
engineers from other disciplines whose input is required. The IFD drawings are pictorial representations of the piping system and allied components containing all dimensional
information. Piping engineers primarily use the IFD drawings for the following purposes:
• Pipe Stress Analysis: The piping systems are analyzed for stress and load to ensure that the pipes are not overstressed (both under installed and operating conditions) and are
adequately supported. In many cases, piping systems need to have enough flexibility to allow for thermal expansion. Pipe stress analysis also includes computing loads and
stresses on equipment nozzles and ensuring that they are within the allowable limits specified by applicable standards and codes. Pipe stress analysis is performed with the aid of
stress analysis software.
• Code compliance: The code that governs the design of piping systems for process plants is ASME B31.3: Process Piping. Piping engineers are responsible for interpreting the code
using sound engineering judgment to ensure that the proposed design meets the code requirements.
• Piping material specifications: The piping engineer is responsible for specifying appropriate materials for the pipes. In accomplishing this task, the piping engineer takes into
account operating conditions such as the pressure and temperature and also the chemical nature of the fluid being transported. Piping material specification is a very time
consuming task but it is very important to specify the right material to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the plant.
▪ The 3-D model is an extremely useful design tool that can be used by all disciplines during the detailed design and engineering phase. The 3-D model is constantly referenced
during design review meetings and discussions. These meetings occur frequently and involve all the engineering disciplines and the client. The 3-D model is also useful in clash
detection and interference checking. This process saves considerable money and effort by minimizing field rework and field rerouting of pipes. An engineering database is also
generated as part of the electronic model. This database is useful in purchasing and procurement functions. As the design is reviewed and updated, so is the 3-D model.
▪ After the detailed design and engineering phase, piping isometric fabrication drawings (also known as spool drawings) along with material specifications are issued for creating the
required piping spools. Simultaneously, procurement lists are generated for fittings, instrumentation and other items in the piping system from the engineering database. The
procurement lists are used for purchasing the items and contain all the information required to accomplish this task. The procurement lists are also known as “Bill of Materials
(BOM)” or “Material Take-off”.
▪ Foundations, structural members and major equipment are put in place using civil/structural drawings, equipment drawings, the 3-D model and other documents. Now the stage
is set for the installation of the piping system. Drawings and documents known as “Issued for Construction (IFC)” are used for this purpose. Construction personnel assemble and
install the piping system by using IFC drawings and documents.
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN PROVIDING
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR PLANT
LAYOUT AND PIPING DESIGN
• American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME): Publishes and updates codes for piping design. The code
relevant to the design of piping systems is ASME B31.3 – 2004 Process Piping. (www.asme.org)
• Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS): Publishes documents and guidelines related to process safety. The focus
is on preventing or mitigating catastrophic releases of chemicals, hydrocarbons, and other hazardous materials.
CCPS has published guidelines for “Facility Siting and Layout”. (www.aiche.org/ccps)
• Construction Industry Institute (CII): Provides guidelines for cost effective and safe construction methods and has
several publications on constructability. (www.construction-institute.org)
• Society of Piping Engineers and Designers (SPED): Promotes excellence and quality in the practice of piping
engineering and design. SPED emphasizes education and training and has certification programs for piping
designers. (www.spedweb.org)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Provides regulations and safety standards for the operation
of process plants. (www.osha.gov)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): Provides fire protection standards for process plants and for gas storage
and handling. (www.nfpa.org)
▪ Plumbing Code of the Philippines
▪ Philippine Mechanical Code
▪ Building Code of the Philippines
▪ Fire Code of the Philippines
▪ Plant layout means the disposition of the various facilities (equipments, material,
manpower, etc.) and services of the plant within the area of the site selected
previously. Plant layout begins with the design of the factory building and goes up to
the location and movement of a work table. All the facilities like equipments, raw
materials, machinery, tools, futures, workers, etc. are given a proper place. In deciding
the place for equipment, the supervisors and workers who have to operate them
should be consulted.
 OBJECTIVES OF GOOD PLANT
LAYOUT
▪ Material handling and transportation is minimized and efficiently controlled.
▪ Bottlenecks and points of congestions are eliminated (by line balancing) so that the
raw material and semi-finished goods move fast from one work station to another.
▪ Work stations are designed suitably and properly.
▪ Suitable spaces are allocated to production centers and service centers.
▪ The movements made by the workers are minimized.
▪ Waiting time of the semi-finished products is minimized.
▪ Working conditions are safer, better (well ventilated rooms, etc.) and improved.
▪ There is increased flexibility for changes in product design and for future expansion.
▪ There is the utilization of cubic space (i.e., length, width and height).
▪ There are improved work methods and reduced production cycle times.
▪ Plant maintenance is simpler.
▪ There is increased productivity and better product quality with reduced capital cost.
▪ A good layout permits materials to move through the plant at the desired speed with
the lowest cost.
PRINCIPLES OF PLANT
LAYOUT
▪ Integration
▪ Minimum Movements and Material Handling
▪ Smooth and Continuous Flow
▪ Cubic Space Utilization
▪ Safe and Improved Environments
▪ Flexibility
INTEGRATION
It means the integration of production centers facilities like workers, machinery, raw
material etc., in a logical and balanced manner.
MINIMUM MOVEMENTS AND
MATERIAL HANDLING
The number of movements of workers and materials should be minimized. It is better to
transport materials in optimum bulk rather than in small amounts.
SMOOTH AND
CONTINUOUS FLOW
▪ Bottlenecks, congestion points and back tracking should be removed by proper line
balancing techniques.
CUBIC SPACE
UTILIZATION
Besides using the floor space of a room, if the ceiling height is also utilized, more
materials can be accommodated in the same room. Boxes or bags containing raw
material or goods can be stacked one above the other to store more items in the same
room. Overhead material handling equipment save a lot of valuable floor space.
SAFE AND IMPROVED
ENVIRONMENTS
Working places-safe, well ventilated and free from dust, noise, fumes, odours, and other
hazardous conditions decidedly increase the operating efficiency of the workers and
improve their morale. All this leads to satisfaction amongst the workers and thus better
employer- employee relations.
FLEXIBILITY
In automotive and other industries where models of products change after some time, it
is better to permit all possible flexibility in the layout. The machinery is arranged in
such a way that the changes of the production process can be achieved at the least cost
or disturbance.
▪ Process Layout
▪ Product Layout
▪ Combination Layout
▪ Fixed Position Layout
PROCESS LAYOUT
▪ It is also known as functional layout and is characterised by keeping similar machines
or similar operations at one location (place). In other words, all lathes will be at one
place, all milling machines at another and so on, that is machines have been arranged
according to their functions. This type of layout is generally employed for industries
engaged in job order production and non-repetitive kind of maintenance or
manufacturing activities.
ADVANTAGES
▪ Wide flexibility exists as regards allotment of work to equipment and workers.
▪ Better utilization of the available equipment.
▪ Comparatively less number of machines are needed, thus involving reduced capital
investment.
▪ Better product quality, because the supervisors and workers attend to one type of
machines and operations.
▪ Varieties of jobs coming as different job orders make the work more interesting for the
workers.
▪ Workers in one section are not affected by the nature of the operations carried out in
another section. For example, a lathe operator is not affected by the rays of the
welding as the two sections are quite separate.
DISADVANTAGES OF
PROCESS LAYOUT (WHEN
COMPARED WITH PRODUCT
LAYOUT):
For the same amount of production, process layout needs more space.
▪
▪ Automatic material handling is extremely difficult.
▪ More material-in-process remains in queue for further operations.
▪ Completion of same product takes more time.
▪ Work-in-process inventory is large.
▪ Production control becomes difficult.
▪ Raw material has to travel larger distances for being processed to finished goods. This
increases material handling and the associated costs.
PRODUCT LAYOUT
▪ It is also known as line (type) layout. It implies that various operations on raw
material are performed in a sequence and the machines are placed along the product
flow line, i.e., machines are arranged in the sequence in which the raw material will be
operated upon. This type of layout is preferred for continuous production, i.e.,
involving a continuous flow of in-process material towards the finished product stage.
Figure 4.2 shows a product type of layout.
▪ Raw material from the store is fed to three lines X,
Y and Z.
▪ Material in X line gets processed on machines
D,E,F and G and meets material of Y line after it
has been processed on the main assembly line
machines A & B.
▪ Products of X and Y lines are assembled at W and
get processed on machines H and I till another part
comes from Z line and assembles with the main
product at V.
▪ After that the total assembly gets worked on
machines M, N, O and P and goes to the stock
room. (The inspection phase has not been shown in
the layout).
ADVANTAGES
▪ Less space requirements for the same volume of production.
▪ Automatic material handling, lesser material handling movements, times and costs.
▪ Less in-process inventory.
▪ Product completes in lesser time.
▪ Better co-ordination and simple production planning and control.
▪ Smooth and continuous work flow.
▪ Less skilled workers may serve the purpose.
 DISADVANTAGES AS
COMPARED WITH PROCESS
▪ LAYOUT
Since the specified product determines the layout, a change in product involves major
changes in layout and thus the layout flexibility is considerably reduced.
▪ The pace or rate of working depends upon the output rate of the slowest machine. This
involves excessive idle time for other machines if the production line is not adequately
balanced.
▪ Machines being scattered along the line, more machines of each type have to be purchased
for keeping a few as stand by, because if one machine in the line fails, it may lead to shut
down of the complete production line. This is how product layout involves higher capital
investments.
▪ Though it involves less supervision as compared to process layout, sometimes it
(inspection) becomes difficult when one inspector has to look after many (say all welding)
machines in two or more production lines.
▪ It is difficult to increase production beyond the capacities of the production lines.
COMBINATION LAYOUT
▪ A combination of process and product layouts combines the advantages of the both
types of layouts. Moreover, these days pure product or process layouts are rare. Most
of the manufacturing sections are arranged in process layout with manufacturing lines
occurring here and there (scattered) wherever the conditions permit. A combination
layout is possible where an item is being made in different types and sizes.
▪ In such cases machinery is arranged in a process layout but the process grouping (a
group of number of similar machines) is then arranged in a sequence to manufacture
various types and sizes of products. The point to note is that, no matter the product
varies in size and type, the sequence of operations remain same or similar. Figure 4.3
shows a combination type of layout for manufacturing different sized gears.
▪ A combination layout is also useful when a number of items are produced in same
sequence but none of the items are to be produced in bulk and thus no item justifies
for an individual and independent production line. For example, files, hacksaws,
circular metal saws, wood saws, etc. can be manufactured on a combination type of
layout.
FIXED POSITION LAYOUT
▪ Layout by fixed position of the product is inherent in ship building, aircraft
manufacture (Fig. 4.4) and big pressure vessels fabrication. In other types of layouts
discussed earlier, the product moves past stationary production equipment, whereas
in this case the reverse applies; men and equipment are moved to the material, which
remains at one place and the product is completed at that place where the material
lies.
ADVANTAGES
▪ It is possible to assign one or more skilled workers to a project from start to finish in
order to ensure continuity of work.
▪ It involves least movement of materials.
▪ There is maximum flexibility for all sorts of changes in product and process.
▪ A number of quite different projects can be taken with the same layout.
DISADVANTAGES
▪ It usually involves a low content of work-in-progress.
▪ There appears to be low utilization of labour and equipment.
▪ It involves high equipment handling costs.