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KLM Technology
Group Engineering Solutions Rev: 01

Practical Engineering
Guidelines for Processing
Plant Solutions
Consulting, Guidelines and Training
REV 01 – August 2020
www.klmtechgroup.com

Co Authors

KLM Technology Group

Kolmetz Handbook
Rev 01 – Apriliana
P. O. Box 281 Of Process Equipment Design Dwijayanti
Bandar Johor Bahru,
80000 Johor Bahru, Johor,
West Malaysia
PROCESS PLANT LAYOUT
Author / Editor
ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINES
Karl Kolmetz

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 5

Scope ................................................................................................................ 5

General Design Consideration ....................................................................... 6

DEFINITION ....................................................................................................... 25

REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 30

THEORY ............................................................................................................. 31

TYPES OF PLANT LAYOUT .......................................................................... 32

PLANT LAYOUT ............................................................................................. 36

Area Arrangement ...................................................................................... 36

Roadways.................................................................................................... 38
Pipe racks and Sleepers ............................................................................ 38
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Layout of Control Room and Electrical Sub-Station ............................... 42
Fire Fighting Requirements ....................................................................... 43
Building Requirements .............................................................................. 44
Access Requirements ................................................................................ 44
Preparation of Plot Plan Drawing .............................................................. 45

EQUIPMENT LAYOUT.................................................................................... 46

General ........................................................................................................ 46
Basic Design Considerations .................................................................... 52
Towers ......................................................................................................... 55
Reactors ...................................................................................................... 56
Tank storage ............................................................................................... 56
Air intakes and discharges ........................................................................ 62
Compressors .............................................................................................. 62
Pumps ......................................................................................................... 64
Drums .......................................................................................................... 65
Fired Equipment (Furnaces) ...................................................................... 66
Heat Exchangers ........................................................................................ 67
Electrical Unit sub-station and Critical Electric Switch Racks ............... 70

LAYOUT OF PIPING ....................................................................................... 72

General ........................................................................................................ 72
Requirements and Design Criteria ............................................................ 73

UTILITIES........................................................................................................ 75

OFFSITE FACILITIES ..................................................................................... 81

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Tank Farm ................................................................................................... 81
Loading and Unloading Facilities ............................................................. 82

SPACING ........................................................................................................ 82

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1. Typical Site Plant .............................................................................. 19 

Figure 2. A typical preliminary layout ............................................................. 31 
Figure 3. A Pictorial Representation of Product Layout ................................ 33 
Figure 4. A Pictorial Representation of Process Layout ............................... 34 
Figure 5. A Pictorial Representation of Fixed Location Layout .................... 36 
Figure 6. Single Rack Type .............................................................................. 40 
Figure 7. Comb Type Layout ............................................................................ 40 
Figure 8. Double Comb Type Layout ............................................................... 41 
Figure 9. U Type Layout ................................................................................... 42 
Figure 10. Pressure storage vessels spacing ................................................ 59 
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LIST OF TABLE

Table 1. Table Layout and Process Development Engineering Checklist ... 11 
Table 2. Spacing at refineries, chemicals, petrochemicals and gas plants
for buildings recommended by OIA ................................................................ 82 
Table 3. OIA General recommendations for spacing in refineries................ 84 
Table 4. OIA General recommendations for spacing in petrochemical plants
............................................................................................................................ 87 
Table 5. OIA General recommendations for spacing in gas plants .............. 90 
Table 6. Proximity of refrigerated storage vessels to boundaries and other
facilities ............................................................................................................. 93 
Table 7. Proximity of atmospheric storage tanks to boundaries and other
facilities ............................................................................................................. 94 
Table 8. Proximity of atmospheric storage tanks to each others ................. 96 
Table 9. Proximity of nonrefrigerated - pressure storage vessels/drums to
boundaries and other facilities ........................................................................ 97 
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Guidelines for
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INTRODUCTION

Scope

A plant layout substantially varies according to a client-specified economics,

process requirements, operation philosophy and maintenance method.
Consequently, this specification, which reflects the client’s intent, is intended to
help eliminate layout design difference among individual engineers and also to
help minimize recycle work at subsequent stages. However, application of this
specification is not simple.

Plant layout improvement, could be one of the tools to response to increasing

industrial productivities. Plant layout design has become a fundamental basis of
today’s industrial plants which can influence parts of work efficiency. It is needed
to appropriately plan, and position employees, materials, machines, equipment,
and other manufacturing supports and facilities to create the most effective plant
layout.

A good plant layout is designed to offer competitive advantage to manufacturers

by enhancing the flow processes of inventory and information, thereby leading to
reduction in manufacturing cost and improved productivity.

This engineering design guideline describes the guidelines for the layout of plot
areas, equipment, pipe racks, piping, platforms, roadways, and other
miscellaneous items. Layout includes equipment location, access and egress for
personnel safety, access for operations and maintenance, and provisions for
operational housekeeping and constructability.
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General Design Consideration

Little adjustments in the position of machines and equipment in a manufacturing

plant can greatly alter the easy flow of materials; this also affects the production
costs and efficiency of the entire manufacturing process. The inability to get
manufacturing processes right leads to delays, inflexibility, inefficiency, excess
inventory, high costs, low product quality, and unhappy customers. Modifying an
ineffective layout is quite expensive; hence the need to design a functional plant
layout right from the onset.

The purpose of plant layout and siting is to provide considerations for safety
aspects that could be affected by the location and layout of plant containing
equipment with respect to workers, environmental receptors and the surrounding
community.

Some of the goals of designing plant layouts are to achieve a minimum amount of
materials handling, reduce bottlenecks, minimize machine interference, and also
enhance flexibility, throughput, safety, and employee’s morale. To achieve
optimum layout effectiveness when designing a plant layout, many factors of
operation need to be seriously considered.

The design layout of equipment is an important factor to consider for both new
construction and expansions. For existing operations, this is also important, but
the review approach might be different because the equipment is already fixed in
location. Aspects relevant to design layout include proximity to populated buildings,
other operations and surrounding community. Consider any occupied temporary
facilities such as trailers used during construction, maintenance activities and
office space.

Siting means conducting a review of the location of equipment and piping with
regard to:

1) possible impact on human or environmental receptors, or

2) where other plant operations could have impact on the dangerous equipment.

In case one, for example, design layout might consider such items as predominant
wind direction and populated areas down wind.
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In case two, the considerations might include items such as any flammable or
potential explosive processes, which - if an event occurred - could have impact on
the dangerous equipment.

The alternative methodology is to develop spacing distances for the site’s specific
layout and process parameters through fire, toxic, and explosion consequence
modeling. Given the large numbers of equipment pieces involved in a site layout,
this can be a time-consuming endeavor. Computer programs are available to
facilitate these calculations. The basic steps when taking this approach are shown
below.

1 Identify the hazards inherent in the process unit

2 Identify the consequences that could result from incidents involving the
hazards
3 Calculate the fire, explosion, and/or toxic impacts on exposed process or off-
site equipment, populations, facilities and adjacent areas.
4 Based on the calculations, estimate the spacing distance required to minimize
the consequences of these impacts on the exposed equipment.
5 This distance provides the minimum separation required.
6 Identify opportunities to prevent the incidents
7 Identify the opportunities to mitigate the consequences of incidents.
8 Again, evaluate the spacing distances.

Plot plan is classified into two categories. The first category is a general plot plan
and the second is a unit plot plan (equipment layout).

Plant location and site selection

The location of the plant can have a crucial effect on the profitability of a project
and the scope for future expansion. The principal factors to consider are

1. Marketing area;
2. Raw material supply;
3. Transport facilities;
4. Availability of labor;
5. Availability of utilities: water, fuel, power;
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6. Availability of suitable land;
7. Environmental impact, including effluent disposal;
8. Local community considerations;
9. Climate;
10. Political and strategic considerations.

Marketing Area

For materials that are produced in bulk quantities, such as cement, mineral acids,
and fertilizers, where the cost of the product per metric ton is relatively low and the
cost of transport is a significant fraction of the sales price, the plant should be
located close to the primary market. This consideration is much less important for
low-volume production and high-priced products, such as pharmaceuticals.

Raw Materials

The availability and price of suitable raw materials will often determine the site
location. Plants that produce bulk chemicals are best located close to the source
of the major raw material, as long as the costs of shipping product are not greater
than the cost of shipping feed.

Transport

The transport of materials and products to and from the plant can be an overriding
consideration in site selection. If practicable, a site should be selected that is close
to at least two major forms of transport: road, rail, waterway (canal or river), or a
sea port. Road transport is increasingly used and is suitable for local distribution
from a central warehouse. Rail transport is usually cheaper for the long-distance
transport of bulk chemicals. Air transport is convenient and efficient for the
movement of personnel and essential equipment and supplies, and the proximity
of the site to a major airport should be considered.

Availability of Labor

Labor will be needed for construction of the plant and its operation. Skilled
construction workers are usually brought in from outside the site area, but there
should be an adequate pool of unskilled labor available locally, and labor suitable
for training to operate the plant. Skilled craft workers such as electricians, welders,
and pipe fitters will be needed for plant maintenance. Local labor laws, trade union
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customs, and restrictive practices must be considered when assessing the
availability and suitability of the local labor for recruitment and training.

Utilities

Chemical processes invariably require large quantities of water for cooling and
general process use, and the plant must be located near a source of water of
suitable quality. Process water may be drawn from a river, from wells, or purchased
from a local authority. At some sites, the cooling water required can be taken from
a river or lake, or from the sea; at other locations cooling towers will be needed.
Electrical power is needed at all sites. Electrochemical processes (for example,
chlorine manufacture or aluminum smelting) require large quantities of power and
must be located close to a cheap source of power. A competitively priced fuel must
be available on site for steam and power generation.

Environmental Impact and Effluent Disposal

All industrial processes produce waste products, and full consideration must be
given to the difficulties and cost of their disposal. The disposal of toxic and harmful
effluents will be covered by local regulations, and the appropriate authorities must
be consulted during the initial site survey to determine the standards that must be
met. An environmental impact assessment should be made for each new project
or major modification or addition to an existing process

Local Community Considerations

The proposed plant must fit in with and be acceptable to the local community. Full
consideration must be given to the safe location of the plant so that it does not
impose a significant additional risk to the local population. Plants should generally
be sited so as not to be upwind of residential areas under the prevailing wind. On
a new site, the local community must be able to provide adequate facilities for the
plant personnel: schools, banks, housing, and recreational and cultural facilities.

The local community must also be consulted about plant water consumption and
discharge and the effect of the plant on local traffic. Some communities welcome
new plant construction as a source of new jobs and economic prosperity. More
affluent communities generally do less to encourage the building of new
manufacturing plants and in some cases may actively discourage chemical plant
construction.
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Land (Site Considerations)

Sufficient suitable land must be available for the proposed plant and for future
expansion. The land should ideally be flat, well drained, and have suitable load-
bearing characteristics. A full site evaluation should be made to determine the
need for piling or other special foundations. Particular care must be taken when
building plants on reclaimed land near the ocean in earthquake zones because of
the poor seismic character of such land.

Climate

Adverse climatic conditions at a site will increase costs. Abnormally low

temperatures require the provision of additional insulation and special heating for
equipment and pipe runs. Stronger structures are needed at locations subject to
high winds (cyclone/hurricane areas) or earthquakes.

Political and Strategic Considerations

Capital grants, tax concessions, and other inducements are often given by
governments to direct new investment to preferred locations, such as areas of high
unemployment. The availability of such grants can be the overriding consideration
in site selection. In a globalized economy, there may be an advantage to be gained
by locating the plant within an area with preferential tariff agreements.

The process engineer has an important responsibility in site selection as well as

plant layout, since many of the decisions regarding physical location of buildings
and associated equipment require knowledge of what is taking place in the
operation as well as the hazardous factors of explosion, fire, toxicity, and so on.
The process engineer is usually called upon to describe the process requirements
and limitation to the other engineers – civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and
instrument. By progressively discussing the process others can note the
requirements, which might affect the normal or routine design approach to each
phase of the project.

This review must not be limited to the design aspects of the engineering but rather
must describe how the plant is to operate and how product is to be shipped, stored,
and so on. After the project begins to take shape and preliminary layouts of the
overall as well as sections of the plant are partially completed, design work by the
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other phases of engineering will require the answering of questions as well as the
evaluation of details of a particular phase as they are related to the process
performance. A general checklist of factors, which usually needs reviewing for the
proper layout considerations of chemical and petrochemical plants, is given in
Table below.

Table 1. Table Layout and Process Development Engineering Checklist

SITE 1. Ground contour and its relation to general orientation

of buildings and equipment.
2. Drainage and waste disposal, details to prevent
erosion.
3. Set plant elevations: floor elevations of buildings and
bottom of steel footings for equipment and large
storage tanks.
4. Location of any existing or probable locations for new
railroads, roads, power lines and power sources,
telephone lines, water supply, residential, and/or
industrial buildings or structures.
5. Legal Requirements and Permits.
a. Rights of way for pipe crossing of road, highway,
railroad, rivers, canals, etc.
b. Easements of pipe lines, power lines, etc.
c. C.A.A. approval on airports, and for construction
and painting of structures in certain areas in airport
vicinity.
d. Underground storage wells for chemical and
hydrocarbon products.
e. Railroad approval of road crossings, additions to
existing facilities, automatic railroad gates,
required state, and railroad clearances.
f. Navigable stream requirements and permits
CLIMATE 1. Prevailing wind; locate hazardous vents, burning
flares, waste burning pits, waste settling ponds down-
wind of plant proper.
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2. Nature of climate. Consider seasonal and daily
temperature variations, dust, fog, tornados, hurricanes,
earthquakes.
3. Define duration of conditions for design. Determine
from US Weather Bureau yearly statistics for above, as
well as rainfall. Establish if conditions for earthquakes,
hurricanes prevail. For stormy conditions, structural
design for 100 mi/h winds usually sufficient. For
hurricanes, winds of 125 mi/h may be design basis.
4. Corrosion. Plants located close (within 100 ft) to seas,
oceans, bays, lakes encounter more severe corrosion
than if located one-fourth mile or more away. Some
highly industrial areas are more corrosive than rural or
non-industrial locations..
5. Pollution of Air and water. Determine allowable limits
for atmospheric vent as well as liquid wastes. Consider
neutralization.
6. Determine federal, state, and local regulations and
effect of climatic conditions on dispersion.
UTILITIES AND 1. Sources and methods of transportation and packaging.
RAW MATERIALS a. Water: potable, service, brackish, sea or ocean,
cooling tower.
b. Steam: condensate disposal, feed-water make-up
c. Gas: (1) Process; may not be odorized (2) Fuel;
odorized
d. Oil: fuel, lubrication (or Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
e. Air: (1) Utility (2) Instrument; must be dry below
lowest equivalent dew point to prevent moisture
condensation and freezing.
f. Power
2. Warehouse receiving and storage: drum, boxes,
carboys for raw processing materials as well as
laboratory control and testing chemicals.
PRODUCT 1. Conditions for pipe line transfer of product to user or
SHIPMENTS customer.
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2. Warehouse conditions for bagging, boxing, crating,
palletizing, and methods of shipment (trailer truck, box
car, tank car, hopper or special car). Consider in-transit
and turnaround time to determine number in use.
GENERAL 1. Use of models
LAYOUT 2. Maintenance considerations associated with each
building, process area and equipment. Consider
a. access for cranes and trucks
b. work space for local repairs
c. operating conditions of adjacent parts of process
to allow local repairs.
3. Initial construction sequence and problems.
4. Materials of construction for buildings.
5. Roads: paving, width.
6. Basic pattern for concrete, gravel or asphalt paving or
work floors in operating and adjacent areas.
7. Fencing.
8. Plant guard or security system.
ELECTRICAL 1. Define plant areas handling hazardous and lethal
AND FREE materials and set rules for design considerations, such
HAZARDS as ventilation explosion, walls, etc. Flammable storage
materials may require enclosed dikes, foam systems
and the like.
2. Define plant areas requiring explosion-proof, drip-proof
and Open motor and associated electrical
components. Refer to National Electrical Code and
National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association
Standards.
3. Define areas and building to use wet and dry sprinklers
systems, foam systems, location to hand and hose fire
extinguishers, fire carts, fire engines.
4. Define location of fire walls, fire hydrants.
5. Review layout for fire equipment access, and
secondary and emergency exit roads from each area.
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6. Review entire fire and other hazards program with
insurance representatives. Industrial insurance
companies have excellent facilities for evaluating the
associated problems.
Safety 1. Special design problems for emergency handling of
Requirements dangerous or lethal materials.
2. Safety as it is reflected in factors of safety in design of
pressure vessels, pressure testing of piping and
vessels, use of API, ASME and ISA Codes; Code
Stamps on equipment.
3. Areas requiring safety showers and eye wash stations.
4. Design and selection philosophy for use of safety
devices for pressure relief and alarm.
5. Inside block valves on acid and caustic storage
vessels.
6. Emergency power and other facilities to control safe
operation or shut-down.
FUTURE 1. Define areas of future growth and associated space
GROWTH requirements.
2. Correlate future expansion plans to required utilities
and raw materials as related to economics of required
installation.
3. Consider spare equipment, present and future.

Site layout

The process units and ancillary buildings should be laid out to give the most
economical flow of materials and personnel around the site. Hazardous processes
must be located at a safe distance from other buildings. Consideration must also
be given to the future expansion of the site.
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The basic objective of the layout decision is to ensure a smooth flow of work,
material, people, and information through the system. Effective layouts also:

1 Minimize material handling costs; Material handling and internal transportation

from one operation to the next is minimized and efficiently controlled.
2 Utilize space efficiently. Should utilize the space most effectively; may be
cubical utilization.
3 Utilize labor efficiently. Should provide worker’s convenience, promote job
satisfaction and safety for them.
4 Eliminate bottlenecks; The production bottle necks and points of congestions
are to be eliminated so that input raw materials and semi-finished parts move
fast from one work station to another.
5 Facilitate communication and interaction between workers, between workers
and their supervisors, or between workers and customers;
6 Reduce manufacturing cycle time and customer service time;
7 Eliminate wasted or redundant movement. Should avoid unnecessary
investment of capital.
8 Facilitate the entry, exit, and placement of material, products, and people;
9 Incorporate safety and security measures;
10 Promote product and service quality;
11 Encourage proper maintenance activities;
12 Provide a visual control of operations or activities;
13 Provide flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.
14 Should provide overall satisfaction to all concerned.
15 Should provide high work in process turnover.
16 Should help in effective utilization of labor.
17 Should lead to increased productivity and better quality of the product with
reduced capital cost.
18 Should provide space for future expansion of the plant.
19 Should provide proper lighting and ventilation of the areas of work stations
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The ancillary buildings and services required on a site, in addition to the main
processing units (buildings), include

1 Storage for raw materials and products: tank farms and warehouses;
2 Maintenance workshops;
3 Stores, for maintenance and operating supplies;
4 Laboratories for process quality control;
5 Fire stations and other emergency services;
6 Utilities: steam boilers, compressed air, power generation, refrigeration,
transformer stations;
7 Effluent disposal plant: waste water treatment, solid and or liquid waste
collection;
8 Offices for general administration;
9 Canteens and other amenity buildings, such as medical centers;
10 Parking lots.

Whatever be the type of layout being contemplated the following factors are to be
considered because these factors have got significant influence on the design of
the layout.

1 Man Factor:
 Safety and working conditions.
 Man power requirements-skill level of workers, their number required and
their training program.
 Man power utilization in the plant.
 Human relations.

2 Material Factor:

It includes the various input materials like raw materials, semi-finished parts, and
materials in process scrap, finished products, packing materials, tools and other
services.
 Design and specifications of the product to be manufactured.
 Quantity and variety of products and materials.
 Physical and chemical characteristics of various inputs materials.
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 Component parts or material and their sequence of operations i.e. how they
go together to generate the final product.

3 Machinery Factor:

The operating machinery is also one of the most important factors therefore all the
information regarding equipment and the tools are necessary for inspection,
processing and maintenance etc.
 The processes and methods should be standardized first.
 Machinery and tools selections depend upon the type of process and
method, so proper machinery and other supporting equipment should be
selected on the basis of volume of production.
 Equipment utilization depends on the variation in production, requirements
and operating balance.
 Machines should be used to their optimum levels of speed, feed and depth
of cut.
 Machinery requirement is mostly based on the process/method.
 Maintenance of machines and replacement of parts is also important.

4 Movement Factor:

It mainly deals with the movement of men and materials. A good layout should
ensure short moves and should always tend towards completion of product. It also
includes interdepartmental movements and material handling equipment. This
includes the flow pattern reduction of unnecessary handling, space for movement
and analysis of handling methods.

5 Waiting Factor:

Whenever material or men is stopped, waiting occurs which costs money. Waiting
cost includes handling cost in waiting area, money tied up with idle material etc.
Waiting may occur at the receiving point, materials in process, between the
operations etc.

The important considerations in this case are:

 Location of storage or delay points.
 Method of storing.
 Space for waiting.
 Safeguard equipment for storing and avoiding delay.
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6 Service Factor:

It includes the activities and facilities for personnel such as fire protection, lighting,
heating and ventilation etc. Services for material such as quality control, production
control, services for machinery such as repair and maintenance and utilities like
power, fuel/gas and water supply etc.

7 Building Factor:

It includes outside and inside building features, shape of building, type of building
(single or multi-story) etc.

8 Flexibility Factor:

This includes consideration due to changes in material, machinery, process, man,

supporting activities and installation limitations etc. It means easy changing to new
arrangements or it includes flexibility and expendability of layouts.

When the preliminary site layout is roughed out, the process units are normally
sited first and arranged to give a smooth flow of materials through the various
processing steps, from raw material to final product storage. Process units are
normally spaced at least 30m apart; greater spacing may be needed for hazardous
processes.

The location of the principal ancillary buildings should then be decided. They
should be arranged so as to minimize the time spent by personnel in traveling
between buildings. Administration offices and laboratories, in which a relatively
large number of people will be working, should be located well away from
potentially hazardous processes. Control rooms are normally located adjacent to
the processing units, but those with potentially hazardous processes may have to
be sited at a safer distance.

The siting of the main process units determines the layout of the plant roads, pipe
alleys, and drains. Access roads to each building are needed for construction and
for operation and maintenance. Utility buildings should be sited to give the most
economical run of pipes to and from the process units.
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Figure 1. Typical Site Plant

Plant layout

The final plant layout combines the various engineering considerations for soil
conditions: drainage; railroad, truck and services access; receiving raw materials;
waste materials removal; effect of climate on outdoor versus indoor operations and
on types of structures; prevailing wind direction for vent as well as climate
moisture; corrosion; plant expansion and growth; access to public; and many other
general evaluation points. From these broad considerations the details are
developed to suit the particular plant process and the combined effects of the
location.

The economic construction and efficient operation of a process unit will depend on
how well the plant and equipment specified on the process flowsheet is laid out.
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The principal factors to be considered are

1. Economic considerations: construction and operating costs;

2. The process requirements;
3. Convenience of operation;
4. Convenience of maintenance;
5. Safety;
6. Future expansion;
7. Modular construction.

Costs

The cost of construction can be minimized by adopting a layout that gives the
shortest run of connecting pipe between equipment and the least amount of
structural steel work; however, this will not necessarily be the best arrangement
for operation and maintenance. To minimize cost, these should be considered:
1 Design of pipe rack structure for cost saving and to minimize pipe rack lengths
2 Minimize common duct lengths
3 Minimize piping lengths
4 Minimize cable lengths

Process Requirements

An example of the need to take into account process considerations is the need to
elevate the base of columns to provide the necessary net positive suction head to
a pump or the operating head for a thermosiphon reboiler. Below should be
considered in process requirement:
1 Relation between PFD and the equipment layout
2 Relation between the gravity flow lines and elevation of related equipment
3 Spaces between equipment

Operation

Equipment that needs to have frequent operator attention should be located

convenient to the control room. Valves, sample points, and instruments should be
located at convenient positions and heights. Sufficient working space and
headroom must be provided to allow easy access to equipment. If it is anticipated
that equipment will need replacement, then sufficient space must be allowed to
permit access for lifting equipment. Below should be considered in operation:
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1 Access ways for operator's access around each individual item of equipment
2 Location of entrances to structure ladders and the control room.
3 Considerations for patrol routes

Maintenance

Heat exchangers need to be sited so that the tube bundles can be easily withdrawn
for cleaning and tube replacement. Vessels that require frequent replacement of
catalyst or packing should be located on the outside of buildings. Equipment that
requires dismantling for maintenance, such as compressors and large pumps,
should be placed under cover.

Safety

Plant layout is often a compromise between a number of factors, including safety

aspects such as blast walls may be needed to isolate potentially hazardous
equipment and confine the effects of an explosion. At least two escape routes for
operators must be provided from each level in process buildings.

1 The geographical limitations of the site.

2 Location of fired equipment
3 Control rooms and their roadways
4 Locations of high pressure gas compressors
5 Location of large-capacity storage tanks containing hazardous and/or
flammable or explosive material
6 Location of pumps intended to handle flammable materials
7 Location of fired heater stacks
8 Escape way for emergency
9 Where spacing is reduced significantly, it’s necessary to compensate for the
increased degree of risk by providing additional safety facilities such as
firefighting equipment, water sprays, fire proofing, emergency shutdown
facilities, etc.
10 Familiarization with pertinent Environmental Regulations, (Local, National
and International), and how they might change is essential period to
conclusion of pre-project studies.
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11 Attention shall be given to the pertinent safety regulations, including health
and welfare needs.
12 Hazardous and flammable materials require special handling, which can take
up layout space.
13 If the process fluids are especially toxic, layout is affected by the need for
close chemical sewers and other protection measures. Security requirements
may require special layout design when the plant produces a high-value
product.
14 If a plant site is governed by particular building, piping, plumbing, electrical
and other codes, these can affect plant layout. Similar governing standards
and regulation in plant site affects the layout concept.
15 The distances for transfer of materials between plant and storage units to
reduce costs and risks.
16 Interaction with existing or planned facilities on site such as existing
roadways, drainage and utilities routings.
17 The spaces for plant operability and maintainability.
18 Preventing and/or mitigating the escalation of adjacent events (domino effect)
19 Ensure that safety within on-site and off-site occupied buildings is maintained

Plant Layout design techniques applicable to the reduction of the risks from release
of flammable or toxic materials include:

1 Locating the storage of flammable/toxic material outside process areas.

2 Locating hazardous plants away from main roadways through the site.

3 Fitting remote-actuated isolation valves where high inventories of

hazardous materials may be released into vulnerable areas.

4 Allowing for the provision of dykes and sloping terrain to contain releases,
increase the safety and reduce environmental effects.

5 Siting of plants within buildings as secondary containment.

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6 Siting of plants in an open air environment to ensure rapid dispersion of
minor releases of flammable gases and vapors and thus prevent
concentration build-up which may lead to flash fires and explosions.

7 Hazardous area classification for flammable gases, vapors and dusts to

designate areas where ignition sources should be eliminated.

Plant Expansion

Equipment should be located so that it can be conveniently tied in with any future
expansion of the process. Space should be left on pipe racks for future needs, and
service pipes should be oversized to allow for future requirements.

Modular Construction

In recent years there has been a move to assemble sections of a plant at the plant
manufacturer’s site. These modules include the equipment, structural steel, piping,
and instrumentation. The modules are then transported to the plant site, by road
or sea.

The advantages of modular construction are

1. Improved quality control;
2. Reduced construction cost;
3. Less need for skilled labor on site;
4. Less need for skilled personnel on overseas sites.

Some of the disadvantages are

1. Higher design costs;
2. More structural steel work;
3. More flanged connections;
4. Possible problems with assembly, on site;

Maximum flexibility - good plant layout should be easily modified in order to meet
up with the ever-changing demands of the customer and market.

1 Throughput – plant layouts should be designed to assist the business to attain

its production output at the shortest possible time, in order to ensure repeat
patronage and customer satisfaction.
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2 Efficient utilization of space – this entails the provision of sufficient space
around the machines and the traffic lanes, as well as ensuring that adequate
spaces are made available for storage points within the facility.
3 Ease of Communication – plant layouts should be designed to enhance
communication and easy flow of information among the various
departments/units, as well as the customers.
4 Promotional value – a well-designed layout enhances the image and
reputation of a company, thereby serving as a good promotional factor.
5 Safety – as the importance of safety in all human endeavors should not be
overemphasized, a good plant layout should be designed to function efficiently
and ensure that accidents and its causes are reduced to the barest minimum.
6 Maximum accessibility: the repairs and maintenance sections should be made
readily accessible. This implies that equipment and machines must not be
placed against the walls in order to ensure that maintenance and servicing
operations are easily undertaken.

 
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DEFINITION

ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Accessways - Travel ways that provide occasional access to equipment or
congested areas of a facility for maintenance, security, and firefighting vehicles.
Also known as tertiary roadways. constructability: Optimum use of construction
knowledge and experience in planning, design/engineering, procurement, and field
operations to achieve overall project objectives
Accumulator: a storage vessel for liquid refrigerant; also known as surge drum.

Bearing – Is a device to permit constrained relative motion between two parts,

typically rotation or linear movement. Compressors employ at least half a dozen
types of journal bearings. Essentially all of these designs consist of partial arc pads
having a circular geometry
Blow down - The process of releasing pressure in e.g. a refinery pressure vessel
by venting to atmosphere OR primary production of a crude oil or condensate
reservoir using the pressure of the associated gas
Boundary- Boundary of the equipment is the term used in a processing facility, by
an imaginary line that completely encompassed the defined site.
Casing - Steel pipe placed in an oil or gas well as drilling progresses to seal the
well and to prevent the wall of the hole caving in during drilling, to prevent seepage
of fluids, and to provide a means of extracting petroleum if the well is productive.
A number of casing strings (lengths) are used in decreasing diameters
Capacity - Is the water handling capability of a pump commonly expressed as
either gallon per minute (gal/min) or cubic meter per minute (m3/min).
Completion - Installation in a well of production tubing and equipment, wellhead
and Christmas Tree OR fulfilment of a contractual obligation
Compressor – A device that compressing the fluid to raise its pressure.

Concession - a license, lease, or other permit for exploration and/or production in

an area or block. It usually donates a government lease
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Condensate - Volatile liquid consisting of the heavier hydrocarbon fractions that
condense out of the gas as it leaves the well, a mixture of pentanes and higher
hydrocarbons. See also gas condensate.
Condenser: a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant, compressed to a suitable
pressure, is condensed by rejection of heat to a cooling medium.

Crude Oil - An unrefined mixture of naturally-occurring hydrocarbons. Because it

is essentially a mixture, the density and properties of Crude Oil vary widely. Light
Crude normally has an A.P.I. gravity of 30° or more. Gravities of 20° to 30° include
the medium gravity crudes, while those below 20° are known as Heavy. Heavy oils
are found right down to the residual solid state
Dike- Is an earth or concrete wall providing a specified liquid retention capacity.
Dirty service - Contains fluids that may contain particulates which can plug
passages or cause erosion or has materials for which containment must be
provided in the event of a spill
Diversion Wall- Is an earth or concrete wall which directs spills to a safe disposal
area.
Differential pressure - The difference between the pressure in a well due to the
mud column and the pressure in the surrounding rock at any point. See also
sticking.
Distillation - The process of heating and “flashing” or boiling off successive
fractions (component hydrocarbon substances) from a crude oil feedstock, or a
product of earlier distillation.
Downstream - a relative term (the opposite of “Upstream”) in oil industry
operations. For instance, a refinery is “downstream” of a crude oil production unit,
and a petrochemical unit, and a petrochemical plant usually downstream of a
refinery. The term has also come to mean all operations occurring after the delivery
or lifting of saleable quality crude or gas from the production unit or associated
delivery terminal.
Downtime - A period when any equipment is unserviceable or out of operation for
maintenance etc.
Elevators - A clamp used in a drilling rig to latch onto the grip drill pipe, casing etc
when lifting them.
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Exploration - The process of identifying a prospective hydrocarbon region and
structure, mainly by reference to regional, and specific geochemical, geological
and geophysical (seismic) surveys, including core testing, and the drilling of
wildcats.
Evaporator – A device used to turn the liquid into gaseous form. Heat exchanger
used to absorb heat energy.

Fire Resistive- Fire resistance rating, as the time in minutes or hours, that
materials or assemblies have withstand a fire exposure as established in
accordance with the test of NFPA 251.
Fired Heater Efficiency - The ratio of heat absorbed to heat fired, on a lower
heating value basis
Fines - Small particles of rock or other solid.
Fixed industrial stairs - This classification includes interior and exterior stairs
around machinery, tanks, and other equipment, and stairs leading to or from floors,
platforms, or pits.
Fixed ladders - A fixed ladder is a ladder permanently attached to a structure,
building, or equipment.
Flash Point - The lowest temperature at which a vapour will burn or explode when
ignited.
Flowline - The pipe through which produced fluid travels from a well to a manifold,
to processing equipment or to storage.
High Flash Stock- Are those having a closed cup flash point of 55°C or over (such
as heavy fuel oil, lubricating oils, transformer oils etc.). This category does not
include any stock that may be stored at temperatures above or within 8°C of its
flash point.
Induced Draft - Use of a fan to provide the additional draft required over that
supplied by the stack, to draw the flue gas through the convection section, and any
downstream heat recovery equipment.

Lower Heating Value (LHV) - The theoretical heat of combustion of a fuel, when
no credit is taken for the heat of condensation of water in the flue gas.
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Low-Flash Stocks- Are those having a closed cup flash point under 55°C such as
gasoline, kerosene, jet fuels, some heating oils, diesel fuels and any other stock
that may be stored at temperatures above or within 8°C of it’s flash point.
Main operating levels - Areas which, during plant operation, require plant
personnel to be continuously present or to be scheduled for presence at least once
every shift
Non-Combustible- Material incapable of igniting or supporting combustion.
Offsites - Equipment grouped outside a process unit battery limits (e.g., tanks,
loading/unloading facilities, cooling towers, flares, etc.)
Pipe Rack- The pipe rack is the elevated supporting structure used to convey
piping between equipment. This structure is also utilized for cable trays associated
with electric-power distribution and for instrument tray.
Pipelines / Lines - A network of lines generally transporting hydrocarbon -fluids
"from one facility (such as GC and BS) to another facility, terminal or storage such
as Tank Farm. For the purpose of this RP the pipelines I transit line are not
considered as flowlines.
Plant - A general term to describe a processing / operational unit on a given site.
Plot - An area of the site containing one or more process units, offsite and/or
tankage
Plot Plan- The plot plan is the scaled plan drawing of the processing facility.
Primary roadways -: Main traffic routes. Primary roadways provide access to
product shipping and receiving points and sufficient space for major maintenance
vehicles to pass. Primary roadways include all roadways typically used by large
trucks and cranes.
Process unit - A group of equipment performing a predetermined process
operation as defined by the enclosing battery limit lines. Battery limits are as shown
on the plot plan.
Quantitative Risk Assessment - A detailed qualitative and quantitative is to
evaluate / measure potential Likelihood and consequences of site-specific
scenarios of risks and associated hazards leading to human death, or injury,
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environmental damage or economic loss and their magnitude and then to compare
the findings with acceptance criteria.

Refrigerant – A substance that used as a medium to cool the process in

refrigeration system. the fluid used for heat transfer in a refrigeration system, which
absorbs heat at a low temperature and low pressure and rejects heat at a higher
temperature and a higher pressure.

Refrigeration – A process in which work is done to move heat from one

circumstances to the other environment. the heat transfer of heat from a lower
temperature region to a higher temperature one. A device called a refrigerator or
heat pump accomplishes refrigeration.

Secondary roadways - Secondary roadways provide access to equipment within

plant areas by maintenance vehicles (except cranes) and personnel vehicles.
Secondary roadways are not subject to high traffic loads.
Sleepers- The sleepers comprise the grade-level supporting structure for piping
between equipment for facilities, e.g., tank farm or other remote areas.
Tank Diameter- Where tank spacing is expressed in terms of tank diameter, the
following criteria governs: (a) If tanks are in different services, or different types of
tanks are used, the diameter of the tank which requires the greater spacing is used.
(b) If tanks are in similar services, the diameter of the largest tank is used
Tank Spacing- Is the unobstructed distance between tank shells, or between tank
shells and the nearest edge of adjacent equipment, property lines, or buildings.
Toe Wall- Is a low earth, concrete, or masonry unit curb without capacity
requirements for the retention of small leaks or spills
Vessel Diameter- Where vessel spacing is expressed in terms of vessel diameter,
the diameter of the largest vessel is used. For spheroids, the diameter at the
maximum equator is used.
Vessel Spacing- Is the unobstructed distance between vessel shells or between
vessel shells and nearest edge of adjacent equipment, property lines, or buildings.
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REFERENCES

1 Chemical Engineering Design Principles, Practice and Economics of Plant and

Process Design Gavin Towler Ray Sinnott, Elsevier Inc. 2008

2 Ludwig’s Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants. A.

Kayode Coker, Elsevier Inc. 2007

3 Center for Chemical Process Safety. Guidelines for Facility Siting and Layout.
American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 2003

4 Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, 1969. Ed. 6 National Safety
Council, Chicago, USA

5 Loss Prevention in the Process Industries — Frank P Lees, 2nd edition

6 K Kolmetz et al, Kolmetz Handbook of Process Equipment Design, Safety in

Process Equipment Design, Engineering Design Guidelines, 2014

7 K Kolmetz et al, Kolmetz Handbook of Process Equipment Design, Process

Safety Management, Engineering Design Guidelines, 2015

8 K Kolmetz et al, Kolmetz Handbook of Process Equipment Design, Safety Risk

Management and Loss Prevention, Engineering Design Guidelines, 2016