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Piping Coordination Systems
Piping Coordination Systems
Reference Points
Before beginning with making drawings for a new process plant or building, there must
be determine where the new building in the area will take his place. A coordination
system, which refers to an officially recognized point therefore is necessary.
In the Netherlands, for example, are thousands of official reference points, distributed
across the country ...search on the Internet on geographic coordinate conversion,
triangulation stations, benchmarks, geography or topography. You'll find a lot of
information about how reference points are measured and identified.
Horizontal Reference
Defining a starting point of the site related to the North / South direction, is one of the
first steps in setting up a coordination system.
In principle, with a simple reliable compass the direction of the magnetic north can to
be determined. In the image below the true north is at 18°. As a draftsman would work
with the true north coordinates, he will immediately find out that each line from west to
east and from north to south at an angle of 18° must be drawn.
To avoid this, a Plant North will be determined. In the example below, the true north,
18° is reversed, draftsmen and construction contractors will be grateful for it.
General there will be tried, to approach the true north-south coordinates as close as
possible.
A rule is, that the angle between true north and Plant North can not exceed 45°. At
50°, for example, the Plant North would be on the right side, so on the Eastern side of
the image.
Vertical Reference
Before starting with any building, the site is leveled (graded), what means that the
ground is made as flat as practically possible. After leveling we talking about "finished
grade", where the highest graded point is termed "high point of finished grade".
This highest point of finished grade refers to an official reference point on which all
vertical measurements are related. In the Netherlands, for example, many vertical
measurement are in relation to the "Normaal Amsterdams Peil" (NAP). If the field
compared to the NAP is 1 meter higher, usually the reference point will not become a
zero start of 1000 mm, but in this case a zero start at zero(0).
On a isometric view of a pipe line elevations are indicated by EL.109665 or EL.99450
etc..
What is meant by this vertical dimensions ?
The first EL.109665 you can read as: centerline of pipe is 9665 mm above zero
point
The second EL.99450 you can read as: centerline of pipe is 550 mm below zero
point
Well, the vertical zero point in this case is 100 meters (100000 mm), and this has the
advantage that no negative (minus) values on drawings need to be applied.
Remark(s) of the Author...
Center-Line and Elevation symbol
I have learned, to apply a centerline, a Elevation symbol and a Center-Line symbol to a
isometric.
Namely, the Center-Line symbol at the end of the centerline, and ON that line the
Elevation symbol, followed by the elevation-numbers.
Plot Plan
A Plot Plan is a scale drawing that gives an overview (top view) of the entire plant. All
roads, buildings, units, tank farms, employee entrance etc. will be given on a Plot Plan.
It also listed the true north and Plant north, port address, sometimes prevailing winds,
reference point(s), horizontal references etc..
You will understand that a whole process plant, usually can not be given on a readable
drawing. Therefore, a distinction is made between a Overall Plot Plan and a
Detailed Plot Plan.
IMAGINARY
The plan shows the whole 4th floor on a elevation of EL.129200. These elevation are
related to the upper part, Top of Concrete (T.O.C.) of the 4th floor of the FM-AREA, and
indicates a elevation of 29200 millimeters from the starting point (EL.100000) of the
process plant. Furthermore, it shows some equipment, a large pipeline and some
smaller, a staircase and the columns of the steel structure of the building.
Watch out, that all East and North dimensions, starting at the center lines of the
columns.
A major advantage of a proper detailed Plot Plan is that you can determine from your
office, or a new piece of equipment in a certain area, floor or unit, can be placed. That
however only applies to the horizontal dimensions, because you cannot see possibly
obstructions in the vertical level.
What you also cannot see on a Plot Plan, are the elevations of the equipment. That
means that you do not know, or a device on the 4th floor or may be already on the
third floor begins...for this reason, Equipment Arrangements have been considered.
What is a Equipment Arrangement?
Equipment Arrangements are drawings, which show the top and side-view of a part of a
process plant. The top-view is similar to a detailed Plot Plan, except that only
equipment is shown.
Both equipment arrangements shows the equipment in a particular area, and
sometimes a few details around a specific device. With a drawing of a site-view you can
see the elevations of a certain device, and if the device is going through one, or more
floors.
Note: The connection to the column is Class 600. This change in Pressure Class is
indicated
by a so-called "Spec break" (change of Piping Class Specification). In this case it
means, that the flange that connect to nozzle C1 also must be have a Pressure Class of
600, and that the material probably not changed.
Another important item is the elevation (given in red) of nozzle C1 from the column.
The elevation EL. 104966 is shown, because the pipe line ends with an eccentric
reducer Bottom Flat (BF). In this case it means, that the vertical centerline from nozzle
C1 is 15.88 mm above the center line of the pipeline.
A eccentric reducer 14 x 12 (355.6 mm x 323.9 mm) has a length of 330 mm and a
center-line difference from 15.88 mm.
Summary
A standard Piping Arrangement does not exist.
Like a Plot Plan or Equipment Arrangement, in the development phase of a new plant,
the requirements for the drawings will be made by customer and/or engineering
company.
Remark(s) of the Author...
My own experience with 3-Dimensional Views...
Since 1999, I draw many topics in 3D views.
The reason is, that I have noted that a pipefitter or construction worker knows
immediately what he must build. Another reason is, that people who are not able to
read a drawing, also know what I am trying to explain.
For myself, I discovered that it cost me less time, to make different views, because with
acceptable 3D software, each view (what ever you want) in seconds can be displayed
and printed.
My first 3-D drawing