INTRODUCTION

BASIC INFORMATION

LAYOUT OF PLOT PLAN AREA

FLOW DIAGRAMS

PREPARATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT PLAN

LOCATING THE PLANT PIPE RACKS

LOCATION OF UTILITIES & OTHER FACILITIES 8 LOCATION OF BUILDINGS

ROUTING DIAGRAM
 PLOT PLAN -BASIC CONCEPTS

Introduction

Plot plan is a plan view of the plant or unit being built, The contents of the plot
plan should indicate all major equipment items , building outlines.. battery limits - area
limits for which the company's responsibility' ceases or starts, pipe exit mid entry points,
access\ways , road\ways .stairways - structures mid steelwork in sufficient details so as
not to obscure its message.

Basic Information
Information on the following items should be collected before proceeding with the
development of overall plot plan:
• Property survey map showing client's property limits and designated area for the proposed
site
• Project design information
• Process flow diagrams indicating flow sequence
• Utility requirements
• Grade levels of plant
• Plant bench marks
• Plant north or unit north
• Plant and non- plant buildings
• Prevailing wind direction
• Preferred locations of exit / entry piping points, whether overhead , on sleepers or
underground
• Electrical cables - entry points
• Railway entry point and marshalling yard location
• Approach to main areas
• Preliminary soil investigation
• Client's preference for locations of any specific items of equipment
• Requirements for future plant expansion
• High flood level in the area
• Source of water and fuel supply and their likely entry points
 Layout of plot plan area

The next phase would be to start laying out the plot plan area - first by drafting the road
ways / access ways around the unit area and adding the co-ordinates.

It should be borne in mind that Maintenance requirements must be considered during early
stages of Plot Plan development.

North-point and prevailing wind direction should be added.

The plant boundary fence and any other miscellaneous information such as an adjacent
river should be added to the plot plan as reference.

The plant area should now be well defined with all known outside conditions and is now
ready for detailed investigation.
 Flow diagrams
The next step should be to follow and familiarize the main flow patterns through the unit. Process
flow sequence and operating procedures shall be thoroughly understood so that equipment arrangement in the
plot plan is functional. Equipment shall be arranged in logistic process sequence for short piping runs and
operational ease. In this regard, there are several points which should be taken into account and could affect
layout of equipment.They are:

• The crude charge pump needs to be located close to the incoming line from battery limit. All other pumps
should be located near the respective equipment to avoid excessive pressure drop in Suction lines.

• The feed lines to heaters will need manifold stations ,which split the line into several manifolds, depending on
the number of passes in the heater, It is recommended that Sufficient room should be allowed
around the heater for tube removal.

• The transfer line from the heater need to be kept as short as possible and routed without pockets. Flexibility.
should be taken into account at plot plan development time.

• Lines to and from strippers and flare system should be kept to a minimum length of piping.

• Bottom lines of fractionation tower needs investigation as to flexibility, as the temperature would be on the
higher side. Also consider hot and cold conditions of spare pump.

• The overhead lines from fractionation tower should be run without pockets to the condenser ,and kept as
direct as possible taking flexibility and growth of tower into account.

• The condensate line from condenser to accumulator again should be run without pockets.
 Preparation for development of plot plan

Having completed the process flow diagram investigation. a further inspection of information
received may reveal other design considerations necessary before equipment is placed on the plot plan .

Check out for client's requirements regarding design and layout. If not, standard good practice should
prevail as outlined below;

• Erection and Maintenance

• Erection methods shall be anticipated for all type of equipments. Towers,reactors,and other
fired equipments should be located away from congested areas to facilitate erection at any stage.
• Erection of new equipments must be given due consideration. For very large vessels and reactors.
space must be allowed for field construction.
• Maintenance methods for each equipment shall be identified in advance since these affect the
requirements for layout. Equipment requiring frequent attention shall have easy accessibility..
For equipments having removable parts, ,wherever possible, arrangements shall be made to
facilitate their removal ,without dismantling long lengths of piping. Free access shall be
provided for hoisting the equipment.
• Spacing between two process units in a complex should be decided on the annual shut-down
philosophy for maintenance of the units. If the shut -downs of the units are expected at
different times. then inter- distances may be increased. This will facilitate ease in maintenance
and minimize risk from/for operating units due to hot jobs in the units under shut down
• Headroom clearance over railroads to be 6700 mm minimum .
• Headroom clearance over roads inside battery limit to be 3700 mm minimum.
• Clearances over access ways to be 3000 mm minimum.
• Air-coolers are generally accepted above pipe racks.
• Pumps operating below 340 deg C are generally acceptable under pipe racks, although many
clients request them to be located clear of pipe racks.
• Pumps operating at 340 deg C and over should not be located within 3000 mm
(ground distance) of overhead air- coolers.
• Pipe racks to be fire protected when supporting process Piping \ Equipment.
• An area to be allocated for construction facilities.
• Future expansion shall be assessed and space provision for known and unforeseen needs shall be
made. Orderly future expansion shall be effected by providing space adjacent to similar type of
facilities for expansion. Extension of pipe sleepers and pipe way road crossings shall be given due
consideration. Care shall be taken to facilitate future expansion without any interference to the
plant on stream.
• Having analyzed the PFDs and the various considerations, it is now advisable to plot the anticipated
equipment locations in rough block form manner.Having already plotted the area allocated for the
unit, the same can be used as a guide when plotting the equipment in block fashion.
 Locating the Plant Piperacks

The location of plant piperacks should always be a consideration of prime importance, as the
piperacks influence equipment locations.

It is recommended that the unit piperack be kept in the center, thereby splitting the unit into two
or more areas or equipment. Once the location of piperack is finalized , then some of the major equipments
can be located, as follows with respect to the piperack :

• Pumps may be arranged in two rows close to and on either side of the central piperack.
• Exchangers and vessels should be grouped together forming outer rows on both sides of the piperack.
• Heat exchangers should be located perpendicular to the piperack on the outer row to facilitate pulling of
tube bundle with mobile crane or by other means.
• Air fin coolers should be ills trusted above the piperack .Pumps handling hydrocarbons and other fluids
above the temperature of 340° C should not be installed underneath the air fin coolers.
• Towers / Columns should be located along the piperack towards open areas for unobstructed erection as
well as maintenance of internals at grade. Tall towers require frequent operation attention at
upper levels.Hence, they may be located at one place so that common connecting platform can
be provided.
• Thermo-siphon reboilers should preferably be placed adjacent to their associated towers. Reboiler should
be mounted on the tower so that vertical expansion ,will be uniform, piping design is simplified
and inlet /outlet piping is minimized.Clearance shall be provided for movement between reboiler
and tower.

• Gas compressors should be located downwind of heaters so that leaked gases,will not drift towards the
heater.
 Location of utilities and other facilities

Having located the process units, the next step is to investigate and locate the various package
units that are common to most projects. These units are located local to the processing units but outside
the ISBL battery limits .Typical of these package units are plants for water treatment inert
gas,compressed air, refrigeration and steam generation.

Tankage

Storage tank area should preferably be located on one side or not more than two sides of the
process plant area. This arrangement allows for the expansion of either the tank-farm or the unit area in
future. Access should be provided on at least two sides of each diked area.

L.P.G. storage

When assessing the suitability, of any site for the location of L.P.G. storage facilities, the
following should be considered:

• L.P.G. storage Should not be located near residential areas, other industries, public roads
and railways, \waterways,overhead power lines and working areas. If it is
necessary to locate storage near any of the preceding facilities, local or
National safety codes must be considered.
 • The topographical nature of the site with special reference to its effect on the dispersal of
escaped product.
• The possibility of mobile firefighting equipment approaching the storage vessels under all
foreseen Circumstances from at least one side, preferably from upwind.
• The availability of space for future expansion to the proposed facilities.
• Longitudinal axes of horizontal vessels ( bullets) should not point towards other vessels, vital
process equipment and control room.
• Storage vessels should be located downwind of process units and important buildings and
facilities. It should also be noted that storage vessels shall be laid out in single row both in
case of the spheres and bullets. Storage vessels shall not be stacked one above the other.

Boiler house and power station

When locating the boiler house and power station, the following points Should be taken
into consideration
• The boiler and power station should be located near the process unit
• The effects of prevailing wind oh the stack outlet, particularly if the wind tends to change
direction frequently.
• Direct access by road to the plant should be provided and by a route which bypasses the
process areas.
Cooling Towers

Cooling towers should be located away from the process area. preferably downstream
direction of wind so that the water vapor and air emission from the tower top will not cause exterior
corrosion or ice formation on other parts of the plant,the roads.rail or any public amenity .If more than
one cooling tower is involved,they should,if possible, be oriented crosswise (at 90°) to the prevailing
wind,to lessen the possibility, of recycling the discharge front one tower into the suction of tile other
tower.

Effluent Plant

Effluent plant should be located minimum one block away from unit area, and downwind of
process units to avoid smell problems. They should be closer to disposal point and at lower grade to
facilitate gravity flow.

Fire station

Fire station should be close to main entry gate with straight approach to process units / other
critical areas. Fire station and fire water pump house shall be located at a safe place away from hazardous
areas.
Railway Sidings

Rail loading facilities should suit rail siding layout and preferably be located along periphery
of the installation to minimize road crossings and blockage of roads during shunting. Depending on the
space available and the volume of traffic to be handled. the choice lies between the "Loop" system or the
"Run-around" system. The latter. although necessitating tile main line locomotive running around its
train, is accepted as permanently coupled working.

Loop System

This system permits the trains to enter the site, run over the unloading hopper in
succession and depart. without stopping. The min. Radius of curve that can be used is 9 chains (594 feet)
and a length of straight track is required before and after the hopper. In consequence of this, the smallest
loop with parallel sides will encompass an area approximately 1500 feet wide x 2000 feet long. The loop
can, however,be "Pear" shaped to suit site space.

Run-around system

This system is acceptable where the space available is long and narrow. The trains
are hauled successively over the unloading hopper. the main line locomotive uncoupling to run around
its train, either before or after discharge. prior to departure. This introduces additional time and
complication into the train movements, and from choice should only be adopted at stations having a
comparatively small coal intake.
Roads

• All process units and dyked enclosures of storage tanks shall be planned in separate
blocks with roads alround for access and safety.Primary traffic roads in the
installation should be clear of hazardous classified areas. Roads separating the
blocks shall provide fire breaks and have facilities for fire fighting

• Alternative access should be provided for each facility so that it can be approached for
fire fighting/maintenance/construction in the event of blockage of one route.

• Road widths and turning radii at road junctions shall be designed to facilitate movement of
largest fire fighting vehicles in the event of emergency.

• Two road approaches from the highway should be provided one for the employees and
second for product movement. Both these approaches should be available for
receipt of assistance in emergency. However, for smaller installations the
requirement may be relaxed if not feasible.

Green belt requirements

• Provision of a green belt i.e. natural vegetation in the vicinity of the plot area has been made
mandatory and there are certain norms to be followed in this regard. In one of the plants of
ONGC about 50% of the total . plot area was allotted for satisfying the green belt
requirements. This again depends on the nature of toxicity of the chemicals used/product
manufactured. statuary approval is also essential.
Location of Buildings

The major plant buildings -administration , canteens, central workshops and laboratories etc.,
should be located in Such a position that personal movement can be minimized .The above buildings
should be atleast 50 metres away from process units.

Administration building

Admin. building should be located on the safe side of the plant security. fence and
as close as possible to the main plant entrance. The main office building should always be nearer to the
main entrance The admin. building Should also be upwind of process units that is capable of venting
fumes to the atmosphere. An adequate area should be allowed for car parking facilities.

Canteens and medical centres

Canteens, personal shops and medical centres should be located in a safe area and
,within the concentration of labour. Off-loading of supplies to these buildings should not interfere ,with
other plant traffic.
Workshop and warehouse
Workshop and warehouse should be located together in a safe area and
preferably ,within easy access of the process units. Direct access should be provided for traffic. ,which
does not have to pass through process areas. Workshops particularly should have extra adjacent space
allocated for outside fabrication.

Laboratories
Laboratories should be adjacent to the unit areas that they serve and in a safe
location. The main laboratory should be located local to the administration area but on the plant side
of the security fence.

Control room and sub-station

Control room should be located distinctly in the process block or in the
adjoining block. It should be at a safe distance where protection to instruments and personal is
ensured and non- hazardous electrical area classification is permitted. It should have alternate means
of exit with doors opening to outside.
Electrical sub- station should be located adjacent to the control room building
and transformers should be located in open area on the rear side of sub-station .Each transformer
shall be isolated from the other by a brick masonry wall.
Routing Diagram

Before submitting the proposed plot plan to the various departments of the
company, it is advisable to develop a routing diagram from the P & I Diagrams.

Routing diagrams serve various purposes namely

• To develop piperack widths and number of levels.

• To check equipment locations and flow patterns.

• To assist the utility engineer when compiling utility flow diagrams.

• To check that all equipments are located on the proposed plot plan

• To evaluate the economics of piping runs.

when the line routing is completed.. a check for the piperack width should be made. Assume
for the first attempt, one piperack level plus 20% extra space for cable runs and future lines. If piperack
width exceeds 10000 mm , it is advisable to adopt two levels and reduce the width accordingly.