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1 EG-2
Determining Layout of New Facilities
for Refineries and Chemical Plants
Table of Contents
5.3 Equipment Grouping......................... 11
1. General.......................................... 2 5.4 Pipe Routing ..................................... 11
1.1 Scope.................................................. 2
1.2 References ......................................... 2 6. Expandability ............................. 12
1.3 Specific Considerations ...................... 3
1.4 Technical Assurance .......................... 3 7. Operability.................................. 12
1.5 General Guidelines ............................. 3 7.1 General ............................................. 12
7.2 Operation/Monitoring
2. Design Class ................................ 4 Considerations.................................. 12
2.1 Design Class Concept ........................ 4 7.3 Operating Areas and Accessways.... 13
2.2 Facility Characteristics ........................ 5
8. Maintainability............................ 13
3. Safety/Loss Prevention ............... 5 8.1 General ............................................. 13
3.1 General ............................................... 5 8.2 Maintenance Equipment
3.2 Facility Siting....................................... 6 Considerations.................................. 13
3.3 Facility Layout Considerations ............ 8 8.3 Minimizing Maintenance Cost........... 14
3.4 Siting of New Buildings ....................... 9
9. Summary of Recommended
4. Constructability.......................... 10 Clearances ................................. 15
4.1 General ............................................. 10 9.1 Minimum Clearances Between/From
4.2 Staging Areas ................................... 10 Hazardous Facilities ......................... 15
4.3 Logistics for Heavy Equipment ......... 10 9.2 Minimum Clearances for
4.4 Use of Permanent Buildings ............. 10 Operability......................................... 15
9.3 Minimum Clearances for
5. Economics.................................. 11 Maintenance ..................................... 16
5.1 General ............................................. 11
5.2 Process Flow Sequence ................... 11
Drawings
1E2D1 Typical Process Block Layout
1E2D2 Typical Processes Unit Arrangement
1. General
1.1 Scope
This Engineering Guide (EG) covers recommended guidelines for determining the
layout of new facilities for refineries and chemical plants. The term "facilities"
includes process units, utilities units, storage tank areas, etc.
1.2 References
1.2.4 Owner
4 EG-1 Tank Farm Design
17 EG-1 Design of Facilities for Fire Protection and Loss
Prevention
15 EG-10 Electrical Area Classification
23 GS-1 Design of Sewers
28 EG-1 Safety Criteria for Structural Design and Siting of New
Buildings
1. New facilities for refineries and chemical plants should be laid out to be safe and
to provide the desired levels of operability, maintainability, and expandability at
the lowest overall cost to suit the Design Class. Additionally, the facilities
should enhance, or at least, not detract from public relations.
2. Once the site has been chosen, the overall configuration of the facilities must be
developed to conform with the guidelines in this EG. Generally, this is best
accomplished by using a rectangular process area subdivided into process blocks
or units separated by access roads and/or piperacks. The optimum grouping of
units depends on how closely they are related from a process viewpoint. The
size of the blocks depends on the nature of the facilities and degree of
expandability desired. Refer to drawing 1E2D1 for a typical arrangement, that
also can be zoned as discussed further in 3.3.7.
3. In some instances, layout may be affected by topological conditions, especially if
the facility includes gravity flow systems, such as sewers. In these cases 23 GS-
1 should be consulted, prior to finalizing the layout, to gain an understanding of
the possible implications of sewers and drainage on layout.
4. To assist in determining an optimum layout, consideration should be given to the
use of models. If deemed appropriate, the use of and extent of modeling should
be reviewed and approved by Owner.
5. If applicable, local building codes shall be reviewed. If the requirements of such
codes differ from the guidelines in this EG, deviations must be reconciled with
Owner approval.
6. Layout of facilities that don't handle flammable materials should be based on the
guidelines of constructability, economics, expandability, operability and
maintainability discussed in Sections 4 through 8 of this EG.
2. Design Class
3. Safety/Loss Prevention
3.1 General
1. Since safety will not be compromised in any of the Design Classes, safety
guidelines in this EG apply equally to all facility Design Classes.
2. Safety/loss prevention guidelines for layout are based on the consequences of
potential events in large facilities that process volatile hydrocarbons. For
smaller, less hazardous facilities, these guidelines may be overly conservative.
Deviations from these guidelines are permitted if an assessment shows that the
deviation can be technically defended. Such deviations require approval by a
Technical Safety Specialist.
3. For an example of a typical process area arrangement, refer to drawing 1E2D2.
4. For recommended minimum clearances between/from various types of hazardous
facilities, refer to sub-section 9.1 of this EG.
1. Siting requirements for new buildings depend upon the building occupancy and
function, the type of building design, and proximity to unit hazards.
2. 28 EG-1 provides structural design/siting safety criteria for new buildings. This
EG covers new control buildings, operations buildings (operator shelters, and
field laboratories), support buildings (offices, zone shops, maintenance
buildings, main laboratories, etc.) and equipment enclosures (electrical
4. Constructability
4.1 General
1. Special attention should be paid to the logistics and handling of heavy process
equipment (e.g., reactors, columns, etc.) from equipment delivery through
erection.
2. For rail delivery of heavy equipment, the laydown area should be adjacent to
useable tracks.
3. An unobstructed route must be available for movement to the erection site,
verifying turning radii of existing roads.
4. An erection plan should be developed at an early stage of design to ensure that
the proposed layout is feasible and unexpected obstructions are not encountered.
5. Economics
5.1 General
1. Like types of equipment that share common needs or serve a common purpose
should be grouped together.
2. Grouping of like types of equipment facilitates maintenance and/or operations,
assists in meeting safety requirements, simplifies piping routing, etc.
3. Pumps and exchangers are normally grouped together for servicing. Furnaces
should be grouped and isolated as discussed in 3.3.1.
6. Expandability
1. Expandability, as it applies to facility layout, refers to the extent of vacant plot space
provided for future modifications and/or expansions. Expandability is highly dependent
on the Design Class of the facility. A careful review of expandability should be made at
inception of the design to ensure that it complies with the intent of the Design Class
specified.
2. The location of the vacant plot space should be carefully chosen so that construction of
the future modification causes minimum disruption to on-going operations and
maintenance activities. Preferably the space should be located on the periphery of the
facility.
7. Operability
7.1 General
7.2.1 General
1. In general, items that require frequent operation or monitoring (e.g.,
selected valves, switches, pumps, site glasses, level gages, etc.) should
be accessible from either grade or a platform without the use of a
portable ladder.
2. For Design Class 2 or 3 facilities, emphasis should be placed on
mounting the items on grade if practical.
7.3.1 General
Operating areas and accessways, both at grade and elevated, should be
determined (e.g. to reach a manifold, bank of switches, pumps, etc.) and
adequate space should be provided.
7.3.2 Obstructions/Clearances
1. For Design Class 2 or 3 facilities:
a. Accessways at grade should be unobstructed for a width of
3'- 9" and height of 7'- 6".
b. Elevated operating areas and accessways should be unobstructed
for a width of 3'- 6" and height of 7'- 0".
2. In no case should clearances be less than that required by OSHA 29
CFR 1910.
3. Tripping hazards (e.g. drain lines, curbs, etc.) should be eliminated.
8. Maintainability
8.1 General
Maintainability refers to the extent of access space and permanent features provided
for maintenance of the facility. Maintainability, like expandability and operability,
is also highly dependent on the Design Class of the facility.
1. During the design of the facility layout, the type, size, and reach of mobile
equipment that will be available for maintenance should be determined.
Clearance Minimum
Between Distance
(Feet)
Equipment Limits of Adjacent Units (not separated by an access road) 100
Equipment Limits of Adjacent Units (separated by a 20' access road) 120
Equipment Limit to Near Edge of Road 50
Equipment Limit to Near Edge of Main Piperack 15
Furnaces (side) to Near Edge of Road 25
Furnaces (side) to Near Edge of Piperack 20
Furnaces to High Temperature Equipment e.g. Reactors and 15
Exchangers
Furnaces to Other Major Processing Equipment that are not 25
Considered Hydrocarbon Sources
Furnaces to Equipment that are Considered Hydrocarbon Sources 50
(i.e., pumps, vents, operating drains, etc.)
Elevated Flares <150 feet tall to Process Units, Storage Tanks, 150
Cooling Water Towers, and Occupied Buildings.
Elevated Flares >150 feet tall to Process Units, Storage Tanks, 200
Cooling Water Towers, and Occupied Buildings.
Division I Areas to Near Edge of Road 50
Division I Areas to Furnaces & Electrical Rooms 50
Tank Farm Layout and Spacing Refer to
3.3.2.
Siting of New Permanent, Temporary, and Portable Buildings Refer to 3.4.
Cooling Water Tower Siting Refer to
3.2.5.
Processing Blocks or Units to Plant Boundaries (Buffer Zone) Refer to 3.2.
Refer to 7.3.
9.3.4 Other
Refer to 8.2.
TANK FARM
ACCESS
ROAD
ZONE B
T/F PIPERACK
MAIN ROAD
C.H.
MAIN P/W
MAIN
ACCESS ROAD
ROAD
UNIT UNIT UNIT
II III IV
SECONDARY P/W SECONDARY P/W
SERVICE AREA
(OFFICE BUILDINGS,
SHOPS, PARKING, ETC.)
FOR ZONE B
MAIN ROAD
600'-800' BUFFER
FROM UNITS TO
BOUNDARY LINE
PLANT BOUNDARY
1E2D2
LAYOUT OF FACILITIES
SHEET 1 OF 1
JUL 89
ACCESS ROAD
50' MIN.
ACCESS ROAD
HEAT EXCHANGERS
PROCESS PUMPS
CENTRAL PIPERACK
ACCUMULATOR WITH PUMPS BELOW
20' AND AIR COOLERS
ABOVE
PARTIAL PLAN
EQUIP. LIMIT
EQUIP. LIMIT
AIR COOLERS