Various Considerations in Equipment Layout in the Equipment and

Plot Plan
Learning Objectives

Equipment layout is based on certain considerations. The final plant design is executed
on the this drawing and it should be seen that plant should be safe and economical. This
equipment layout is very important because this is used for the execution of plant.
The piping engineer has to understand the concept of equipment layout and
consideration. While preparing layout, the piping engineer should design a steady
process, non-hazardous utility and facility.

Introduction
In general the various process plants we come across are petroleum refineries,
petrochemical complexes, fertiliser plants, and chemical and pharmaceutical plants
which need special attention due to the nature of materials and products handled.

Before starting the development of the plant layout, the following information is
required.
i. Process units and capacities.
ii. A flow diagram indicating the process flow sequence.
iii. Utility requirement.
iv. Number of storage tanks and also open storage areas.

v. Raw material / product receipt and dispatch philosophy.

vi. Covered storage required.
vii. Number of flares (As applicable).
viii. Grouping philosophy for utilities.
ix. Non-plant building i.e. Administrative block, laboratory, security workshop, parking
space, fire station, canteen, etc.
Ideally, before site selection, a preliminary layout should be made. The data collected
during the site selection stage shall be given due consideration at the time of the
equipment layout. A few points to be considered are:
i. Site location, map and area topography, geological and meteorological data
ii. Environment condition relative to adjacent properties i.e. proximity to airport
iii. Soil conditions, prevailing wind direction.
iv. Source of water supply and the supply point with respect to the plot.
v. Electric supply point with respect to the plot.
vi. Effluent disposal point and other drainages.
vii. Material transportation-railway entry point approach roads barge or ship dock etc.
viii. Geographical factors i.e. wind direction, temperature, rain, frequent thunderstorm
and earthquake susceptible areas.

Major Consideration in Plant Layout

The most economical plant layout is that in which the spacing of the main equipment is
such that it minimises interconnecting pipe work and structural steel work. Normally
equipment should be laid out in sequence to suit the process flow but exception to this
arises from the desirability to group certain tanks, pumps or perhaps to isolate
hazardous operations according to statutory rules and regulations. The use of the single
stream or multiple stream flow pattern will affect the layout.

The major variables affecting the final layout are interconnected pipe sizes, insulation
thickness, steel work spacing, matters of operational convenience, safety, ease of erection
and maintenance which calls for expiries of critical judgment on the experience and the
study of existing and know limitation.

Economic
Basically economic consideration means installing the unit in the smallest possible
space, consistent with the operability ease of piping material, structural sheets and
concrete with the proper layout considering further economies which can be achieved in
way of pumping and utilities.

Safety
Where toxic or hazardous materials are handled, layout may be needed to isolate a
section of the plan equipment, which could be a possible source of hazard. It should be
grouped together and where possible located separately from other areas of the plant. i.e.
furnaces, flare stacks or other equipment containing naked flares. Mechanical equipment
handling flammable or volatile liquids which could easily leak or spill out of the
equipment thus causing flammable conditions. However such consideration should not
override considerations of cost. For instance, the process heater must necessarily be
located close to other equipment to conserve expensive alloy piping. Furnaces using gas
as a feedstock do not normally constitute hazards. Due consideration shall be given for
fire hazardous areas and isolated by providing firewall, fire door, etc. The BOCA
(Building official and code administration) published by the National Building Code
shall be followed.
The area equipment area handling acids or other toxic material, which cause damage or
endanger personnel by their spillage should in general be grouped together and isolated.
To isolate hazardous areas it may be necessary to build walls with self-closing doors.
Definitions of hazardous areas are given in NFPA, NEC, and the Petroleum Act OISD or
local standards.

Class of Hazardous

Fire lode (Btu/sq.ft)

Laws
Moderate
High

0 to 100,000
100,000 to 200,000
Over 200,000

Required fire Resistance Rating for

Fire Walls(hr)
1
2
4

Required fire resistance rating - fire walls and fire partitions

Explosion hazard
E1: Minimum, none or slight; consider negligible E2:
Moderate; limited to small area; prompt restoration
E3: Intermediate; appreciable major equipments
E4: High; considerable potential or probability; series
delays
E5: Extreme; unpredictable; high potential; disruption

Minimum clear space

(ft)
None required None required
50 ft
75 ft
100 ft

Clear space required when fire walls or fire partitions are exposed to
explosion hazards
Material
Teflon
Rubber
Wood, paper
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyurethane
Polyvinyl alcohol
Methanol, ethanol
Acrylic plastics
Polystyrene
Oil
Gasoline

Btu/lb
6,000
7,500
8,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
12,000
12,500
18,000
18,000
21,000

Typical heats of combustion

Proccess
Process considerations may require some items be elevated to provide gravity flow of
materials to accommodate pump suction requirement for NPSH. The other process
consideration could be the limitation of pressure or temperature drop in the transfer
lines deciding the proximity of the furnace, reactors and columns.

Operational
Thought should be given to the location of equipment requiring frequent attendance by
operation personnel and the relative position of the control room to obtain the shortest
and most direct route for operator. When on routine operation however the control room
should be placed so that they are easily accessible and the indicators are easily readable.
Generally a batch or semi batch process needs more attention by the operator and
therefore more consideration has to be paid to the ergonomics of the layout.

Maintenance
The need to remove for servicing, retuning or replacements, the heavy, servicing
equipment. The indivisible plant will dictate their location when access for cranes is

called for regular or rotating and other machinery calling for dismantling. This often
makes their grouping within the machine house desirable. The position of items needing
replacement of internal spent catalyst etc. or frequent internal cleaning has to be
carefully considered.

Constructional
The plot should be so designed that adequate access is available to lift the large items of
equipment or columns into place. Such equipment is positioned close to the boundary
limits so that erection must take place from outside these limits. A careful check must be
undertaken to ascertain whether space will be available at the time of erection for
positioning the crane or lifting the delivery equipment which is known, may well arrive
fairly late in the construction programme and therefore have to be fitted into place after
most of the surrounding equipment has already been installed. It is important that the
insulation requirement be considered during the layout of the plant.

Appearance: Aesthetic
An attractively laid out plant with the equipment in rows also economically laid out gives
an aesthetic appearance. The building structure and groups of equipment should form a
neat, symmetrical balanced layout consistent with keeping the pipe run to a minimum
and allowing proper access for maintenance. The tower and large vertical vessels should
be arranged in rows with a common centreline. They should be of similar size but if the
diameter varies, due note must be taken of the building line manholes on the adjacent
tower should be at a similar elevation and orientation to streams. These as far as possible
should be made identical. Such arrangement for parallel streams or similar groups of
process equipment require much the design work and also for construction and
subsequently operation but help in reducing the amount of standby equipment.

Future Expansion
Thought should be given to the likely expansion of both equipment and pipe work, so
that additions can be erected and tested with the minimum interference to plant
operations. On main pipe runs, it is desirable to leave 30% space. At least 30 m distance
from flame proof plant area is needed for safe welding where no special precaution are
needed.

Buildings

Plant buildings should be kept to a minimum on the basis that most of equipment
including pumps, heat exchanger boilers, cyclones, etc. may be safely installed in the
open. The philosophy should be that the plant is supported on an open steel structure
unless there is good reason not to do so. Thus it is to be installed in the open with
centralised control facilities housed in buildings.

Factors which determine the selection of enclosed buildings are;

a) Nature and frequency of the operator's work- Equipment, which requires frequent
maintenance in adverse weather conditions.
b) Climate- Extreme climate conditions may determine that the plant is to be kept in a
building.
c) Type of equipment - Expensive equipment and complex machinery should have some
degree of weatherproofing.
d) Nature of process - Plants handling dust explosive and combustible solid materials
require a building .To prevent contamination, food, pharmaceutical and bio-chemical
plants require to be in a building.
e) Proximity of hazards- To prevent the possible spread of fire and explosion, a building
may be desirable.
f) If enclosed buildings are planned, then consideration must be given to the following
factors:
i) Fire protection/Explosion Protection approval by the local fire authority must be
obtained on fire fighting equipment and layout.

ii) Illumination.

Natural illumination may be obtained by the use of patent glazing windows or

translucent sheets in the sidewalls or the roof. Artificial lighting must be arranged to
give adequate illumination where physical and chemical hazard existsiii) Fireproofing - Determines the plant arrangement and switch room.

iv) Ventilation - Air intake should be positioned in such a way that it should avoid the
risk of drawing toxic or hazardous fumes. Exhaust may be required for treatment of
filter washer, separation.
v) Heating
vi) Access-Proper access for maintenance and operation purposes to be considered.

vii) Roofing.

Techniques for Layout

There is no single technique leading to the best arrangement in any problem. Layout may
be considered at several stages from the selection of the site and arrangement of the
plant on it through block layout. The three basic principles of layout planning are:
1) Plan the whole, then the detail, Individual aspects must be subservient to the whole
and sub optimisation avoided.
2) Plan the ideal, then the practical. The ideal layout is free from restrictions and gives a
datum.
3) Plan more than one layout. It is seldom that a single layout is "BEST" for each
criterion. Planning more than one permits comparison and leads to greater confidence in
making the final selection.
4) Sequence of activities in layout. A simplified network showing the integration of the
plant layout and design activities should be given.

Details of Techniques for Layout

1) Initial development of the layout.
Layout is by process flow, in the sequence of operation and materials moved.
Critical Examination - question
Where is the plant item placed?
The steam ejector at elevation.
Why it is placed there?

 Convenient for barometric leg.

Where else could it be?
Near the ground level with the condenser and the vacuum pump. Correlation and
compatibility - what is impossible or inadmissible.
2) Techniques of correlation and compatibility. The correlation chart is a diagrammatic
method of determining the effect of constraints.
3) Proximity and sequencing - Travel chart. The simplest manual method is probably one
of trial and error in which items are situated near one another as suggested by significant
costs and the arrangement modified with reference to the travel chart.

Layout Analogues
1) Cut out-To visualise plant layout -2 dimensional scale templates or scale cutouts of
unit areas and equipment layout are prepared.
2) Block models -These models are chiefly used to develop the plot plan, floor plan,
elevation, major equipment and major pipe racks in the correct co-relation with each
other.
3) Drawings- for the development and evaluation of the layout it co- relates the basic
project information on the equipment and site condition and provides source of data for
the final layout.
4) Piping models- for accurate detailed layout of the process piping utility and control
facilities.

Computers
If there are six alternate positions for each of one of the six blocks then there are 720
feasible combinations of these six blocks. In general, for a computerised plant layout, the
judgment of the engineer has to be combined with the calculation power of the
computer. Usage of the computer is on the evaluation of systematic techniques. Small
problems can be handled manually with various co-relation and compatibility methods.

Concept of the Plant Layout

A process plant which consists of the various different sections mentioned earlier should
be arranged so as to follow the general route of the raw material, to process, to
intermediate/finished product stage to dispatch.
The entire plot area will be divided into blocks, the size of the blocks depend on the
facilities to be accommodated.
While locating the blocks and further sub-blocks within them, the following points runs
should also be minimum.
1) The layout planning shall be in the sequential order of the process flow so that the
piping run is also minimum.
2) The block shall be arranged considering the prevalent wind direction such that
flammable gases should not be carried by the wind onto a source of ignition.
3) The process unit block shall be centrally located with a straight approach from the
main gate.
4) Storage tanks shall be grouped according to product classification. In undulating
areas, storage tanks shall be located at lower elevations.
5) Utility blocks shall be located adjacent to the unit block.
6) The main power receiving station shall be close to the boundary line so that the
minimum overhead power lines pass through the plant.
7) The electric sub- stations in the plant shall be located in such a way that cabling to
major load centres are minimum.
8) The location of power plants shall be near the process/utility block and close to the
main receiving station.
9) Flares shall be located upwind of the process units so that the inflammable gas from
the plant are not carried towards the flares.
10) Truck loading facilities shall be located close to the product movement gate. Rail
loading facilities are arranged generally at the periphery of the plant.
11) The effluent plant shall be located away from the other units on the down elevation.
The preferred location is at the lower elevation than the other plant units in order to
facilitate gravity flow.

12) The fire station and firewater pump house shall be at a safe place away from
hazardous areas. The fire station shall be near the main gate with a straight approach to
the process units and other critical areas.
13) Two adjacent process unit locations shall be decided based on the annual shut down
philosophy for the maintenance of the units. If the shut downs are be at different times,
it is preferable to increase the distance between the two units so that the risk for the
operating units due to heat jobs in the units under shut down can be minimised. Also
this will facilitate easy maintenance.
14) Process Units shall be located on the high ground.
15) The adjacent neighbourhood installations, if any, shall be taken into consideration
before fixing the plant layout. The limitations imposed by the neighbourhood facilities
cannot be ignored, e.g. an ignition source.
16) Flares, furnaces/heater, dusty operations and cooling towers shall be oriented
depending on the prevailing wind direction. The first two shall be located upwind of the
Process units and the last two on the downwind directions of the process units.
17) Due consideration to the construction and erection of the plant shall be given while
deciding the plant layout, especially tall towers, reactors, furnaces, etc. shall not be in
congested areas and sufficient open spaces shall be provided for erection at any stage.
18) Equipment requiring frequent maintenance shall have easy accessibility. So also
equipment which need removal of parts and also for free access for hoisting equipment.
19) Provisions for future expansion shall be considered. It is preferable to have similar
type of facilities with adjacent space for expansion adjacent. Care shall be taken to install
the expansion facilities without any disturbance to the existing facility.
20) Roads in between for the purpose of access and safety should separate the blocks
developed. Fire fighting facilities are to be provided on these roads.
There shall always be an alternative approach for fire fighting and maintenance in case
one route is blocked. The layout shall be so designed that truck traffic inside the plant is
minimized.
21) Boiler house, air compressors, fuel oil facilities shall be grouped into one block
adjoining the process unit blocks, so that spreading of various utilities can be avoided
and also facilitate easy operation.

22) The layout shall be designed so as to minimise the capital cost for earthwork and
pavement, special foundations and the extent of a vacant plot as wasteland.
For the major distances to be considered during plant layout OISD (Oil Industries Safety
Directorate) Standards shall be referred to.
Plant layout needs statutory approvals before implementation. Some of the statutory
approving codes are:
1. Indian Factories Act
2. Indian Explosives Act
3. Petroleum Act
4. Central / State Pollution Control Board Law
5. Indian Electricity Rules
6. CIVIL aviation rule - National Airports Authority
7. Insurance Association of India - Fire Protection manual.
8. N. F. P. A. Code of Practice.
The oil industry safety directorate (OISD) gives some guidelines for plant layout but does
not overrule the existing statutory requirements.
The environment/security requirements now demand that a Green Belt area around the
plant boundary shall be provided. This is a belt of width 50m to 100m around the plant
boundary where no construction will be done.

The Present Fact

What is achieved?
How it is achieved?
When it is achieved?
Where is it achieved?
Who achieves it?

Alternatives
what else
could be achieved?
Why that way? How else could it be
achieved?
Why then?
When else could it be
achieved?
Why there?
Where else could it be
achieved?
Why that
Who else could achieve it?
persion?
why ?

Selection for Development

what should be achieved?
How should it be achieved?
When should it be achieved?
Where should it be achieved?
Who should achieve it?

(a) Critical examination sheet

Stages in the development of the layout
1)The layout begins with the collection and assessment of
the flow sheet ( which must show material of construction,
size of pipe work and suggested elevation ), equipment
data sheets, result of site survey (incorporating relevant
data on site boundaries, topography, soil structure,
weather conditions, utility terminals and site access
points).

Useful Technique
Critical examination is used to question the elevation layout
assumptions made in the flow sheet. This method enables the
objectives and constraints to be defined. Techniques of
correlation and compatibility are used to sort and list the various
alternatives.

2) The cost of each elevation alternation is examined for

differences only e.g. in the number of plant items needed
to achieve the objectives in the material transfer costs
such as piping elevation, power consumption.
3)Plant items and buildings are laid out in the plan
ensuring that all layout constrains (e.g. relating to
operation, maintenance, safety costing environment and
expansion ) are applied A similar costing made of each
plan layout is made

Simple elevation drawings are prepared for the alter natives

showing heights and relative positions only of plant items only,
No structure or floor levels are added yet as these may depend
on plan layout.
Critical examination is used to question the plan layout
assumptions made in the defined Once the constraints are
defined Techniques of correlation and compatibility are again
used to sort and list the various alternatives. Layout analogous
such as cut outs help in the visualization of the layout and in the
examination of plot size and external constraints.
4) The selected plan and elevation layout are now
The layout alternative is presented by block models. This stage
combine to determine the possible positions of supporting will help people to visualise the non-quantifiable and safety
and access structures, and to study the civil requirements. aspects.
These may force the relaxation of earlier constraints.
5) Final alternatires are again costed for differences and a The final layout is drawn (options may still be left open for
selection is made.
detailed study)
6) Preparation of piping models now commences. These Piping models are now prepared.
are further used to optimize pipe work .A check should be
made that all constraints are obeyed particularly those for
operation.

(b) Typical stages in plant layout

Summing Up
Understanding of equipment layout is very important and is based on certain
considerations and guidelines. The concept behind the preparation and application of
the layout are very important. The plant is executable based on this important layout.