Challenge

While production equipment often takes center stage, plant infrastructure—such as platforms, major structures, ladders, walkways, equipment foundations, piping supports, cooling towers, stacks, sewers, and bunds, is equally critical to safe and reliable operations. Implementing a robust inspection, maintenance, and repair program for these structures is essential to ensuring the long-term integrity and performance of any industrial site.

Solution

This project involved corrosion surveys, structural assessments, API 2208 based fireproofing assessments, risk ranking and repairs of plant and civil structures at a large petrochemical plant. A plant and civil structure RBI RAM matrix was used to determine inspection frequencies corresponding to plant and civil asset degradation mechanisms.

Refurbishments included replacement or repair of pressure vessel supports, rotating equipment foundations, walking surfaces (e.g. platforms, walkways, stairways, ladders, ladder cages, and handrails), pipe stanchions, fin fan plenum chambers, major structures, cooling towers, stacks, silos, bunds, dams, bridges, sink holes, waterproofing of plant buildings and substations, and replacing concrete fireproofing with an intumescent coating to minimize the risk of spalling and falling concrete. Canals, sewers and tunnels were also cleared up and repaired to prevent flooding.

In the interest of keeping this program alive and supported, the project team tracked and made visible the number of inspections required per month, the number of assets that need repairs, the number of saves, the risk reductions achieved over time, repairs completed, overdue inspections, and overdue repairs.

A master plan for plant structure and civil engineering was developed. This plan outlined the critical equipment and the short-, medium-, and long-term actions required to ensure the facility continues to operate at or above current levels of health, safety, environmental, integrity and reliability performance over the next 20 years. The master plan included HSE and regulatory requirements; an inspection, maintenance and repair plan; and a 10-year rolling cost forecast for maintenance and project activity of plant structure and civil assets at the facility.

Impact

Proactively managing the risks of aging civil and plant structures is essential as structural-related incidents are increasing and can have serious impacts on both safety and process safety. In many facilities, including this one, much of the civil and structural infrastructure dates to the plant’s original construction—over 60 years ago. While these assets may degrade more slowly than production equipment, deferred maintenance can lead to significant safety incidents and skyrocketing repair or replacement costs. A proactive inspection and maintenance program safeguards people, protects operations, and reduces long-term costs.

Services

Maintenance, Reliability & Asset Integrity