Hydrocarbon Processing - October 2021 - 65

Engineering and Construction
The hidden impact of poor materials management.
Large capital projects employ hundreds of EPC professionals.
These projects entail collaboration not only with the client/
owner, but also with suppliers and subcontractors, and they are
complex in execution. Minor upstream inefficiencies can and do
generate a significant downstream impact. Many times, these inefficiencies
are not discernable, and are simply swept under the
proverbial rug and unnecessarily written off as just the cost of
doing business. The following are a few examples, but these are
just the tip of the iceberg.
Missed materials identification (ID) causing construction
schedule changes. Piping design, along with the supply and erection
processes, are major aspects of process plant project execution.
EPC contractors began delivering data-centric piping design
two decades ago. This process, while one of the most complex
in a process plant project, is also highly automated and efficient.
Piping materials are highly standardized, but some large-diameter
components-specifically, flanges larger than 24 in.-can be supplied
to numerous standards. Projects have historically had issues
with large-diameter flanges being properly installed, and guiding
these installations are the API-605 (Large-Diameter Carbon
Steel Flanges) and MSS-SP44 (Steel Pipeline Flanges) standards.
Improper flange installation is often not caught until the piping is
ready for installation-causing the project to be delayed and new
costs incurred due to the need to cut and re-weld large flanges.
On a project with a very logistically challenged site location,
this concern was raised without a thorough root cause analysis.
Instead of having the piping discipline requisition for these largediameter
flanges in accordance with their standard protocols, the
mechanical discipline added these flanges to any equipment order
that required large-diameter flanges, and the equipment supplier
would provide the mating flange.
The project materials manager joined the project after this
decision was made. The materials manager pointed out that the
root cause was poor execution and not supply, and that the mechanical
discipline's materials ID protocols did not conform with
the piping discipline's protocols. The materials manager received
project concurrence to revert to a standard protocol where the
piping team requisitioned these flanges-or so he thought.
This project was a large gas plant, with numerous sizable
compressors, a large central pipe rack with fin fan coolers on top,
compressors on one side of the rack and suction drums on the
other side, connected by 54-in. to 72-in. interconnecting piping.
Detailed construction planning was only being performed
2 mos-3 mos ahead of execution. The construction team was
utilizing a large 400-t crane to put in place equipment and large
piping. The crane was positioned in a sub-area adjacent to the
pipe rack. The crane would work adjacent to the sub-areas and
then would be moved several sub-areas down the plant. Moving
the crane involved a crew of 10 and a full day of work.
Two months before the construction team wanted to install
large-diameter compressor piping, which required the 400t
crane, it came to light that the 54-in. and 72-in. pipe spools
would not be on site in time. An investigation showed that the
LIVE WEBCAST
Friday, October 29, 2021 | 10 a.m. CDT / 3 p.m. UTC
Process Safety Dynamic Risk Management
Farshad Hendi, CFSE
FS Senior Expert (TUV Rheinland)
Global Director, Functional Safety
Industry Automation
Schneider Electric
As the world and global economy becomes more digital, market changes and pressures are
becoming more dynamic. First, the speed of business continues to increase at a remarkable
rate, which means business risks and variables, everything from fl uctuating energy and
feedstock costs to cybersecurity threats, are changing almost daily. Second, global policy
initiatives and regulations that strive to create a more sustainable world mean companies now
need to operate more effi ciently, reliably and safely than ever.
Identifying, mitigating and managing business, operating and environmental risks in real time
or near-real-time has become essential for the short- and long-term success. With that in mind,
it is time to challenge the status-quo and revisit risk-management strategies, particularly the
strategies used to mitigate process safety risks, and explore how they can help you optimize
your operations for a more sustainable performance.
3 things the viewer will learn:
Lee Nichols
Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher
Hydrocarbon Processing
1. Emerging elements on Process Safety Risk Management
2. Eff ective Process Safety Risk Management during Operation and Maintenance phase of
Safety lifecycle
3. Dynamic Risk Visualization of Hazardous Events and associated Layer of Protections
Register for Free:
HydrocarbonProcessing.com/Webcasts
Hydrocarbon Processing | OCTOBER 2021 65

http://www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/Webcasts

Hydrocarbon Processing - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hydrocarbon Processing - October 2021