PROJECT PLANNING

A project is something, which has start date and finish date with some task to be performed with allotted resources and with financial implications.

Guidelines and suggestions are given here which outline the organization and execution of an engineering project as it relates to instrumentation, ft lists documents which are necessary for communication between owner and builder, communication within the contractor organization during the engineering phase and the necessary information for construction. Coordination requirements with other groups are discussed, planning hints are given, and a checklist for project control is suggested to ensure the successful completion of the project. The principles outlined apply to projects whose capital investments range from a few hundred thousand dollars to the largest of projects.

The viewpoint presented is most applicable to the person responsible for the application, selection, purchasing and installation of instruments arid control systems. The documentation necessary for a complete record of a project is outlined. Even though the viewpoint is slanted toward the responsible project instrument engineer, other owner and contractor personnel project managers, process people and leaders of other disciplines—will profit by an understanding of how the job is organized, developed and executed.

Many jobs appear complex until they are organized and broken down into components or units easily understood and accomplished. This is certainly true of instrument work.

Specific documents are required for the work—for installation and later for maintenance Scheduling, purchasing, installation and calibration must be done. The following paragraphs discuss what these functions are and how they are carried out.

2 Documents To Be Produced

Most projects require the following engineering documents for a complete job. When the job is small, some of the functions may be combined in the interest of space, time and economy. On large jobs, additional documents may be needed. Generally, however, requirements adhere quite closely to those mentioned below.

2.1 Process Flow Sheets

Process flow sheets consist of a pictorial representation of the major pieces of equipment required with major lines of flow to and from each piece. Material balances generally are shown. Additional information often given includes operating conditions at various stages of the process (flows, pressures, temperatures, viscosities, etc.), equipment size and configuration and, in some cases, utility requirements. Instrumentation on process flow sheets may or may not be essentially complete. In some instances, practically all of the instrumentation is included; in others, only the major control systems are shown.

In most processes the primary control variables have been determined and verified through laboratory and/or pilot-plant operations if the process is new. On old processes, previous commercial operations have verified proper or improper control techniques -The responsible instrument people may be consulted or may offer suggestions to improve control. The extent of involvement depends primarily on the experience backgrounds of the process and instrument people assigned to the job

2.2 Mechanical Flow Sheets

Mechanical flow sheets or P&I (Process and Instrument) diagrams provide much detailed, mechanical information not shown on process flow sheets, while omitting much of the process information shown on the process flow sheets.

They repeat all the major equipment and piping lines as well as show:

• All other equipment items with design temperatures and pressures

• All interconnecting piping with size, material and fabrication specifications indicated

• Utility requirements including pipe sizes, materials and fabrication methods

• All major instrument devices

      In many situations, mechanical flow sheets show schematically every process and utility line that appears on detailed drawings. They provide a valuable reference for proper project installation. The instrument engineer uses it as a source for many documents, which must be prepared.

Complete process and mechanical flow sheets are needed prior to the bulk of the engineering effort on a job. Changes are often made as jobs progress, however, particularly on mechanical flow sheets.

2.3 Instrument Index Sheets

The instrument index sheets provide a summary of all instruments required for the job, listing each number-identified item of each loop . The list should be made near the start of a job and used to check progress in specification writing, purchasing, expediting, delivery and installation. As items are added, the list increases; deletions should be lined out (not erased), thus serving as a record of changes. Even though information is not complete, the list should be issued early in the job so that project engineers and others concerned with the job may use it to gauge the job requirements.

Instrument index sheets may serve strictly as an index of items required and provide minimum information, or they may be expanded to provide a summary of information about the loop itself, including service conditions of the line or vessel with which it is associated.

2.4 Instrument Specification Sheets

To facilitate and speed up the specification and purchase of instrument items, forms have been developed which list the main features available and desirable in various categories of instruments. The Instrument Society of America has been instrumental in this effort and has developed standard forms for 27 categories of instrument items. A blank form is included in these standards which can be used to hand-write specifications not already covered on the other 26 forms.

The ISA forms were revised in 1975 and republished in 1976 {reference "Standard ISA-S20”, Standards and Practices for Instrumentation, 5th Edition, Instrument Society of America, 400 Stanwix Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222). This upgrading of content and format eliminated many of the deficiencies of earlier forms, although the forms in their present state must still be modified to include information such as electrical area classification and flow sheet numbers. Use of the forms is encouraged by the ISA, and copies are available at nominal cost through their headquarters. The forms may be modified (company headings, new columns, etc.) and reproduced for internal use (not for commercial sale), so long as permission is obtained from the ISA.

Specification sheets serve a fourfold purpose.

1. They contain information relating to the process and/or other instruments which is necessary for complete systems engineering.
2. They provide the purchasing department and other interested people information necessary for fulfilling their jobs efficiently—a communications channel.
3. They serve as permanent records for plant use—for installation, production and maintenance groups.
4. They provide specifications to bidders, using a format familiar to both parties.

2.5 Loop Wiring Diagrams

Electronic loop wiring diagrams are electrical schematic drawings, which are prepared for individual (or typical) electronic loops. The simplest loop is one that contains only a transmitter and a receiver. Other loops may contain many items—transmitter, recorder, controller, alarm units, control valve, transducer, integrator and perhaps other items.

The amount of documentation on the schematic varies. Some are relatively simple, showing only the locations of the instruments, their identification numbers and termination of the interconnecting wiring. Cable routing, wire size, intermediate terminal points and other pertinent information are necessarily shown on other drawings.

Other loop wiring diagrams are more comprehensive providing not only the information previously described but also showing intermediate junction box terminals properly identified, wire and cable information, complete terminal layout of individual instruments and other useful information. Included may be the transmitter range and calibration and pneumatic hookup information on the transducer and the control valve.

Some loop diagrams are much more complex, especially if the loop contains several components. Complete documentation, however, makes prestartup checkout and maintenance much easier Since the loop information is well documented, additional drawings are seldom needed for maintenance of the instruments.

2.6 Panel Drawings and Specifications

Panel arrangement and layout philosophy are already determined and work execution only is needed. Panel specifications and instrument specifications for all panel instruments must be prepared.

Early in the job a decision should be made concerning the extent of engineering to be done by the panel fabricator. This decision is based on four primary factors.

1 Cost

1. Time

1. Available manpower

1. Capability

The factors are so interrelated that they need not be listed in a definite order of importance. Fabrication cost is always important, but other factors such as installation schedule, startup time, etc., can minimize initial fabrication cost. Timing and cost, then, must be considered together.

If the timing or schedule is critical, panel fabrication may be started before engineering is complete with a gain of several weeks in panel delivery. The added cost of such an action may be small compared to the advantage of earlier on-stream commitments or other factors.

Capability and availability of manpower are also closely related. In most cases the buyer knows the panel fabricator well enough to judge his engineering capabilities. The buyer also knows his own department's workload and capabilities. From these factors, he then must determine the amount of engineering to be done by each. In some cases the panel fabricator will do little or none of it; in other cases, he may do all of it.

Having decided which route to take, the engineer must schedule the work accordingly. If the detailed engineering is left to the panel fabricator, the contract must be let at an earlier date to allow time for engineering by the fabricator. The quality of the written panel specifications must be better for this option than for one on which detailed engineering is complete, because the written specifications must convey in word description what detailed drawings normal. Show pictorially.

2.7 Plot Plans

Instrument location plans (plot plans) include all instrument items that interconnect with other instruments. They usually do not show single items (such as level or pressure gauges and in-line rotameters) that connect only to process lines or vessels because those items normally appear on piping and/or equipment drawings and on mechanical flow sheets.

Many instrument items are shown on two sets of plan drawings because their installation involves two different crafts—pipe fitters and electricians. Electrical plot plan normally show all items that have electrical connection Instrument plot plans show items that have both electrical and piping connections. The drawing scale normally used is ¼ or 3/8 inch per foot. An advantage of the 3/8-inch scale that it duplicates the scale normally used by the piping department. Background layouts may then be traced. Duplicated with little effort and cost. The location of instrument items also is easy since many of them are shown in piping drawings.

Location of all instrument junction boxes should show on the instrument plans. Instrument cable and tubing trays, if not shown on electrical drawings, may also show on the instrument plans.

Underground cable and tubing runs must be carefully routed. Preliminary locations and routing should be reviewed by piping, electrical and civil engineering design disciplines to avoid conflicts during construction with new design and also existing pipes, conduits, electrical grounding systems, foundations, drains, and sewers.

2.8 Installation Details

Installation details or sketches are needed to show mounding and piping methods and preferences. They show the size, pressure rating and type of materials required for installation. Sufficient information is given to allow correct installation even if the craftsman is not familiar with the instrument. 

Typical connection details are also made for instrument electrical connections. Normally these show the proper entry to the instrument, the size and number of wires needed, the size and type of conduit used and the electrical fittings required.

These sketches, properly drawn, save many hours of installation labor and ensure proper installation and operation even when installed by inexperienced craftsmen They also provide a good basis for material take-off and purchase and material inventory control during the building phase.

3 Bid Documents

These documents are involved only on design and construction projects on which bids have been made and accepted. They are important to both the owner and the contractor. The responsible instrument engineers for both parties should be familiar with the basis on which the work is proposed to be done.

In some instances specifications and standards may be clear enough that no clarifications or exceptions have been necessary and where no alternatives have been offered. In such cases the specifications and standards along with the flow sheets and other drawings are the bid basis. These, however, are often subject to interpretation. They must be studied and understood by the contractor's engineer; presumably they are well understood by the owner's representative.

If exceptions (to the specifications) or clarifications (where specifications are not clear or may be misinterpreted) have been made or if alternatives have been offered, both parties should be aware of them to make certain that they do not affect the total instrument budget or the engineering man-hour estimate.

Prior to beginning work, whether from the owner or contractor viewpoint, the involved instrument engineers should be familiar with the bid documents and with the final contract which reflects the bid proposal. Apparent discrepancies in the two documents should be brought to the attention of the project managers involved.

4 Project Procedures

The lack of communication between individuals and groups is a major obstacle in most endeavors. Engineering projects are not exceptions. Project procedures are set up to assure good communication among all involved parties.

            They should include the following information in some
form:

• Project organization chart
• The function of key personnel assigned to the project, their responsibilities and duties
• Accounting procedures—a code of accounts for proper allocation of material and labor costs
• Distribution of all types of communication forms, including periodic progress reports, special reports, job schedules, drawings, purchase requisitions and orders and day-to-day memoranda (these are examples, not a complete list)
• Approval procedures for the release of engineering drawings, specifications, requisitions, purchase orders and other documents
• The extent, frequency and complexity of planning, expediting and scheduling activities
• Equipment and material procurement methods and procedures
• Engineering drawing sizes and numbering system
• Identification systems for equipment and instrument items

This list is not intended to be complete, but it indicates the necessity for job organization to assure quick and efficient flow of information. It assures orderly progress and prevents costly mistakes due to lack of information. Primarily, it saves the valuable time of many people. It includes the flow lines of communication among the contractor, owner, vendors and subcontractors, as well as within the contracting organization.

4.1 Project Schedule

At the beginning of a project, the responsible instrument engineer determines from the project schedule the date's for purchasing equipment, for starting field installation and for completion of various phases of the project. These factors are interrelated, of course. The various facets of instrumentation (purchase, delivery, installation, calibration and checkout) are seldom critical in the completion of a Job, except the last phase—calibration and checkout. By its very nature, instrument checkout is one of the last work items required prior to plant startup.

Other facets (such as delivery) may be critical if instrument design is delayed or if special equipment is needed. On small "crash" projects, standard instrument items may have longer delivery times than other equipment needed for the job. In any case, the instrument engineer should determine the amount of work to be done and correlate it with the project schedule.

Instrument items that need to be specified and purchased early are those which are mounted in-line and whose dimensions need to be known by other disciplines. For example, the piping people need the dimensions of control valves, meter runs and other in-line devices to complete their work.

Some other examples of scheduling problems include

• Purchase of panel instruments early enough to meet panel fabricator's requirements.
• Purchase of relief valves to   meet piping erection schedules.
• The requirement of starting up one or more phases of a project ahead of others. All items required for that phase must be purchased early.

One good approach in scheduling a job is to work from the completion date backwards to determine logical dates for the completion of various stages of the job. Allow plenty of time for custom fabricated items, delivery of equipment after shipment and communication delays that normally affect a job.

After the instrument schedule is temporarily worked out, review the items again, checking with equipment vendors to verify their probable delivery commitments.

4.2 Equipment Information

Equipment size, nozzle size and orientation (on vessels and other equipment), materials of construction and pressure ratings of equipment and flanges must be known prior to the purchase of instrument items related to that equipment. Most of this information is usually available prior to equipment purchase, and it must be assembled for reference when purchasing related instrument items.

Even after equipment specification and purchase is complete, a final check of vendor's drawings of the purchased items should be made to verify compliance with purchase specifications. A final check of this nature often avoids costly field changes.

4.3 Vendor Drawings

Vendor drawings of purchased instruments must be checked thoroughly to determine that they comply with purchase orders and their specifications and drawings. The assumption should not be that no mistakes will be made by the

many people who handle purchase orders from their origination to the delivery of the finished items. It can be assumed that some will be made. A thorough check of vendor drawings will likely catch some errors in time to prevent costly delays and exchanges.

4.4 Work Coordination

Coordination among those responsible for the various phases of engineering is necessary for an efficient, well run job. The project instrument engineer must cooperate and work with the following people or groups. He must be aware of their duties and functions in order to coordinate the work effectively.      

4.5 Project Manager

Among the many functions of the project manager, those listed below have the greatest effect on the work in the instrument department.

1. Project procedures

1. Schedules

1. Manpower allocation

1. Job progress

1. Cost control

4.6 Manpower Allocation

Manpower requirements to meet job schedules are usually discussed among the project manager, the instrument project leader and other interested people. Job requirements and personnel capabilities arc usually known well enough that assignments can be made to satisfy completion schedules with a fair degree of accuracy. When additional manpower is needed to meet a commitment or if too much. Manpower is being used, the project instrument leader should advise the project manager and other management people who are responsible for reallocating manpower.

4.7 Progress Reports

Periodic progress reports, usually on a monthly basis, are made to the project manager. it is the most reliable source that he or other interested parties have for gauging the project status. Proper communication through this channel of information highlights difficulties, achievements and schedule changes Reports from each discipline are completed and issued to designated personnel. The report is used to avoid misunderstandings between owner and builder and within the contractor organization by keeping everyone posted on the job completion picture. The owner needs this information for meshing new plant activities with those existing to reduce overall operating expenses.

The positive psychological effects of just having a monthly status report are enormous. It stands to reason that the absence of such an indicator will only cause doubts in the minds of the project manager and the customer. Conversely, the mere presence of a status report leads interested companies to the conclusion that the report writer understands the   project situation   An  overall   confidence develops in the managerial skills of the engineer, a confidence which builds first in the engineer, and which often noticed by the person who can recommend a salary increment for that engineer.

4.8 Cost Control

Factors that cause significant changes in the cost of instrumentation for a project must be brought to the attention of the project manager Many different situations arise, alter the original estimate Escalation of material and lab prices, greater-than-anticipated   complexity   of   cop systems oversight of alloy material requirements, premium payments to meet schedules for fabricated items, loss of   manpower, misinterpretation   of   quotations—any these things may occur to increase the cost. Seldom is -confronted with cost decreases.

Since the project manager is the one ultimately responsible for project cost, the final decision usually rests with him. The project instrument leader should make his views know and should advise to the best of his knowledge the proper action.

4.9 Process Engineer

During the course of a project, many questions arise relative to process conditions that require close cooperation between process and instrument people For example, the range of flow for a flow meter may be higher than that attainable by a single orifice meter.  A discussion of the problem with responsible process people will determine whether to use one or two meters or an entirely different type flow device.

There are many instances in which range requirements material requirements, etc, have been given but which cannot be considered inflexible They need to be discussed with the proper people before changes are made, however, the process engineer is the logical person to consult for such problems.

4.10 Equipment Engineer

Major pieces of equipment ordinarily are purchased during the initial phase of the job because delivery time’s r usually long this is particularly true of large or complex items, ones requiring a large amount of engineering, those made of exotic materials or nonstandard items. Most of the; type equipment will have instrument related items—level gauges, thermo wells, pressure connections—that must attach to it The instrument project leader must work with the equipment engineers to assure proper connection sizes and locations for the instruments,

When complete packages (or systems) are purchase, such as compressors, extruders, furnaces and refrigeration systems, along with their associated auxiliary units, the responsible instrument leader should check equipment specifications, purchase orders and vendor prints to assure the use of proper instruments and to document information necessary to tie them into the rest of the plant instrument system,

4.11 Piping Design Supervisor

The preparation of piping drawings starts as soon as equipment layouts and orientation are determined and other pertinent information is available. Costly revisions (o piping drawings can be avoided if meter run sizes and lengths and control and relief valve sizes are known and dimensions are given to the piping

section early in the piping design stage. Piping details for level gauges and level controllers are often shown on piping drawings, and their dimensions are needed, Connection sizes are needed for pressure and temperature devices. Forms that contain the needed information  are prepared and given to the piping section. They contain all the size and dimension information needed for relief valves, level transmitters and controllers, control valves, level gauges and orifice meter runs.

They can be dated and revised when and if changes occur. The preparation and issue of such forms provides an efficient and clear means of communication between departments.

Before piping plans, elevations and isometrics are issued they should receive a “squad" check by the instrument department to make certain that all process connections are shown and that instrument location drawings (plot plans) and piping drawings are in agreement.