Petrochemical Projects - Value Engineering Ideas Needed 1

[mtgray9]

First time poster here...what a great site.

I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss value engineering ideas for a proposal I have been working on. This is a new plant on a clean site, though it is part of an existing refinery. We have been asked to think of "outside the box" ideas that could save money but that are still acceptable from an engineering standpoint.

One idea that has been mentioned is to possibly do all of the structural steel fireproofing on site, which would save money on transportation and loading/unloading, etc. This seems reasonable to me, at least to consider.

Can anyone give me any other ideas that either you have employed successfully or maybe that are worth considering? Just looking for ideas that are maybe a little out of the norm for a typical refinery-type project.

Thanks in advance!

 

[delagina]

I aint a lead yet so i cant help much, but one thing we sometimes do is design the steel as modules instead of stick-built. It will depend which country are you from if labor is expensive as oppose to shipping.

 

[paddingtongreen]

In all honesty, if there were generic value engineering improvements, they would be standard practice by now.

It's a long time since I worked on refinery design but I don't remember ever fireproofing the steel except in the office building.

Any value engineering benefit is likely to be obtained from adaptation to local materials and skills availability.

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

 

[msquared48]

If the addition is large enough, you might want to entertain an on-site batch plant.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[engotengot]

i have done steel with fireproof, if it is in a blast/fire zone of certain vessels/equipment containing liquid/gas that explodes.

 

[JedClampett]

I know as much about petrochem as I do about vascular surgery. But in every production industry, schedule is money. Even if it costs more, you're better off getting the plant on line earlier and the contractor demobilized.
If you can use readily available (or on-hand) sections, that might avoid waiting for rolling schedules.
Big picture VE is different than optimizing section weights.

 

[csd72]

A few things to think about but possibly too late:

Can the structure be made any simpler?

Can the number of different trades on site be minimised by either fabricating offsite or changing some parts to another material.

Can sections be fabricated on site and then lifted into place at height? ten 10ton crane lifts take a lot less than 50 2ton lifts.

 

[paddingtongreen]

The problem with some of these suggestions is that unless you have the construction company on board, you can decide on something that will screw up his practiced means and methods and cost more.

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

 

[delagina]

If it's a "new plant" it will cost billions of dollars and steel and concrete wont cost much actually. Piping, mechanical equipments/vessel are much more expensive.