Professional Documents
Culture Documents
modular
•
constructlon
Building plants offsite in
modules and then transporting
them to the finallocation
pays dividends in both cost and
shorter construction time.
o In every project, the optimum balance al' costs must use of ofl'site preassembly in the building of convention-
be sought. We try to achieve a minimum for the total ally-sited U.K. chemical plants.
costs al' design and procurement, onsite construction,
transport and lifting, and offsite assembly. Effects on costs and timing
Historically, the cost al' labor has risen at a las ter rate Offsite preassembly is undertaken because it is expect-
than the cost al' materials, so that there has been a ed to have beneficial efFects on the cost or timing al' the
continuing trend toward methods al' construction that project, or both. The cost savings arise from the more
use labor more el'l'ectively, even though this may increase productive use al' labor in a more stable environment,
sorne other costs. One construction method that permits with better working conditions. The weather will have
high productivity is oflsite preassembly, and the gTadual less inJ1uence, working at heights will probably be avoid-
transfer of work away from the site has long been a ed, sal'ety will be improved. Wage costs tend to be lower
feature of process plant construction. 1'0 illustrate this, where continuity of employment is greater, and setting-
we have only to compare current methods in the devel- up and overhead charges should be less. These are the
oped countries with those used in sorne third-world benefits of employing an established manufacturing
countries where labor costs are still low. organization rather than a transient construction force.
In recent years, we have had to build in sorne of the Offsite preassembly also offers the potential lor reduc-
least hospitable parts al' the globe-e.g., the Alaskan ing the program time since preassembly can overlap with
North Slope and the North Sea-and this has stimulated onsite civil eng'ineering work. Several preassembly loca-
major advances in offsite preassembly. It was then a tions may be operated simultaneously and the remaining
natural development for the expertise and techniques work onsite is freed al' congestiono Elapsed time can be
learned in these dillicult areas to be put to use in shortened in preassembly, not only because al' higher
ordinarv onshore construction to oflset the effects of produetivity but also because it can be easier to organize
ever-rising wages. 1'his has resulted in a quite significant the work ellieiently in an established situation.
step-change in the methods available for onshore Preassembly probably reduces the risk al' delay; cer-
construction. tainly, it is to site construction that we look l'or examples
This articie will discuss sorne recent experience in the of really serious delays. The extremes of poor perfor-
and orders
standards
Pipe·fabricating material s
receipts PAU pipe-fabricating material
PPA fabricating/erection material
orders, drawings
frorl'.d.es.i~n.a_n~ •
procurement
materials
cantractor
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operating, and to shut these clown for more than a very
short periocl was economically unacceptable. Temporary
bracing of the steelwork and partial completion 01' fire
protection can clearly be seen.
Vendor-packaged unit
The vendor-packaged unil (VPl') is a preassembly
procluced by lhe vendor 01' the principal ec¡uipmenl
items which lhe unil conlains. It mav be customary fór
such unils to be procluced-for example. oil-fue! pump-
ing ancl healing units, reli-igeration units-in which case
lhere is litlle problem providecl that lhe slanclarcl units
salisf)' lhe specif1cation rec¡uirements ol' lhe purchaser.
The second lype ol' VPl' is where lhe vendor 01' the
principal ilem is asked to eXlend his normal supply-for
example, a fully lrayecl anc! clressed clistillation column.
VPLs are individual iterns ralher lhan pafts ol' a com-
prehensive programo and each neecls to be judged sepa-
rale!y on ils merils. They usually reduce lhe design and
procuremenl elfoft required and can oflen achieve sub-
stanlial savings. Fig. 7 shows lhe lranspon ol' a lrayed
and dressecl clistillation column. This weighs 250 tons,
has overall climensions 01' 61 m X 8 m dia. outsicle
platl'orrns, ancl conlains 80 travs. Il was manufactured in
Holland and shippecl lo lhe U.K. The saving in man-
hours by ofFsite preassembly will be large in such a case,
since nol only is much ol' lhe work carriec! oul indoors in
beller working' conditions. but it also benelils fi-om being
done al grouncllevel.
Lifting a large silo ¡nto position Fig.10 Traying, dressing and lagging lhe column illuslrated
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()'\SI IORE .\IO[)CL\R CO\STRICI"!O.\
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