January/February 2016
Loading Racks
BULKDISTRIBUTOR
15
Modularising the perfect platform
Time and cost savings in petrochemical plant loading platform construction are possible with the use of front-end co-ordination
and modularisation, argues David Yearicks, regional sales manager with Green Access & Fall Protection
T
he declining price of crude oil may have cooled oil
exploration, but its bargain price has fuelled huge growth
in the petrochemical industry.
As the demand for petrochemicals expands due to lower oil prices
and an improving economy, the need for new petrochemical plants
(oil, gas, chemicals, plastics, etc) is also growing at an increasing
rate. While the petrochemical-plant construction industry strives to
meet the demands for new facilities, it is facing a challenging
situation that can be divided into the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good is that petrochemical plant construction is booming,
particularly in Texas and Louisiana. Planned construction totals more
than US$100 billion in capital investments and will provide high
employment rates for skilled trades.
The Bad is that construction of many of these plants will be
delayed for years, greatly overrun their cost estimates and schedules,
or will never be built at all. The industry estimates that construction
is currently backlogged for at least 10 years.
The Ugly is why they will be delayed, go over budget or go unbuilt
— inadequate planning on the front end and/or a severe shortage of
skilled labour.
Dealing with these issues may seem daunting, but ever evolving
advancements being adopted by the plant construction industry are
providing practical, innovative solutions that are addressing many of
these challenges.
Front end planning
In petrochemical plant construction, planning and co-ordination are
key factors in meeting scheduling and budget goals. For each
project, a host of diverse contractors and workers must use plans
and specifications to construct a complex factory with critical
integral sections and parts that must function together precisely and
efficiently.
Unfortunately, engineering, procurement and construction
companies (EPCs) that design and oversee petrochemical plant
construction often do not collaborate or work closely with
subcontractors or suppliers in the early planning and design stages
of the proje 7G2