Engineering services provider implements Intergraph tools for a gas plant design project
Identifying goals
Nortech, an award-winning engineering design, project management, procurement and construction management assistance service provider, was selected to engineer and design a new plant for Jersey Gas company, a liquefied petro gas importer owned by International Energy Group. Jersey Gas’ original manufacturing plant could not efficiently operate based on the seasonal differences in energy demand, and at peak times it was running with minimum spare capacity. The new plant was required to operate on demand and cover seasonal differences in energy demand, allowing the existing gas holder to be withdrawn out of service and the associated land to be sold for further development. The main drivers for the project were to improve the security of supply and to remove the need for the gas holder, which was decommissioned in 2012 and free the land for potential redevelopment.
From simple to more complex design
Nortech was chosen to supply engineering and design services for Jersey Gas’ new plant. Existing plant information was to be retrieved in CloudScan and Navisworks formats, of which only simplistic data models had been produced. Intergraph solutions were used for more complex plant and construction design to ensure the completion of the project according to a tight delivery schedule.
Overcoming challenges
A tight time schedule and the limitations to the available data model affected the engineering and design process. Nortech needed a solution to ensure clash-free design with efficient 3D design capabilities, the ability to produce and revise isometrics, and the ability to create bills of materials.
Nortech chose Intergraph CADWorx Plant Professional and Autodesk Navisworks for their familiarity and AutoCAD-based 3D design capabilities. The 3D design began with the creation of piping specifications along with existing, modified, and new piping catalogues. The piping modelling commenced after the creation of the specifications. CADWorx Plant Professional was also used for the structural, civil, and mechanical design.
After this, all the isometric drawings were produced with ISOGEN, enabling automated isometric creation tailored to Nortech’s needs. Piping support details and generic 3D design were also created with Intergraph tools. Moreover, the 3D design was transferred into a fully dimensional 2D format for fabrication purposes. Intergraph CAESAR II was used for pipe stress analysis throughout the project. The interoperability of CAESAR II and CADWorx Plant Professional enabled quick and highly successful information transfer between the solutions. This provided an effective and cost-saving way to easily define a piping system analysis model.
Realizing results
Working with CADWorx Plant Professional and Navisworks gave Nortech’s engineering department an overall view of the 40+ separate 3D files and helped the team keep track of the design processes. The models could be easily viewed within Nortech as well as readily shared with the client.
CADWorx Plant Professional was used to:
• Create piping and structural design in both 3D and 2D formats.
• Automatically generate accurate isometrics.
• Define pipe support details.
• Create layouts and bills of materials.
Moving forward
Following the successful Jersey Gas project, Nortech has implemented CADWorx Plant Professional in the majority of its projects, predominant for piping design. Intergraph tools are currently used on a wide range of brownfield topside projects, including caisson replacements, FEED studies, and complete projects across a number of North Sea offshore facilities.
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