Designers go to the construction site

Designs are just on paper; it’s necessary to go to the site and observe the actual installation: take a close look at the layout of pipelines, the operating space, the locations where valves are installed, the positions and installations of instrument measurement points, the arrangement of operation platforms, the fire protection measures, the venting arrangements, and whether the civil engineering supports are appropriate. In the north, considerations also include frost prevention in winter, as well as the heating arrangements for instrument pipelines and process pipelines

I think it’s pure nonsense to have people without any actual production experience do the design work! They simply can’t consider many things; for example, my design may be correct according to the specifications, but it’s not appropriate in practice – it affects the actual operation process! But design doesn’t matter; it just needs to meet the specifications! So one should go to the site to see whether what they have designed is truly easy to use, what it looks like in practice, and what areas need improvement!

Check whether the design fits the actual site conditions and is easy to operate. Check for design omissions and make changes promptly.

First of all, designers need to go to the installation site to assess the safety aspects of the design, identify any shortcomings in it – such as whether operations and maintenance are easy and safe –; in short, visiting the site is very helpful for future design work.

Too many things are too idealized

When going to the site, one should communicate more with the workers on site and ask about their opinions and such.

As required by the design, inspections are carried out item by item in accordance with the drawings to determine whether the equipment, pipes, valves, instruments, electrical systems, civil works, etc. meet the design specifications; whether the process is reasonable, the flow is unobstructed, and operation is convenient. Defects are identified and corrected promptly. It is also checked whether the positions of the equipment are correct, whether there are any defects in pipe welding, whether blind flanges, fittings, and gaskets meet the requirements, whether the orientation of the valves is correct, whether lightning protection and static electricity control devices meet the specified standards, whether the valves operate smoothly, and whether the installation locations and quantities of pressure gauges and thermometers meet the requirements. The inspections are conducted in accordance with the specified sequence. Check the process external interface of the outer tube process to ensure it is correct and free of errors; otherwise, correct it immediately. For safety checks, it is necessary to verify that all safety-related facilities are in good condition; this includes ensuring that fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, safety valves, respirators, flame arrestors, vent pipes, alarm systems, electrical explosion-proof equipment, and on-site lighting fixtures meet the required standards.