I have been having an e-mail "conversation" with an individual about what should be on a "Plot Plan" see below.

The question:
Can you list the complete items included in plot plan?

My answer:
Plot Plan Items:
Items listed here may apply to a Total Project Plot Plan, a Onsite Plot Plan, an Offsite Plot Plan, a large Area Plot Plan or a small Unit Plot Plan as is fitting the project.

* North Arrow
* A Graphic Scale indicating the same units of measure as the drawing
* Wind "Rose" defining the seasonal direction of the wind and the velocity
* Property Lines, Match Lines, Border Lines, Boundary Lines which ever is applicable
* All natural features of the land that will effect the Plant Layout
* All preexisting Equipment, Structures or Buildings that are to be retained
* Coordinate locating designations for all of the items listed above
* All Property line fences, gates and guard houses
* All designated or geographic areas such as Onsite or Offsite
* All equipment (simple geometric shapes), No coordinates or dimensions
* The Tag Number Identification for all equipment
* N/S - E/W Center Lines for all equipment
* All Structures (including stairs) If multi-story then show a detached plan off to the side or on another Drawing.
* All Pipe Racks (elevated or Sleeper type)
* N/S - E/W Center Lines for all Pipe Rack Columns and Bents
* All Primary and Secondary Roads
* All access Ways.
* All Rail Road Sidings (if applicable) and Rail Loading facilities
* All Truck Loading facilities (if applicable)
* All Buildings
* The name and number of all buildings
* All pre-existing natural or installed objects complete with identification
* All space reserved for other purposes and not available for project use (Future Equipment, Catalyst Loading and unloading, etc)
* All Dikes or Berms for Offsite Tankage
* Flare Stack and the circle of clear safety space around the flare.
* All Retention Ponds (Firewater, Storm Water or Waste Treatment)
* All Cooling Towers
* All Electrical Sub Stations

For each individual plot plan the creator needs to go through this list and ask "Does this apply?
If so then show it. If not then don't show it.


Now my request to the Forum:
Please add any item that you have found necessary for a "Plot Plan"

JOP …I have to disagree with you about putting coordinates on a “Plot Plan”. My experience, coordinates (dimensions) are used on drawings that you build from …i.e. “Equipment Location Plan” and/or “Foundation Location Plan”. As I view it coordinates on a “Plot Plan” would be akin to “double documentation or double dimensioning”. A Plot Plan is a “picture” of what you want the site (project) to look like …somebody’s first look …for orientation only …NOT to build from.

11Echo,
I agree with what you have said here 100%
I fear that you may have misunderstood what I have said. Maybe I should use different words.
My position is "The only Coordinated items that should be on a Plot Plan are:"

1) For the Property Line or some other form of Boundary line. The Field does not build a Boundary Line.
and
2) For Pre-existing objects such as buildings, Pipe Racks, etc. already there and will remain there. The objects are already there so the Field will not be building them.

Nothing "New" should have Coordinates or Dimensions for the very reason you stated. You and I agree.

Jop,
I generally like to include large process ducting as if it was a piece of equipment to contend with.
Regards,
Bob

I completely agree with Jop & his reply to echo.
There is a need for a REFERENCE POINT of any existing thing (which is also called as FLAG POLE) from where the new facility starts.
The co-ordinate of the REFERENCE POINT is must otherwise how you can come to know from where the plant & the relevent dimensions are starting from toward N-S & E-W directions.

Thnx all for your valuable knowledge sharing..!

I just received some “Plot Plans” that had dimensions on them locating new equipment on a project we are putting in. I complained to our “supervisor” that this was the wrong drawing to indicate this new equipment on, but was informed “they do this all the time”! …Sure enough I’m looking at 6 other “Plot Plans” that had previous work back in 2006 that dimensioned to the equipment the same way. I decided I’d try showing my “supervisor” in a piping book I have that this was wrong …first book I pick up was one I’ve had for about 10 yr.s …”The Piping Guide” by Syentek page 72 under Plot Plans: I quote …“When the equipment arrangement drawings are approved, they are developed into “plot plans” by the addition of dimensions and coordinates to locate all major items of equipment and structures.
I’m flabbergasted! Either this was a data error that was incorporated into the book, OR this is another example of how names for drawings are being “shortcut” and use incorrectly in a particular application. AND to farther show how things have gotten, all the dimensions on these plot plans were “broken line” ARCHITECTURAL style dimensioning …on a PIPING drawing!
You know it sad to see the quality of the drawing system slowly go down the tubes, especially when your education indicated it was so important that drawings were done correctly, but it’s compounded by the fact that either nobody sees it …or worse, they don’t care!

Just curious, I referred Roger Hunt. It refers to three distinct phases of plot plan.

1. Proposal Stage : Developed during estimate phase of the plant. It only indicates principal items of equipment, main supporting facility and overall dimensions. The sample shown did not show any equipment location dimension marked.

2. Planning Plot Plan : This is updated version of Proposal Plot Plan after awarding of the contract based on the latest data. The sample had dimensioning for major support structures etc. but no equipment location dimension.

3. Construction Plot Plan: The IFC plot plan issued to construction. This sample had all equipment location dimensions marked.

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I have a query in this regard:
If we choose to (we should not) show dimensions on Plot Plan then we have duplicated information a. Plot Plan b. Unit Plan (Equipment Location Plan) which 11echo has marked in his first response as I see now. Then at some point, we have to shift the equipment location then it will then become binding to update both documents. Will the plot plan (since we are revising) need the client approval again (every time)?

Ideally we should not repeat the same information on two different drawings.
Example-

To show the unit to unit or facility to facility dimentions we have a plot plan which shows it very clearly & when we need to know or convey what is there in each unit or facility we have a equipment layout which shows it with much clarity.

Repeat info is not at all a good practice as whenever we change one document we need to take care of the same change in other document as well....which will be additional work unncecessarily..!

Do you agree with me ?? We should try to avoid it..!

Where I work, Plot plans are classified into following:

-Site Plan (contains reference points and general locations of major facilities such as process block, utility block, common facilities, etc)

-General Plot Plan (applicable for multi-unit process block to locate different key units like acid gas removal,fractionation, liquefaction area, etc

-Unit Plot Plan (equivalent to equipment arrangement drawing), with reference coordinates and dimension to show location of equipment.

Site plan and general plot plan were developed/decided at the FEED and early EPC stage. After issuing it for construction, update would normally be required only if requested by site engineering staff.

Unit plot plans are decided on early EPC stage and issued for design and construction (mainly for early site development work) before detail engineering stage. After using 2D plot plan as based for 3D equipment and structural modeling, plot plan will be extracted from 3D model and a consistency check between model and 2D plot will be made. From time to time, an equipment arrangement may change mainly because of piping design development. Also, most vendor package data will be available only during detail engineering stage. IFC revisions of unit plot plans were issued for these cause and to release any hold items that were not decided or unavailable during initial IFC schedule.

Ideally you are correct when you say you should not duplicate dimensions and coordinates in any form. and you should show everything listed in the first post if applicable. But in reality it is the bosses decision. Not the he is going to be correct, usually not. I've work on many different job and not one has been the same unless I was the boss. So till your the boss you do what he says.

Boss is always right..! Of course ...
but we should be aware what is a good practice.........