Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 The purpose of the Equipment Piece Counting procedure is to define the various methods of counting the number of equipment pieces in a processing plant (including offsite areas such as utility areas, tank farms, etc.)
1.2 The number of equipment pieces in a processing plant is used as a parameter for checking and comparing detailed estimates of Home Office manhours.
1.3 There are three types of Equipment Piece Counts being used. These are:
a. Unique Pieces of Equipment
b. Actual Pieces of Equipment
c. Equivalent Pieces of Equipment
1.4 For clarification of the various cost codes used in this procedure see “The Standard Company Project Cost Code”.
2. Types of Equipment Piece Counts
The three types of Equipment Piece Counts are defined as follows.
a. Unique Pieces of Equipment
The number of Unique Pieces of Equipment equals the number of different equipment specifications required to define the equipment of the processing plant.
b. Actual Pieces of Equipment
The number of Actual Pieces of Equipment equals the number of equipment pieces as specified on the equipment list of the processing plant.
c. Equivalent Pieces of Equipment
The number of Equivalent Pieces of Equipment equals the number of equipment pieces as specified on the equipment list, after the number of those pieces of equipment for which more or less than average design engineering manhours will be required have been multiplied with a complexity factor reflecting these special circumstances. For instance, more than average design engineering manhours can be necessary due to excessive piping, complicated foundations and/or structures, etc.
3. Counting Procedure
3.1 The items of equipment listed under 3.5 are not to be taken into consideration in evaluating any of the three specified types of equipment piece counts.
3.2 Unique Pieces of Equipment
For this type of equipment piece count, the number of the required different equipment specifications govern. For example:
- a specific pump specification includes a spare.
- a specific pump specification includes 3 pumps of which each one delivers 50% of the required capacity.
- a specific tubular heat exchanger specification includes 4 bundles, 2 in series and 2 parallel.
The number of Unique Pieces of Equipment in all three examples is one.
3.3 Actual Pieces of Equipment
For this type of equipment piece count, the total number of pieces of equipment specified on the equipment list govern.
Each piece of equipment listed counts for one piece.
In the three examples mentioned under Item 3.2 the number of Actual Pieces of Equipment is respectively 2, 3 and 4.
3.4 Equivalent Pieces of Equipment
Basis for this type of equipment piece count is the number of pieces of equipment specified on the equipment list, taking into consideration the complexity factor applicable to each type of equipment, reflecting the complexity with regard to the required design engineering work involved. Or, in other words, the complexity factor defines whether one piece of a certain type of equipment will count for, for instance, ½, 1 or 2 piece(s).
3.5 Items of Equipment Not to be Included in the Equipment Count
| Cost Code | Items of Equipment |
| A & M | All tower and vessel internals such as, but not limited to, trays, demisters, spray nozzles, packing, heating coils, foam chambers, etc. (see also C for small MM and small MS items) |
| B | Buildings, when subcontracted |
| C | MM piping items and MS items (24” diameter or smaller) if only a few connections and no foundations and/or special supports are involved |
| DS/GY | Hoists |
| E | Electrical equipment, such as transformers, switchgears, panels, etc. |
| F | Simple portable and mobile fire fighting equipment (see 3.6.1 for sophisticated fire fighting systems) |
| GA | Portable agitators and inline blending equipment |
| GB | Single inline blending equipment |
| GF | Inline filters |
| GK | Silencers |
| Cost Code | Items of Equipment |
| GS | Dead roll conveyors |
| GW | Portable weigh scales |
| GX | Shop tools |
| HL | Inline burners |
| J | Concrete structures |
| K | Analyzers, chromatographs, instruments panels |
| P | Drivers, fans, blowers |
| T | Tank coils |
| All unmentioned equipment which can be considered as being an integral part of another major piece of equipment |
Note: Bulk materials, such as piping, valves, fittings, structural steel, cable, lighting fixtures, control and safety valves, transmitters, insulation, etc., are not considered as equipment pieces and shall therefore, never be included in any equipment piece count.
3.6 Applicable Complexity Factors for the Equivalent Piece Count
3.6.1 The following items of equipment are subject to the application of a complexity factor.
The listed complexity factors and complexity factor ranges have to be considered as a guide.
To establish the correct complexity factor, it is a requirement to evaluate each item for circumstances or conditions which may result in complicated foundations and structures, excessive piping, etc. requiring more than average Design Engineering manhours. It is, of course, also possible that the circumstances or conditions are more favorable and therefore less than average Design Engineering manhours will be required.
| Cost Code | Item of Equipment | Applicable Complexity Factor | Complexity Factor Range |
| AR | Rotating Disc Contactors | 1 - 2 | |
| B | Buildings (only if the detailed design is included in the H.O. scope) | 1 - 3 | |
| Type BE, BF and BP | 1 | ||
| Type BK | 2 | ||
| Type BA | 3 | ||
| Type BG, BS and BY (pending the size, compare with the first three types) | 1 - 3 | ||
| Type BM | 0 | ||
| F | Fire Protection | 0 - 2 | |
| Type FC, FF, FS and FG | 0 | ||
| Type FB | 2 | ||
| MR | Reactors | 1 - 3 | |
| Reactor vessels with a few or no internals | 1 - 2 | ||
| Reactors with tube bundle, cyclones, etc. | 3 | ||
| PE | Ejectors and Eductors | 0.5 - 2 | |
| Single stage noncondensing ejectors | 0.5 | ||
| Multi-stage ejectors or single stage ejectors with condensor | 1 | ||
| Large units, 3 stage ejectors with condensors requiring separate structure | 2 | ||
| PC, PR, PB | Compressors and Blowers | 1 - 3 | |
| Simple motor driven compressors and blowers without auxiliary equipment | 1 | ||
| Large units, turbine driven, lube oil and seal oil systems with coolers, etc. and/or table top foundation design | 3 | ||
| GA | Agitators and Mixers (except portable ones) | 0.5 - 1 | |
| Normal types | 0.5 | ||
| Vessel type or special mixing equipment | 1 | ||
| GB | Blending Systems | 0 - 10 | |
| Loading hose | 0 | ||
| Loading arm | 0.2 - 0.3 | ||
| One truck loading station | 1 | ||
| One rail loading station | 1 - 3 | ||
| Complete loading system package, computerized | 10 | ||
| GD | Drying Systems | 1 - 3 | |
| Small rotary or absorption dryer | 1 | ||
| Large rotary or oven type dryers | 3 | ||
| GF | Filters | 0 - 2 | |
| Inline cartridge or basket type (not to be counted at all) | 0 | ||
| Rotary type SMALL | 1 | ||
| LARGE (dewaxing) | 2 | ||
| Plate type | 0.5 - 1 | ||
| Precoat type | 1 | ||
| GH | Gas Generators | 1 - 10 | |
| Small inert gas generating package | 1 | ||
| Large hydrogen generating package unit | 10 | ||
| GJ | Cyclones | 0 - 1 | |
| a) installed inside reactors (MR) | 0 | ||
| b) installed outside reactors | 1 (per set) | ||
| GK | Gas Separators, Silencers, Coalescers | ||
| Silencer | 0 | ||
| Coalescer | 1 | ||
| Gas separator, multicomponent package | 2 | ||
| GL | Laboratory Equipment | 0 - 1 | |
| a) full design services required | 1 (for all) | ||
| b) few special items only | 0 | ||
| GM | Mobile Equipment | 0 - 1 | |
| a) if no design is required | 0 | ||
| b) if very special or large number is required | 1 (for all) | ||
| GN | Safety Equipment | 1 (for all) | |
| incl. flare arrestor, noise abatement, safety showers, etc. | |||
| GR | Refrigeration Systems | 0 - 4 | |
| Standard type kitchen refrigerator | 0 | ||
| Refrigeration unit absorption type | 2 | ||
| Refrigeration unit compression type | 4 | ||
| GS | Solids Handling | 0 - 1 | |
| Dead roll conveyors, manufacturer’s standard moving belt conveyors & bucket elevators | 0 | ||
| Straight driven roller conveyor | 0.5 | ||
| Rotary screen | 1 | ||
| GT | Cooling Towers | 1 - 3 | |
| Single cell, roof mounted (small type) | 1 | ||
| Single cell, basin type | 2 | ||
| Multiple cell | 3 | ||
| GU | Water Treatment | 1 - 5 | |
| Single line anion/cation exchangers with pumps, filters, controls, etc. | 2 | ||
| Multiple lines or complete package units | 5 | ||
| Deaerators, desuperheaters | 1 | ||
| GV | Waste Water Treatment | 1 - 5 | |
| Standard manufacturer design small unit | 1 | ||
| Simple air flotation unit | 1 | ||
| Biotreater/clarifier | 1 - 2 | ||
| Large CPI system | 5 | ||
| GW | Weighing Devices | 1 - 2 | |
| Weigh scales (except portable ones) | 1(per item) | ||
| Road weigh bridge | 1 | ||
| Rail weigh bridges, incl. car pullers, etc. | 2 | ||
| GZ | Packaged Units | 1 - 3 | |
| Depends on involvement in design, coordination and procurement (see further under item 3.7) | |||
| HS, HF, HB, HW, HN | Heaters, Incinerators, Boilers | 2 - 5 | |
| Standard manufacturer design circular small heaters and incinerators | 2 | ||
| Multiple cell box type heaters and boilers | 3 - 5 | ||
| TM | Vessel Heaters | 0 - 1 | |
| Straight bundle type (e.g. Brown Fin) and stub-in type | 1 (per item) | ||
| Tank coil type | 0 |
For equipment used in fertilizer plants the following complexity factors shall be used.
| Cost Code | Item of Equipment | Applicable Complexity Factor |
| GF | Filter (Tilting Pan or Table) | 3 |
| GF | Belt Filter (Landskrona) | 2 |
| GD | Dryer (Shell Only) | 3 |
| HS | Dryer (Fire Box, Burner, Fan, etc.) | 2 |
| GK | Reactor Scrubber (DAP) | 3 (see Note 1) |
| GK | Dryer Scrubber (DAP) | 3 (see Note 1) |
| GK | Cooler Scrubber (DAP) | 3 (see Note 1) |
| GK | Tail Gas Scrubber | 2 |
| GA | Pug Mill (Blunger) | 2 |
| GY | Product Cooler (Granular) | 2 |
| MR | Isothermal Reactor | 3 or 5 (see Note 2) |
| MS | Filtrate Seal Tank | 2 |
| GG | Rock Mill (Ball) | 2 |
| GG | Raymond Mill | 2 |
| MB | Bin (Rock) | 2 |
| GF | Dewatering Belt Filter (Rock) | 2 |
| GA | Paddle Mixer (TSP) | 2 |
| GS | TSP Den | 3 |
| GK | Den Vent Scrubber | 2 |
| GY | DAP Granulator (Drum) | 2 |
| GS | Drag Conveyor | 2 |
| GK | TSP Granulator Scrubber | 2 |
| GY | MAP Tower (Swift) | 3 |
| GS | Discharge Scrapper (Tower) | 3 |
| GK | MAP Tower Scrubber | 2 |
| HS | Air Heaters (Rock Mill, etc.) | 2 |
| Notes: 1. Includes Venturi, Cyclonic separator, and gas cooler for each scrubber unit. 2. Use 5 if or when detail design is by Company. | ||
3.6.2 The following items of equipment have to be counted as one piece and are not subject to the application of a complexity factor.
| Cost Code | Item of Equipment |
| AS | Shop fabricated towers |
| AF | Field fabricated towers |
| GC | Centrifuges |
| GE | Evaporators |
| GG | Grinders, cutting mills, granulators, etc. |
| GJ | Dust collectors, bag filters incl. ducts, cyclones, etc., pneumatic conveyors |
| GP | Packaging and pallatizing equipment |
| GQ | Flare system (stack, tip and ignition device) |
| Note: K.O. drum and pumps to be counted separately | |
| GY | Scraped surface exchangers, chillers, desalters, flakers, etc. |
| HC | Stacks count one piece for each combined |
| HD | Ducts stack and its ducting |
| MS | Shop fabricated drums and tanks |
| MF | Field fabricated drums and tanks |
| MT | Storage tanks |
| MP | Spheres |
| MB | Bins, silos, hoppers |
| PP | Centrifugal pumps (incl. drivers) |
| PD | Positive displacement pumps (incl. drivers) |
| PV | Vacuum pumps (incl. drivers) |
| TT | Shell and tube exchangers |
| TP | Multiple pipe exchangers |
| TL | Plate type exchangers |
| TA | Air coolers (air cooled heat exchangers) |
| TY | Other types of exchangers |
| Note: Tower and drums containing mote than one equipment item, in one shell with internal heads, are to be counted as one equipment piece (e.g. Crude Unit LGO/HGO strippers). |
3.7 Package Units
Package units, as specified in the P/G/H cost codes, are to be considered as one Unique Piece if ordered from one vendor who designs all equipment and interconnections.
If, for economical, design or supply reasons, a package is broken down into subpackages or individual equipment pieces, for which the specification and the design is prepared by Company, then each subpackage or single equipment piece is to be counted as a Unique Piece.
Identical packages shall be counted as Actual Pieces.
By the use of the complexity factor, the complexity of the package unit shall be expressed to reflect Equivalent Pieces.
Typical examples of frequently occurring package units are:
| Refrigeration Unit | - | includes compressor, lube and seal oil systems, chillers, drums. |
| Cooling Tower | - | includes structure, fans, basin multiple cells. |
| Compressor | - | includes compressor, driver, lube oil and seal oil facilities, filters, silencers. |
| Heater/Boiler | - | includes integrated stack, fans, etc. |
| Water Treating | - | includes anion/cation exchangers, filters. |
| CPI/Waste Treatment | - | includes drives, rakes, skimmers, basins, etc. |