turnaround.docx

8/14/2019 turnaround.docx

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ForewordThe oil refining and petrochemical processing industries have their own nomenclature for maintenance projects. For

the purposes of this tutorial, "turnaround" is intended to encompass all types of industrial projects for existing

process plants including I&Ts (Inspection & Testing), shutdowns, emergency outages, debottlenecking projects,

revamps, catalyst regeneration, etc. where an operating plant must be shut down until the work is completed and

then restarted - thus "turning around" the unit/plant.

Turnaround project planning and scheduling is an important function that has a direct and dramatic impact on

maintenance costs and bottom line profitability of a process plant. Maintenance costs are the result of the

expenditure of manpower, equipment and materials.

Keep manpower and equipment usage efficient, and you will control your turnaround costs. Through judicious

planning and scheduling, a maintenance planner / scheduler can help his organization save on manpower costs,

ensure the shortest possible downtime, and achieve the most efficient use of equipment.

The secret to achieving the most efficient plan is to remove all wasted motion, all unnecessary movements or

transports, and minimize crew and equipment redeployment.

This handbook was prepared to help those whose responsibilities include the planning and scheduling of process

plant turnarounds. We have developed a practical approach based on tried and proven procedures using our

ownproject management software,although the concepts described herein are applicable regardless of the

software package you use.

Turnaround OrganizationThe turnaround organization encompasses all personnel responsible for the planning, scheduling, management and

execution of the turnaround. It includes, among others, the plant manager, maintenance manager, turnaround

manager, turnaround planner/scheduler and field supervisors.

Often the maintenance manager will also act as the turnaround manager. Also, field supervisors could consist of

contractor personnel.

The Operations, Safety, Inspection, Warehouse and Tool Room departments are also key to the execution of a

successful turnaround.

Making your turnaround scope and schedule visible to the entire turnaround organization is a determining factor for

success. Visibility is achieved by distributing updated reports before and during the turnaround to all key personnel.

The particular information needs of each member of the turnaround organization will be covered in more detail later.The Turnaround Planner / Scheduler

The turnaround planner / scheduler is the organizer; the driving force behind the effort involved in developing,

communicating, reviewing, organizing and refining a workable turnaround schedule. No turnaround planner /

scheduler can have the combined knowledge of all the trades and specialized functions that are required to execute a

turnaround successfully. Therefore he will depend, to a large degree, upon all the other members of the turnaround

team.

The turnaround planner / schedulers contribution is one of the most important, because he brings about good

communication between the different departments, shops, trades, contractors, etc. Through him they will become

familiar with the turnaround scope, enabling them to establish realistic work scopes, manpower and duration

estimates. This involvement ensures their participation with ("buy into") the schedule, so that the overall time and

manpower objectives are met.

The turnaround planner/scheduler often leads the effort of developing the work scope. He has the ability to prepare a

detailed work order (InterPlan Systems offersproject planning softwarethat assists the planner/scheduler in

creating detailed, high quality work orders) that can be reviewed and revised by the party responsible for its

execution, speeding up the identification of all required inspection and repair work.

Planners/schedulers are the right hand of the turnaround manager. They are the source of the information upon

which all decisions are made.

Turnarounds - A Team Effort

Turnarounds will be executed by people. These people have to accept or "buy into" your work order scopes,

estimates, schedules and progress reports. Otherwise your effort will be totally wasted.
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The confidence of the turnaround team members in your effort is in direct relation to two factors: the quality (level

of detail) of the plan and their degree of participation (contributing, reviewing, advising).

Participation is essential, for without their reviews and comments, they will neither accept nor work with your

estimates and schedules. In fact, when people do not participate, they usually will work to defeat the schedule!

The quality of the estimates and schedule is equally essential. A sloppily prepared execution plan will be ignored,

rejected and abandoned early. The higher the quality (degree of detail) of the planning and scheduling effort, the

higher the acceptance and confidence - therefore enhancing a greater adherence to the schedule.

A good way to ensure that all involved will participate with the planning effort is to have the turnaround manager

(or plant manager) invited to a meeting, where the planning effort and everybody's contribution or role will be

discussed. All should leave the meeting with the understanding that the planner will help them develop their work

orders, their schedules, etc. This will go a long way to allay their fears that the estimates, schedules, etc., may be

created without their input, and be forced upon them resulting in potentially unrealistic, unreachable goals.

Information RequirementsThe foundation for effective project management in a turnaround is reliable information. The planners basic

function is to gather, develop, organize, review and disseminate information. Through his effort everyone involvedis kept informed so that nothing is left to their imagination or improvisation. The information required to plan,

estimate, schedule and manage a turnaround is extensive and often difficult to obtain - posing a serious challenge

even to experienced planners.

The required information can be roughly classified in the following categories:

Cost Time Manpower Safety Quality Tools & Equipment Materials Coordination Technical Work Scope

You may notice that in order to determine the cost, all other information must be developed first. Generally, the

information is developed from the "ground up"; the order in which the information categories are listed above does

not necessarily reflect how and when they become available, or their relative importance.

Cost

Cost estimates are developed from all the other information categories. It is the consequence of many decisions

affecting staffing, overtime, safety measures, quality requirements, procedures, contracting, etc.

Cost, being one of the most important factors, forces the planner to consider and evaluate alternative methods,

schedules and strategies with an eye towards achieving the lowest cost while satisfying all other requirements (of

time, safety and quality).

There are, however, different cost categories:

Direct Labor Costs- determined by the manhours estimated to execute the scope. Direct labor can be furthercategorized as:o Firm Price Costs- obtained from lump sum (fixed price) contracts (for items such as scaffolding, hydroblasting,

etc.).

o Time and Material Costs- also referred to as "cost-plus" work - calculated by applying an agreed-to hourly rate tothe manhour estimate.

Indirect / Overhead Labor Costs- determined as a function of direct labor costs. Ex. Time sheet clerks,expediters, etc.

Supervision Costs- determined by the manpower staffing required by the schedule and the turnaround organizationchart.


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Tool and Equipment (Rental) Costs- determined by both manpower staffing, work content and turnaroundduration.

Extra Work- repair work not included in the work scope (usually determined after equipment inspection during theturnaround).

Contingency- a "safety cushion" added to allow for extra, unforeseen work without exceeding the A.F.E. budget.Contingency usually amounts to about 15% of the total costs.

The above (generalized) cost categories can contain "hidden costs" which good planning and scheduling tries tominimize or eliminate. These "hidden costs" arise from:

Incomplete definition of the nature and extent of the repair work. Amount of rework caused by improper procedures, material failure, degree of difficulty, etc. Unintentional delays caused by improper coordination, safety considerations, strikes, work slow-down, absence of

supervisors from the work place during work hours, etc.

Necessity to accelerate the schedule for an earlier completion. Changes in the methods or procedures used to accomplish the work.

Time

Time (duration) estimates are obtained from several sources: a project template,historical records, experienced

craftsmen / supervisors, andproject planning software.As with cost, time is affected by many decisions

concerning staffing, shift and work-week length, safety procedures, quality guidelines, methods used to perform the

work, etc.Time is a more flexible variable than cost in most cases. Therefore, the planner usually concerns himself with

determining (estimating) the most realistic, workable duration for every activity in the turnaround. The sum of the

durations for all activities on the critical path (or the longest sequence of related tasks in the turnaround) will

determine the overall length of the turnaround. The resulting time span may be acceptable to management, or it

might be too long, and ways to shorten the schedule must be examined. In some cases, the turnaround can be

extended to reduce costs (overtime, supervision, equipment rentals, indirects, etc.) at a time when the plant can be

idled for some time. So, time and cost are closely linked ("time is money").

There are different kinds of time that should be incorporated into a turnaround project plan:

Activity Time- the time required for a crew to perform a specific task (i.e., open a manway). Lag Time- time span required for any operation not controlled by crews - such as cooling down equipment for

entry, neutralizing/acidizing, stress relieving, curing time, etc.

These two (generalized) time categories above do not include time loss originated by these unavoidable delays:

Weather- affecting activities exposed to storms, etc.

Safety- evacuation of the work place, lack of permits, etc. Equipment- breakdown, unavailability, idle waiting time, etc. Manpower- under staffing / unavailability, strikes or work slowdown, etc. Productivity- a slowing down due to fatigue, etc.

As a rule, it is nota good idea to "build in" extra time in your estimates to take care of delays caused by the above

categories. If you do build extra time into your estimates, then there will be a very high probability that all of the

time will be spent to perform the defined work (Parkinsons Law - "Work expands to fill the time allowed.").

Extra time required to compensate for productivity loss should be considered when calculating a manhour/cost

summary as a global entry/factor. Work orders and schedules should always reflect the original base time estimates.

Manpower

Planning and scheduling addresses two main types of activities: productive work and logistical / support work. The

latter, being dependent upon the first, can be planned after all inspection, repair / replacement work has been

identified and planned.

Manpower information is developed from a knowledge of the trades or skills, and the scope of the work for each

work order.

Total manpower is the sum or combination of all trades/skills required to execute the defined work. There are two

basic groups:

Plant Personnel- maintenance mechanics, electricians, instrument technicians, etc. Contract Personnel- scaffolders, pipe fitters, boiler makers, welders, laborers, insulators, refractory applicators,

stress relieving technicians, specialty trades, etc.
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Manpower can be union (organized, along trade or skills), or non-union (open shop). If your turnaround is going to

be executed by union trades, you must secure a list of them along with the union agreement books to see what

jurisdictions each trade encompasses. This way you can assign the correct trades or resources to every activity, in

order to avoid any disputes and potential work interruptions.

If your turnaround is going to be executed by non-union labor, you should still attempt to correctly identify the type

of skill needed to perform each activity. Even though you may have a "multi-craft" labor force, it is useful to be

aware of the labor requirements for the different skill-sets of multi-craft labor (blinding, pipe fabrication, tower and

tray work, etc.).

Safety

Safety guidelines play an important role in the planning and scheduling of a turnaround. The safety department will

issue a procedure which combines both government (OSHA in the U.S.A.) guidelines and the plants own rules for a

safe, accident-free turnaround.

Two basic safety concerns must be addressed. These are:

Safety of all personnel Safety of the plant equipment

Personnel safety that requires the expenditure of manpower involves:

Scaffolding Obtaining permits Tagging equipment for entry to work Fire watch / Hole watch Neutralizing / Decontaminating equipment Installing air movers Cooling down equipment Installing temporary lighting Wearing protective equipment Insulating for personnel protection Installing blinds Testing (Hydrostatic, X-Ray, etc.) Stress relieving Temporary dust / runoff containment barriers General clean-up Evacuation due to emergencies

All of the above, with the exception of emergency evacuations, can and should be incorporated into the work order

scope, and planned along with productive work.

In addition, all activities defined in a work order should be as explicit and informative as possible, in particular to

warn against any potential hazards.

Replacing bolts and gaskets are also safety concerns, even though normally viewed as operations / maintenance

concerns. Bolts should always be placed into buckets to prevent accidents and facilitate cleaning.

Quality

The quality of the repair work has an impact on time and cost. Quality guidelines should be prepared and issued to

establish the minimum acceptable level desired.

Poor quality can result in accidents, rework, equipment failure, higher wear and tear, and the attendant impact on

manpower safety, equipment and operation safety, plus their associated costs.

Quality can be specified in the project planning by indicating the amount of testing required: X-rays Pressure tests Ultrasonic/infrared inspection Visual inspection (before and after repairs) Materials/compounds curing time Urgency in performing the work Quality of spares, materials, commodities, etc. Experience level of the workers


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OtherFour basic concerns govern the acceptable level of quality:

Safety(preventing equipment failures) Production(desired productive run life span for unit) Cost(lowest cost for useful life span of repairs) Schedule(extra time needed for welding, inspection)

In work involving extensive welding, the planner must consider sufficient time for X-rays and testing, and theamount of probable rework.

Heat exchanger testing procedures should be reviewed to ensure that testing activities are adequately provided in

every work order, with sufficient time and manpower estimates, and indicate the testing medium, testing pressures

and time required to hold the pressure. Often, related exchangers can be tested simultaneously, which saves time and

manpower.

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment are a function of the work as defined. As technology changes, new tools and equipment

become available to do a certain job. Therefore it is important to identify the tools and equipment that will be used

to do a certain job - they have an impact on time, manpower and cost.

Tool and equipment availability is critical to an uninterrupted work flow. Strategic placement of tool cribs, to

minimize worker travel distance (and time) is essential. Often a tool trailer is located conveniently close to the unit

being turned around.

Equipment coordinators can satisfy the requirements for cranes using two-way radios to communicate both with

equipment operators and field supervisors.

In planning to supply an adequate quantity of tools and cranes, it must be kept in mind that a certain amount of loss

and breakdown will occur. For example, if five cherry pickers are called for in the schedule, you might consider

using six to have a back-up in case of mechanical breakdown. Tools also break or are lost/stolen, so you should

instruct your supplier to have on hand more than what the schedule requires.

Materials

A bill of materials can and must be developed for each work order. From the engineering files (or from past

turnaround purchasing requisitions) you can obtain all of the information needed to prepare a materials list: bolt and

gasket sizes, quantity, material specifications, tray dimensions and type, metallurgy, refractory specifications,

catalyst type, etc.

Most materials are a direct replacement item (bolts, gaskets, valves, etc.). Some may be refurbished and reused (i.e.

valves). Catalyst may be either replaced by new or regenerated for reuse.Materials must be identified, requisitioned, purchased, warehoused, tagged and issued or deposited at or near their

intended equipment ahead of time. Purchasing / delivery lead time for some materials could affect the schedule, so it

is important to purchase these long delivery items as early as practical.

As materials are received from vendors, they should be inspected (and tested; i.e. valves) to avoid any surprises (and

delays) during the turnaround.

All work orders should list the required materials to facilitate requisitioning them from the warehouse. This will

minimize or eliminate delays and confusion when the materials are needed in the field.

Coordination

In simple terms we refer to coordination as letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing. It involves

communication so that timely decisions can be made by the various groups involved in the turnaround.

Two basic items are required to coordinate all necessary information:

Organizational chart, detailing responsibilities Departmental procedures

The planner must ensure that the information needs of all those identified on the turnaround organization chart are

satisfied in a consistent, timely manner. He also should follow-up to ensure positive feedback on his information,

where needed (i.e., progress updates, staffing level changes, extra work, etc.).

The schedules detail the participation of different crews or groups to get some work done, i.e., unheading a heat

exchanger. This means that after most bolts have been loosened or removed, a cherry picker must be summoned to

lower it to the ground. Even though cherry picker activity is scheduled along with all other related work, its actual


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usage must be coordinated in the field as the need arises, because their schedule is usually coordinated by a

dispatcher.

Coordination with contractors is very important. Examples are: Heat exchanger bundle cleaning priority, outside

shop repairs, crane utilization, etc.

Poor coordination, or the lack of it, results in disruption of the work flow, delays, schedule extensions, and increased

costs. Not to be ignored are the political consequences: rejecting responsibility for the problems, assigning blame, a

breakdown in communication and cooperation, etc.

Rigidly departmentalized organizations run a high risk of such breakdown in coordination. This requires the planner

to make special efforts to overcome this problem. In such cases the planner must resort to more formal transmittals

of information, requests for information, calls to meetings, etc. Of course, having to contend with added paperwork

(transmittals, memos, etc.) poses a bureaucratic burden that can detract from a planners time as well as slow down

communication.

The ideal situation is to create a "task force" teamwork spirit of cooperation - resulting in an easy, rapid, informal

communication. In other words, communication and feedback; without delays, is the essential ingredient of good

coordination. Coordination should strive to bring about cooperation, safety, quality and lowered costs while

avoiding delays and duplication of effort.

Technical

The technical information required concerns the material specifications of the equipment and spare parts, bolts,

gaskets, catalyst, refractory, etc.. This information should be available from the engineering or inspection files, or

from previous turnaround material requisitions.The technical data has an impact on work order definition and estimates, as repairs on some vessels may be very

simple and straightforward, depending on the design and metallurgy, while others might require passivating, stress

relieve, etc.. Also, repair work time varies with the diverse metals employed in the manufacture of the equipment

(carbon steel, stainless, exotic alloys, etc.).

Making this information available to the field supervisors is just as important as the schedule, in order to ensure that

the adequate resources will be at hand to make the repairs in full accordance with the specifications.

Work Scope

The work scope is usually developed by the Inspection, Maintenance and Operations (Production) departments. A

preliminary work list is developed and revised. Cost of repairs and the time required to perform them is a factor

when deciding to include or exclude work from the scope.

The turnaround work scope usually covers two main categories:

Inspection and repairs A.F.E. for engineered items (capital expense)

It may also include a third category, which consists of insurance claim work for a sinistered unit.

While the maintenance department usually concerns itself with the former, the latter is generally managed by the

engineering department. So, in most cases, the turnaround planner only concerns himself with maintenance

inspection and repair work. But where new equipment or piping is installed under an A.F.E. (capital work), the

planner must schedule and coordinate any tie-ins to the existing plant or unit, in harmony with the engineering

schedule.

Often, the work scope changes, and continues to develop all throughout the turnaround. The reason for this is simply

that the extent of the repair work can not be established until the equipment has been opened, cleaned and inspected.

A cutoff date is usually established a few weeks prior to the turnaround, by which date all known or anticipated

work has to be identified and scoped. This allows for an orderly preparation of all estimates, schedules, etc.

Sources of InformationIn the course of project planning, you will need access to certain information, as follows:

Previous turnaround work orders / scope Previous turnaround inspection reports Equipment data (drawings, specifications) Unit layout (equipment location drawings) Plot plan Mechanical flow sheets


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Blind lists Equipment lists Valve lists Instrument lists Turnaround work list

If available, obtain previous turnarounds final reports and critiques, which may point to specific problems to be

avoided. If you cannot obtain such critiques, check with those involved in the previous turnaround(s) to find outwhat major problems developed and ask for their suggestions as to how to avoid them in the future.

You should establish your own planning files, organized by equipment identification tag or number (within the unit).

This will help you save time whenever you need to plan a turnaround.

The planning files should contain all relevant information:

Work Order Equipment drawings and specifications Bolting, gaskets, etc. Testing procedures and pressures Blind list Location drawing Inspection reports Other

In addition to these paper files, you should save in a secure place, a computer disk (CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/etc.)containing a back-up of all your data files. Label, date and store the media properly.

The Turnaround Work ListFrequently, a turnaround work list is prepared. This list, usually a few pages long, identifies all the known or desired

inspections and work to be included in the turnaround scope. It usually lists all of the process equipment, with a

brief statement describing the extent of the inspections and repair work. For instance, it may list:

"E-102 HGO Exchanger - BLIND, OPEN, PULL BUNDLE, CLEAN & REPAIR"

This brief scope will be detailed later in a work order, complete with durations and manpower for every step or task

involved, from scaffolding, blinding and tagging through testing, pulling blinds, removing scaffolding and final

clean-up of the area.The turnaround work list is the natural starting point for the planning effort. We can use the preliminary work list,

and we should never wait until the final list is approved; otherwise we will not have sufficient time to plan the

turnaround. It is better to modify early estimates and schedules than to wait and try to plan it in a hurry in a few days

before the shutdown.

Even though you may be able to estimate, plan and schedule a major turnaround in a weeks time, you would never

have sufficient time left to have the work orders and the schedules reviewed by the turnaround staff and to

incorporate their changes and suggestions. Keep in mind that all work orders and schedules that you prepare are

THEIR work orders and schedules, not yours. If the turnaround team does not become involved in at least reviewing

(and approving) the product of your efforts, it will be ignored and rejected.

When there is little time left and no turnaround work list has been prepared yet - should you wait for it? This is

risky, because you could run out of time and end up unprepared - rendering the turnaround unmanageable. The

solution is to either plan using the previous turnaround work list, or the complete list of ancillary process equipment.

We prefer to develop work order estimates for all of the equipment in a plant unit. Then, when the turnaround worklist is released, you can include all of the work orders you already developed, and concentrate on planning the

remaining necessary piping, valves, electrical, instruments and miscellaneous work. This will save you valuable

time when you are close to the shutdown date.

Turnaround Work OrderA detailed turnaround Work Order is the basic building block of a good turnaround plan. ATC

Professionalorganizes turnaround projects by work order. Planners using other project management software would
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find sub-projects to be the closest analogy to what we will refer to as a Work Order. A turnaround Work Order

should contain the following information:

Owner name, plant / unit name, location Turnaround date (month/year) Work Order number (a unique alphanumeric identifier, preferable no more than eight characters in length) Equipment tag (equipment identification or inventory number) Equipment name (from the equipment list or P&IDs) A unit/area/system code to specify where this equipment is An equipment class code to group it with other related equipment Activities (tasks for every step required from start to completion of the work order)

Every activity should contain the following information:

Activity description (i.e., "INSTALL BLINDS") Duration Resources (Manpower and major equipment. Do not exceed three different labor crafts for any given activity. If

more than three different labor crafts are required, the activity may be poorly defined and should be split up)

Number of craftsmen (usually an even number as crews are assigned to the work. Usually a craftsman and a helperare involved in most work)

Tools required to perform the work Materials Equipment Permits Procedures Remarks Photographs, digitized drawings, isometrics, etc.

You should prepare a Work Order for every piece of equipment, piping item, valve, etc. Never group several pieces

of equipment into one work order, even if the equipment is identical. Otherwise you will not be able to schedule,

report, etc. each item individually, making your task more complicated instead of easier, and scheduling and

progress reporting more difficult and unreliable.

For instance, if you have a group of six identical heat exchangers, E-100 A, E-100 B, E-100 C, E-100 D, E-100 E

and E-100 F, each one should be on a separate work order.

Work Order OrganizationWork orders must be organized in such a way as to make them easy to find and use as required. Otherwise, handling

hundreds of work orders during a turnaround could become a nightmare.

Every work order must have a unique identifying label assigned to it. This could be a number, or some alpha-

numeric code. Try to keep this label as short and meaningful as possible. It is very difficult to remember a long code

made up of numbers and letters.

In addition, every work order should also include an equipment tag (unique identifier) to associate it with the

process equipment, piping iso, valve or instrument involved. For instance: "E-100 A", "CW-18-2011", "PSV-101",

etc.

Work orders should also have an "Equipment Class or Category" so they can be sorted/grouped logically. The plant

equipment list can be used for this purpose: Towers Vessels Drums Tanks Reactors Heaters & Boilers Heat Exchangers Cooling Towers


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Filters Compressors Rotating Equipment Piping Electrical Instruments

In addition, work orders should also contain an Area or System code, to help in scheduling and reporting.Work orders should also display the responsible supervisor assigned to the work.

Keep the number of codes to a reasonable size. Over two dozen codes will waste time and paper without adding any

benefit when printing reports. Remember that codes are supposed to be used to organize and summarize.

Keep It Simple!

Keep in mind that as you simplify work order numbering, coding and classifying, you will make it easier for

everyone to find what they need, improving communication and acceptance of the planning package. One way to

approach work order organization is to examine everything we do with a critical eye: Is the numbering and coding

scheme going to simplify and speed up the handling of work orders? If the numbering scheme is complicated, it will

slow down the handling of the information.

Anyone can complicate even the simplest thing, but it takes talent to make something complex simple to use.

Remember the "KISS" principle!

ResourcesBefore you start planning work orders, you should make a list of all resources expected to be involved in the

turnaround. There are two kinds of resources: Manpower (labor) and Equipment.

Use a code or abbreviation for every resource, not to exceed four letters. For example:

Manpower Codes Equipment Codes

BM - BoilermakersCA - CarpentersCO - Crane OperatorsEL - ElectriciansEO - Equipment Operators

HY - HydroblastersIF - Instrument TechniciansIN - InsulatorsIP - InspectorsLA - Laborers

ME - MechanicsMW - MillwrightsOP - Operations / ProductionPF - Pipe fittersPFF - Pipe Fabricators

REF - Refractory ApplicatorsSR - Stress Relieve Technicians

SW - Safety WatchTD - Truck DriversWE - Welders

XR - X-ray Technicians

AM - Air MoverBC - Bundle Carrier

BE - Bundle ExtractorCC - Crawler Crane (Heavy Crane)CP - Cherry PickerCR - CraneFB - Flatbed Truck

FL - ForkliftHYEQ - Hydroblast Equipment

PU - Pick-up TruckSREQ - Stress-relieve EquipmentTT - Tractor-Trailer

VT - Vacuum TruckThe above lists are not all-inclusive; you will develop additional categories and codes as necessary.

Work Order Tasks


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Work order scopes are defined in activities or tasks, which are the individual steps that are required from start to

completion, regardless of who is responsible for their execution, whether they are productive or not. That non-

productive activities must also be included where required should not be overlooked.

Non-productive activities can impact the schedule without contributing to the manhour estimate. For example:

Cool down / gas free Refractory curing time

Concrete curing timeNon-productive activities can also contribute to the manhour estimate without any significant impact on the

schedule. For example:

Mobilize crane Demobilize crane Set up catalyst handling equipment Transport bundle to cleaning area Set up dust/runoff containment barriers Haul debris to scrap yard Clean up area

Defining ActivitiesActivities must be clearly defined, and should be measurable. This means anyone should be able to determine if a

particular activity (as defined) is in progress, or completed.

Activities must be defined every time there is a break or change in work content, and/or by changes in the work

crew. Activities that are overly broad in scope are difficult to estimate, schedule and measure/report progress

against.

If you have a good degree of detail, your activities become easy to estimate, schedule and control. Your entire

planning effort will be credible and usable.ATC Professionalwas designed to handle large, detailed schedules

quickly and easily. Estimating, scheduling and tracking a turnaround project with little detail is more difficult than

with a great amount of detail. Summary level schedules are useless for managing turnarounds.

Also, watch the resources needed for any given activity. If you require five or more crafts to execute an activity then

it is in all likelihood ill-defined. In that case, break it up into better-defined tasks. This will save you many

headaches when it comes to scheduling and manpower staffing.

Types of ActivitiesThere are four general categories or types of activities:

Safety (Permits, Testing, Gas Freeing, Neutralizing, Fire and Hole Watch, etc.) Inspection (Preliminary and after repairs are made) Repairs (on-site and off-site, or outside shops) Support (Scaffolding, Lighting, Hauling, Painting, Clean-up, etc.)

All can have an impact on budget and schedule, so be sure not to overlook any of them!

Defining Activities

Project planning is based on an analytical process, a process that investigates, verifies and organizes relevant

information about the work scope. The process can be illustrated as follows:

Lets assume we have to develop a work order to replace a valve. The steps involved require the planner to ask all

relevant questions:

What valve is to be replaced? (tag or I.D. #) Where is the valve located? (at grade, at elevation requiring scaffolding?) Is the valve safe? (is blinding and/or decontamination required?) Is the valve insulated? How is the valve to be replaced? (it is screwed or welded?) Who will replace it (owner or contractor?)

The answers to what, where, how and who will give us the necessary information to prepare an adequate estimate.

Knowing the type of valve to be replaced is important, since there are many types: block, control, safety, slide,

motor operated, etc.
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How the valve is to be replaced also plays an important role. If it is large, a crane my be needed. If it is welded, then

the line may have to be purged and/or blinded, unless it is a utility line (air, steam, water). Testing procedures may

call for x-ray, hydrostatic or both. The new valve may have to be shop tested before transporting it to the site and

installing it. The line may have to be touched up with paint or re-insulated. If there is steam tracing it may have to be

repaired or reconnected before re-insulating.

Where the valve is located will dictate whether to erect a scaffold, use a ladder, a crane with man basket or a

hydraulic personnel hoisting platform; whether the area needs to be decontaminated or the workers are to wear

protective equipment.

Who will replace it may have an impact on your labor costs.

Keep every valve work scope on a separate work order. There is no such thing as unimportant work. A single valve

that is missing can prevent the unit from starting up.

Heat exchangers require more definition. These are some of the considerations:

What kind of heat exchanger? (u-tube, floating head, reboiler, fin tube, air cooler?) What service is the heat exchanger in? (heavy crude, light product, etc.) Where is the exchanger located? (at ground level, in a structure, etc.) Is this a vertical or horizontal exchanger? Is the exchanger insulated? Must remove any piping in order to unhead? Is scaffolding required?

Is the exchanger to be acidized? Is the exchanger to be neutralized? Blinding required? (If in a bank, perhaps the first and last ones are blinded only) How many tubes are there in the bundle? Clean the bundle in place? Pull bundle and clean at site? Remove bundle to slab for cleaning? Tube bundle to be scrapped and new one inserted? Tube bundle to be cleaned and returned to site? Tube bundle to be retubed? (If yes, retubing and testing at shop?) Shell to be cleaned and repaired? Heads to be cleaned and repaired? Baffle plate to be repaired? Sacrificial anodes to be replaced? Entire exchanger to be replaced with a new one? Gasket surfaces to be machined?

You may find additional questions as you start developing the scopes for the heat exchangers. If you cannot answer

these questions then seek out someone familiar and experienced to get his input. He will be glad that you respect his

experience and will be more receptive towards accepting your estimates and schedules.

Remember to include steps to transport equipment, materials and scrap on and off the site. This also requires

manpower and equipment (and time). Any electrical equipment must always be locked out and tagged out. There is

no need to include an activity to remove the tags and locks, because this is done during start-up.

Also remember that, generally, when something goes up, it also has to come down (scaffolding); if something is

installed, it has to be removed (blinds, air movers, temporary lighting, runoff and dust containment barriers, etc.).

Also remember that you should schedule a hole watch for every crew or individual(s) entering a vessel, for the entire

time these are inside the vessel. Also, hot work (welding) in the unit must have a "hole" watch (or fire watch if you

prefer, but they are usually the same person). Every repair should be followed by an inspection. Sometimes morethan one group must inspect. Sometimes the Government inspector and/or the Insurance inspector need to witness

the repairs and/or tests.

A good way to prepare a work order is to review the safety and maintenance/repair procedures. These will usually

dictate how the work orders should be prepared. You must also review inspection and testing procedures, as these

are equally as important. If no written procedures exist, then you will have to turn to the respective departments and

interview those in charge of determining how all of the activities are to be carried out. DO NOT ASSUME TO

KNOW- consult those in charge - that way you will avoid surprises. Keep in mind that procedures can change as

well.


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Remember that there are two kinds of procedures: general and specific. Some work orders are affected by general

procedures, others by procedures specific to a piece of equipment. For instance, general procedures call for installing

unit battery limit blinds, but a specific piece of equipment may require to be fully blinded before opening and

entering (due to hazardous conditions), and at the same time another piece of equipment may not require any blinds

(for instance, steam drums, utilities, etc.).

When contractors prepare to make major repairs, they should furnish a highly detailed plan showing all the steps

involved in the execution of the work. A work order should be developed from the contractors plan, and included in

the overall turnaround scope.

eTaskMakerlets you create work scopes rapidly and consistently. Consistent activity descriptions facilitate the

correct interpretation and give your work orders a more professional look.

Activity Duplication

Sometimes an activity becomes redefined (duplicated) inadvertently. For instance, one work order calls for scaffold

erection to install blinds. Another work order may require a scaffold at the same place for some piping work. Or, on

a bank of identical heat exchangers, every one of the individual work orders repeats the steps for scaffolding,

blinding and testing, instead of scaffolding, blinding the inlet and outlet of the entire bank of exchangers at one time,

and testing all together at the same time.

This duplication not only results in inflated estimates and manpower requirements, but in a very confusing schedule

which will cause a loss of credibility and confidence in the planning effort.

Be sure to cross-reference work orders to indicate activities common to both. This will also facilitate scheduling, by

indicating where a logic tie or relationship is to be defined between work orders. For instance: "BLINDING ONW.O. # 17045" with no durations or crafts, will direct the attention to work order 17045 which does have the time

and manpower to install the blinds. Or: "ERECT SCAFFOLD - SEE W.O. # 45315", etc.

Estimating Activity Durations and ResourcesThere are three ways you can estimate activity durations and the required resources.

1. You can consult with those in your organization that have estimating experience. Never be ashamed about revealinga lack of knowledge in an area. It is far worse to make a blunder and be found out. And by asking those who know,

you will not only pay them a compliment, but also make their experience and knowledge yours at the same time.

2. You can use the project file of previous turnaround as a project template, if available. Unfortunately, such historicalrecords are usually not available, or are incomplete, or are unreliable for a number of reasons. When using a project

template you must be careful not to blindly copy previous mistakes (seeRefining the Project Planning Processfor

more on this topic).3. Or you can useproject planning software,which has proven estimating formulas built-in (recommended over the

use of aproject template).

Most estimating know-how is empirical, which means it has been gained through first-hand experience. As you start

estimating, you will gain experience and confidence in your ability. You will also become aware of whether the

estimates are consistently on target, or whether you need to adjust them. This will allow you to gradually improve

them to arrive at the most realistic estimates that will generate confidence and acceptance of your planning effort.

The correct way to estimate an activity is to define the steps involved, assign the necessary manpower and

equipment, and then add a duration (in whole hours) sufficient for its execution.

For example: "UNHEAD EXCHANGER" will require two Boilermakers, one Equipment Operator, one Cherry

Picker and an Impact Tool. Lets analyze the component steps in order to estimate the duration for the activity:

Detailed Procedure Duration Estimate

Loosening and removing bolts 45 minutesPositioning the Cherry Picker 15 minutesRigging head for removal 5 minutes

Removing remaining bolts 15 minutes

Lowering head to the ground 10 minutesDe-rig & remove Cherry Picker 10 minutes

Total 100 minutes
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We prefer to round upwards and convert into hours (for a total of 2 hours). Loosening and removing bolts could take

less or much longer, depending on the condition of the bolts. Also, an extra hand (laborer) could be assigned to

gather studs and nuts and place them in buckets for cleaning and to maintain workplace safety (to prevent workers

from tripping over scattered bolts and sustaining injury). The crew can experience delays of all sorts: emergency

evacuation of the area, tool and equipment failure, accidents, etc. This is the reason for rounding off all estimates on

the high side - it tends to compensate for those unplanned events that can extend (delay) a job.

Another way to approach this - also rounding off durations to the high side - is to try to assign (add) at least 15%

(fifteen percent) to every duration with manpower to cover personal, fatigue and delay factors. Personal factors

cover items such as lunch, smoking and bathroom breaks. Fatigue factors cover the productivity loss experienced as

workers become tired as the day progresses. Delay factors are all unplanned events such as equipment and tool

failure/unavailability, accidents, etc.

But at no time should you include productivity adjustments in the estimates above and beyond the rounding up

procedure outlined above. You should always estimate durations as realistically as possible: any adjustment for

productivity loss should only be made against the total turnaround scope estimate. At that time you will be able to

establish a realistic manhour budget.

The frequent temptation to "pad" the estimates is to ensure that there is sufficient "fat" in them to avoid overrunning

the budget. It is better to be realistic, and include extra activities, wherever appropriate, to avoid overrunning the

budget. These activities include:

Worker sign up (hiring) Worker safety orientation Welder qualification testing Deliver blinds and tools to job site Repair / replace as necessary Clean up work area Return tools and blinds Haul off ___ to scrap yard

If the estimates are padded, and then someone adds a hefty contingency on top, you end up with so much waste that

it will become obvious to the trained eye. This built-in inefficiency will result into a net cost overrun. The reason for

this is the tendency to spend the available budget, or not to become alarmed unless it appears that the (padded)

budget will be exceeded. So, if the resulting budget (padded with "fat" and contingency on top) is approved, in most

cases hiring and manpower staffing will be higher than necessary. So, if you "pad" your estimates, you are assuring

a certain amount of waste beyond what could be expected and/or tolerable. Its easy to see why: having more

workers than necessary results in having them standing around waiting on work.

In addition, you cannot saturate the area and expect good productivity. Scheduling more people than the number that

can move about safely and efficiently only causes grid lock and slows everybody down. When that happens, morale

is lowered, causing further deterioration of productivity. Also, rescheduling to alleviate such a grid lock results in

extra movements (mobilization / demobilization) of personnel for the work involved.

One way to ensure sufficient elbow room for a smooth execution of the work is not to allow manpower density to

exceed one worker per 150 square feet. This area is to be calculated adding up all surfaces (grade and platforms).

This does not apply to work inside equipment, where the density is higher.

Estimating Repair WorkRepair work is usually the most difficult task to define and estimate. Repair work is usually identified after

inspections of the equipment. Some repairs are known beforehand, from previous shutdowns or from inspections

while the plant is operating (infrared, ultrasonic, etc.).

Often we can estimate the extent of the repairs based on the history (previous inspection reports, repairs) and thetype of service for a particular piece of equipment. After the equipment is inspected and repairs are recommended

and approved, then we can revise the original estimates as necessary.

Of all of the possible repairs, the most difficult to estimate is refractory work. Even after refractory repairs are

underway, the extent or scope of these repairs usually change. It is best to have several activities defining refractory

work, each dealing with a specific area or part of the equipment. For example:

Repair refractory at plenum Repair cyclone refractory Repair north wall refractory


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Repair bottom head refractoryOf course, "repair refractory" is not a very good definition of the work. Refractory repairs should always be detailed

showing all necessary steps:

Erecting scaffolding Chipping out the old refractory Removing the old hex steel or bad order anchors Sandblasting or grinding the walls Cleaning out the debris Installing new hex steel or anchors Installing the new refractory Removing scaffolds Refractory curing time Clean up

Even if you decide not to include any repair estimates in your work order, you should at least have an activity

labeled "MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS" with no manpower. This way you can later add duration and manpower,

and it will help in reminding you to be alert for th e inspection reports, so that the repairs wont be overlooked.

Of course, some prefer to include a time duration to provide a convenient time span in case repairs are needed. This

also works well. The method you choose will depend upon the prevailing philosophy within your organization.

It is important to keep all estimates (particularly repair work estimates) current. The reason is that the estimates will

establish the required manpower staffing and the remaining schedule time span to get the work accomplished.Otherwise both budget and schedule will be overrun.

Planning Extra WorkMost extra work is originated from inspection reports during a turnaround. Sometimes the extra work originates

from other sources (Operations / Production, Engineering, Process, etc.).

The scope of the extra work should be developed, with all necessary steps, including inspection and testing if

required. You can then add this work order to the schedule, and report progress against it. Even if the work has been

done by the time you learn about it, go ahead and develop the scope and include it into the schedule. Then you can

post progress against it, and your reports will reflect the increased manhours for the turnaround and the impact on

overall progress and earned value analysis.

Be sure to code the extra work as such, to sort out the costs after the turnaround is over.

The extra work order should also contain a reference to the main work order that covers the equipment beingrepaired. This will help in scheduling, and later for historical reference

ProductivityAfter all manhour estimates have been reviewed, revised and approved, total manhours by labor resources (crafts /

skills) should be calculated. These total manhours become the base estimate. You can calculate an adjustment for the

base estimate for an expected productivity loss according to your expected parameters.

ATC Professionalgenerates an Executive Summary report that automatically calculates an adjustment for

productivity loss depending upon the working calendar (shift basis, days per week and expected duration) of the

planned turnaround. If you change the above parameters, ATC Professional will instantly compute the productivity

degradation based on the new conditions and adjust the manhour estimate accordingly.

Shift Length

Shift length has a great impact on productivity:

Eight-hour shiftsfail to motivate workers as there is no overtime incentive. Plus, a standard shift fails to convey asense of urgency to keep a high pace of activity. Whenever eight hour shifts are kept, it becomes imperative to

watch the schedule very closely to keep the work on track.

Ten-hour shiftsseem to be the most productive as there is overtime pay incentive and a sense of urgency. Aconvenient two-hour gap between the day and the night shift allows difficult or hazardous work to be performed (X-

ray, sandblasting, etc.), as well as time for all supervisors to attend a turn-over meeting.
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Twelve-hour shiftsappear to be the most inefficient. An extra lunch period at a time when the workers are mostfatigued, coupled with end-of-shift preparations, result in very little, if any, extra gain at a much higher price. Two

twelve hour shifts per day do not allow the time for meetings or special work such as X-ray or sandblasting (which

usually causes all work to stop in its vicinity - increasing productivity loss), plus other logistical problems such as

clocking in/out and parking lot congestion. When supervisors attend meetings while working in this fashion, work

slows down for lack of supervision in the field - more productivity loss. Also, twelve-hour shifts causes workers to

grow more tired and increases the likelihood of accidents.

Work Week

The work week also has an impact on productivity:

Five days per weekfail to offer overtime pay incentive, and workers may be tempted to "drag their feet" hoping tocause delays which will, in turn, motivate management to authorize overtime work in order to recoup lost time.

Six days per weekprovide both overtime pay incentive plus one day of rest per week. This is significant forturnarounds lasting several weeks, and provides make-up days (Sundays) to avoid delays.

Seven days per weekprovide sufficient overtime pay incentive, but after some time you may suffer a decline inproductivity caused by the lack of rest days. This works well for shorter duration turnarounds, but offers no "safety

cushion" in case of schedule slippages.

Contractor BidsSometimes you may elect to solicit fixed price bids for some or all of the work. If this is the case, you should still go

ahead and prepare all of the work order estimates. Then prepare bid packages including copies of your work order

task definitions (minus the manhour estimates).ATC Professionaloffers a "Bid Package" report for this. This

package will show the work scope, indicating which portions are to be bid on, but does not show durations,

manpower or manhours for any activity.

Issue a set of these Bid Package forms to all bidders. This will ensure a uniform approach to the contractor selection

process, and allow you to compare prices in a rational manner. After a contractor has been selected, and before

awarding the contract, you should make the complete work order information available to the successful bidder, so

that he can review them to agree or revise the time (and manpower) estimates. This is important for two reasons:

1. The durations will determine the schedule (which the contractor must accept and adhere to), and:2. To prevent any major surprises / misunderstandings with respect to the extent of the work scope (repairs) and the

manpower staffing requirements.

After the successful bidder has reviewed and agreed (or revised) the work order estimates, you can award the

contract. Be sure, however, to stipulate in your contract all terms and conditions for adhering to the schedule andreporting progress.

Time and Material ("Cost-Plus") type contracts should require all contractors to furnish detailed time sheets coded

with the correct work order number and kind of work performed, name of worker, skill code, etc. A copy of this

daily time sheet should be furnished to the turnaround planner so that he can prepare a productivity evaluation

(earned value analysis) and manhour projection to determine if there will be a variance with the original manhour

budget.

Critical Path SchedulingAfter all work orders have been prepared and reviewed (approved), you will be ready to prepare a schedule. If more

work orders are issued after you create the schedule, you can and should incorporate them into the schedule. This is

a constant process, as you will get additional work orders for repairs arising from inspections. They must also bescheduled.

Remember the importance of maintaining the schedule constantly, as the number of changes to the work scope,

progress or the lack of progress could otherwise render the schedule obsolete. The schedule must be updated at the

end of everyshift. This is usually twice a day. Failure to update the schedule with this frequency will impair the

ability to make critical decisions, such as adding, maintaining or reducing manpower, reassigning crews, call on

specialty contractors, etc.
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Critical Path Scheduling

Critical path scheduling is the act of applying a logical sequence (by defining constraints) to the activities defined in

the work orders. Most project management software employs a PDM (Precedence Diagramming Method) interface

for defining the logic network. The sequence of activities which have no float or slack (Float = 0 hours) is called

the critical path. It determines the remaining duration of the turnaround.

The first step to turnaround scheduling is to define all hard constraints. These are constraints that must be honored.

For example, you cannot inspect the interior of a vessel until the manways have been

opened.eTaskMakerautomatically generates hard constraint logic for you.ATC Professionalautomatically

generates 80-90% of this logic for you as well when creating the initial schedule.

It is not necessary (although it is not detrimental) to add redundant constraints such as:

A --> B B --> C A --> C (this is redundant and unnecessary)

Activities can have multiple predecessors and/or successors. Activities can be started as soon as all of their

predecessors are completed. For instance, "COOL DOWN / GAS FREE" can have as successors "INSTALL

TEMPORARY LIGHTING" and "INSTALL ENTRY LADDER". Also, "CLOSE MANWAYS" can have as

predecessors "REMOVE ENTRY LADDER", "REMOVE TEMPORARY LIGHTING" and "REMOVE AIR

MOVERS". Remember:

Predecessors- the activities that must be completed before the next one can start Successors- all activities that follow a specific task.

Activities can start as early as desired, or can be delayed until they run out of float or slack, thus becoming critical.

At that point they are identified as the critical path. Any delay of the critical path activities will cause an equal

delay for the entire schedule.

Most activities will have float or slack, which is the amount of time they can be delayed until they become critical

(Float = 0 hours) and impact the units start-up date.

Realistically, activities that have very little float or slack should be treated as critical simply because there may be a

degree of error in the estimates. A sequence of activities with float = 5 hours could easily be critical if their

combined durations were underestimated by five hours (or the critical path was similarly overestimated).

Priority

Be sure to schedule all equipment inspections early. This is very important, because some findings could require

major repair work that might impact the schedule. All high manhour work orders should be started as soon as

possible.Some equipment will merit a lowered priority, if the past experience indicates little or no repair work will be

required. Consult the inspection reports to identify the extent of the repairs during past turnarounds.

Low priority work is usually classified as "fill-in" work. It usually includes all kind of small jobs - mainly piping

and valve work. You can spread out this work over the duration of the turnaround, to help smooth out the manpower

requirements. The scope of these small jobs seldom grows into a larger one, and has no probability of showing up as

the critical path.

They may, however, in the aggregation of several jobs, result in a critical mass of work (that can not be finished

with available resources within the current critical path timeframe) and therefore eventually cause a delay in the

schedule (overtaking the critical path). Critical mass develops when the rate of progress is insufficient to complete

the work before the critical path end date. It is usually due to insufficient manpower. This is the reason for keeping a

close watch on the actual number of workers, every shift, and comparing it with the schedule requirements.

Sequencing the Work

After the basic schedule has been created, and the work prioritized (sequenced) according to an Operations /

Production equipment availability schedule and the other considerations discussed earlier, you should sequence the

work in such a manner as to enhance the utilization of manpower, tools and equipment.

In sequencing the work, we have to consider the type of job, the resources or skills involved and the physical layout

of the unit or plant.

The first step is to determine the number of crews. We do this by reviewing a resource histogram (utilization) report

for all resources and record the peak levelednumber of craftsmen. So, we divide by two to arrive at the peak leveled

number of crews, and add ten or twenty percent. This is a good rule of thumb for preliminary manpower planning.
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The reason you need to hire more men than scheduled is to compensate for absenteeism, dismissals, and additional

work arising from inspection.

You may have several crews of any particular resource; even if you only have one generalized resource/skill

designation such as "multicraft".

Start by sequencing the "hard" crafts that perform most of the mechanical work. These are usually Boilermakers,

Pipefitters, Welders and Mechanics. If you sequence these crafts properly, all support crafts will follow accordingly

and may not need to be sequenced.

Activities that are critical or near critical (having little float) should not be delayed, as the manpower required to

accomplish them must be supplied as dictated by the schedule.

We can sequence the work that has float or slack by tying or restraining activities together, in such a fashion as to

cause a crew to go from one job to the next as soon as the first one is completed.

The best way to this is with the help of a plot plan or equipment layout drawing of the unit / area. When sequencing

the work, try to keep the movement or travel between jobs to a minimum. Causing workers to continually move

from one end of the unit to the other is inefficient and can result in a significant waste of manpower.

Every time you tie or restrain activities to sequence manpower, check to see if that action resulted in making the

activities critical (or near critical). Near critical activities have very little float or slack. If the activities have become

critical, then it is best to undo the tie or restraint, otherwise you may be scheduling too tightly - increasing the

probability for an overrun.

This is a trial-and-error method, but it is not too difficult to achieve, and the result will be a workable schedule with

a realistic manpower utilization.

Efficient Manpower Utilization

Effective manpower use is achieved by eliminating:

Wait time Movement (travel time)

The best way to achieve high efficiency is to sequence the work as described above, and then issue Shift Schedules

that list fifteen (15%) percent or more work than can be accomplished. This keeps the schedule sufficiently flexible

to accommodate the changing conditions that cause some work to not be available as scheduled (lack of permits,

lack of equipment, etc.). Field supervisors will then always have sufficient work scheduled to keep everyone busy at

all times.

Shutdown Schedule (Operations)Operations / Production shutdown and start-up schedules, usually in bar chart (bar graph) format, detail theprocedures for shutting down and starting back up a unit or plant.

Shut-down work is carried out by the unit/plant operators. Generally, no maintenance work is allowed to commence

(with the exception of scaffolding and blinding) until all product has been cleared from the process equipment and

piping, and the unit is no longer running and has been made safe for entering.

The shut-down schedule can determine the priority or availability of equipment, the amount of pre-turnaround

scaffolding and blinding, and any other preparatory work such as staging of equipment, tools and materials.

The start-up schedule is also prepared by the operations / production group, and follows their procedures for

bringing the unit / plant back on stream.

The start-up schedule usually involves - in addition to the operations personnel - Pipe fitters, insulators, scaffold

builders, electricians and instrument technicians. These crafts stand by to assist and fix last minute leaks, insulation

repairs, scaffolding removal, clean up, etc. Many of these activities are included in the turnaround budget, and are

listed in the work order scopes and schedules.

re-Turnaround Scheduling (Maintenance)Scheduling pre-turnaround work must take into account the restrictions imposed for conducting activities in a unit or

plant that is running or in the process of being shut down.

Sometimes the extent or scope of the pre-turnaround work exceeds the time allowed and causes a portion of this

work to spill over into the turnaround. This means that pre-turnaround work must also be monitored, as it can impact

the turnaround schedule and manpower.

Pre-turnaround activities usually fall into these categories:

Erection of scaffolding


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Staging of equipment, materials Tagging of valves to be replaced, leaks Removal of insulation Demolition / removal of idled equipment Testing of valves at the shop Fabrication of piping spools, sandblasting, painting, testing Rigging Mobilization of equipment Mobilization of contractors (hiring, drug testing, safety orientation) Mobilizing and rigging cranes Installation of battery limit blinds

Check your work scope to ensure that all work that can be done ahead of the turnaround is properly identified and

flagged as pre-turnaround. Ensure that all the pre-turnaround work is scheduled within the specified pre-turnaround

time span. If some activities extend into the turnaround, you should check if the logic is correct or allows

improvement to bring it back into the pre-turnaround time span. If the extending activities cannot be pulled back,

then you should try to add more pre-turnarounds days (to start the pre-work earlier) until the work fits within the

pre-turnaround period.

All of the scaffolding needed to install unit / plant battery limit blinds should be erected pre-turnaround. If the

operation of the unit / plant allows it, all other major equipment blind scaffolding should also be erected, so as not to

slow down the blinding of the equipment.Demolition of idled equipment may be allowed in some cases during the pre-turnaround period, depending on safety

considerations and possible interference with other work in the unit such as scaffolding, blinding, etc.

Insulation removal may also be dependent upon blinding. Asbestos removal requires special handling, so be sure to

review the procedures to allow sufficient time for this task.

Staging and rigging can occur mostly at any time, since these activities seldom interfere with other work.

Rigging a large crane usually involves placing mats, positioning the crane, assembling and rigging the boom and

testing. In a congested area, this may take a little longer to accomplish due to safety considerations.

Staging is an important logistical function. How and where temporary buildings, power, air, tool cribs, field parts

and materials warehouses, fabricated pipe spools, new (replacement) equipment, cranes, conveyors, drums,

temporary structures, dust and runoff containment barriers will be located will have an impact upon the efficiency of

the turnaround execution.

Shop fabrication of piping spools is usually scheduled according to pipe type, size or schedule, to minimize material

handling. It is best to let the shop schedule the fabrication, unless there is some high priority work identified on thecritical path turnaround schedule. The ideal situation is to have all shop fabricated pipe completed, primed and

painted (if required), tested and delivered to a shake-out area near the unit or where it is to be installed before the

turnaround starts.

All testing of replacement parts should also be completed before the turnaround starts. In particular long delivery

items should be tested or verified early to allow sufficient time for replacement or repair, should they prove faulty.

Most testing involves valves.

Refining the ScheduleAfter creating the schedule, you should plot it out for review. Gantt chart (bar chart) plots of the complete schedule

allow you to see the big picture and analyze the schedule for refinements.

Critical Path Refinements

One of the first things you may want to do is to verify that the critical path ends at or near the desired turnaround

completion date (expected or dictated by management). Is the overall duration reasonable, defensible? Or is it

different from the expected/mandated? If so, why? Review the entire sequence of activities to ensure sound logic.

Review the time estimates, in particular the large ones. If you need to trim back time, have every supervisor

involved review, revise or agree with every change needed to improve the schedule. Never make any duration

changes on your own without the field supervisor's approval, this could cause big problems if the schedule is

rejected or ignored and the blame for an extension falls upon you for not getting their input!


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Include in your review and analysis all near-critical work as well. Some of it could become critical at any time. Just

like the critical path review, request input from the supervisors.

For these initial scheduling reviews, it is advisable to only plot a bar chart limiting the float (slack) to a shift or two

(8-24 hours). After the critical path has been reviewed, revised, and agreed upon, then you will be ready to check the

rest of the schedule.

Interference Studies

Filter the schedule to display all heavy lifts, so that they stand out. Are all lifts properly sequenced or are many

scheduled to take place during the same shift? If too many lifts are scheduled for a shift, you could delay less

important work (which has a larger float/slack value), so that the crane may used more efficiently, and the total time

span for crane rental can be better managed.

When scheduling several lifts in different locations or at different heights, you need to determine if it is necessary to

re-rig the boom, or move the crane, as this requires time and reduces the effective utilization of the crane. If a few

heavy lifts are scheduled early and there is a gap or waiting period until more lifts are scheduled, then you might

want to delay the initial lifts (float/slack permitting) to eliminate paying for idle crane rental time.

Some considerations to evaluate for specific equipment types include:

Towers- Tower work should be scheduled to start immediately after the unit/plant is shut down. Check to see howmany crews can be working inside, and if the timing looks workable. Segregate the activities at every level where

crews are working, to group the work logically. In other words, organize your tower work in sections according to

how the work should flow.

Heat Exchangers- Use a plot plan or unit equipment layout to verify that the bundle pulling sequence is notcausing interference with other work in the immediate vicinity, or vice-versa. The schedule should not allow a

bottleneck of cherry picker activity to happen.

Air Coolers- Check that air cooler work is scheduled after all major work underneath is done, to avoid havingwater washing interrupt more important work. If you have a gap between shifts, you can schedule this work at that

time to prevent this problem from happening.

Pumps- Pump work should ideally be started after heat exchangers have been unheaded and bundles pulled, if theyare in their immediate vicinity. Pumps are frequently located in a bay under pipe racks. This work is seldom critical

or high priority.

Control and Safety Valves- Control valves and safety valves should be scheduled for early removal. Reinstallationis usually not critical, but they need to be sent to the shop early in case there are some requiring major repairs.

Piping- Generally, piping and valve work can be scheduled at any time after all blinding is complete. Piping workinvolved with tie-ins has priority. There may some piping work that involves equipment; in this case you must

coordinate to make sure you have good timing to correspond with the equipment work, testing, inspection,insulation, etc. Tie-ins are usually scheduled during a short time period when all utilities (steam, water, air) are

down. Any utility outages should be scheduled after all preparatory work is complete and ready, to avoid delays.

Electrical- Electrical work can be scheduled at any time except where certain equipment is de-energized for a shorttime within the turnaround span. This schedule is dictated by the electrical department.

Instrumentation- Instrument work can likewise be generally scheduled at any time, with the exception ofinstrument control panel replacement/rework. Be sure to include operator training in you activities if the control

panel is changed.

Day/Night Work Activities

Some activities, such as heavy crane lifts, must be scheduled for the day shift only. This is due to safety

considerations, as good visibility (illumination) is required. Ask supervisors to identify all day-only work.

The same applies for night-only activities, such as air cooler washing, x-rays, hydroblasting or grit blasting, etc.

Revise / Update the Schedule

Mark any schedule changes on the plotted bar chart schedule, showing all logic modifications, additions or

deletions, day/night shift changes, etc. Then make the changes in your project management software and reprint the

bar charts. It could take two, three or more reviews and editing sessions to produce the final, workable turnaround

schedule.


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Preliminary Schedule Studies

Often it becomes necessary to prepare a schedule in order to determine the total duration of the turnaround, even if

not all work orders scopes have been defined. The main objective is to determine the critical path, and near-critical

activities.

This can be done as long as the most important work orders have been scoped out, which consist of the greatest

amount of work for major equipment.

The best way to accomplish this is to first review the work order scopes suspected or expected to be involved in the

critical (and near critical) path(s), to ensure their completeness and reasonable time estimates.

After these work order scopes have been reviewed, inactivate (or filter out) all other work orders on file. Keep active

only the ones that have a high probability of being the critical path. Then, create a schedule with only these few

work orders, and plot the schedule out for review and comments. Incorporate any logic changes as necessary, and re-

plot the schedule. You will need it for the final scheduling effort.

You should continue developing the additional work order scopes until the entire turnaround work scope has been

defined. After all work order scopes have been reviewed you will be ready to prepare your final schedule by

merging the remaining scope with the existing schedule.

Daily Project SchedulingConditions change very quickly during a turnaround. Sometimes schedules become obsolete almost as soon as they

are issued (due to safety, equipment and manpower availability, inspections, etc.). Because of this, projectscheduling should be an ongoing process every shift, and reissued to the field at least once every day.

You should examine your updated schedules for significant changes with respect to the previous (or original)

schedule. A few questions you should ask:

Has the mechanical completion (or start-up) date slipped? If yes, then by how much? Is the slippage significant? Can the slippage be averted (overcome)? Has the critical path changed? Did critical mass develop? If yes, in which area? Is the float / slack for all other activities realistic? Should other activities appear on the Shift Schedule? Is the overall work flow continuous, without major fluctuations in manpower?

Any major deviations from the schedule should be carefully analyzed, and the logic changed where necessary, to

ensure that the desired time objectives can be met.

This updating / re-scheduling has to take place before the start of the next shift, so that any changes (in manpower or

priority) can be made before the next shift begins. This means that reporting progress should start sometime before

the end of the previous shift (usually about two hours before the shift end). This may provide enough time for

disseminating all required and recommended reports at shift change.

A time gap between shifts is usually sufficient for complete manual distribution. If there is no gap between shifts (as

is in the case of two twelve-hour shifts per day), then updating and reporting should start much earlier, perhaps three

to four hours before shift end, depending on the volume of work and number of copies involved. The size of the

schedule, and the number of Lap Books issued will usually determine how much time is needed for updating and

reporting.

Lap BooksUpdating the schedule requires timely and objective feedback on all progress achieved at shift end. To achieve this,

Lap Books must be prepared and issued before the turnaround starts. Lap Books contain all of the detailed activities

or tasks defined in the Work Order scope and the resulting schedule.

Objectivity is achieved in great part by a well-defined work scope. The greater the detail, the less guesswork is

required to estimate percent complete for each item in the schedule and the more objective progress will be.


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Approximately a couple of hours before the end of the shift, all supervisors that have Lap Books should record their

daily progress against all work orders that are in progress. Two types of information should be recorded by the field

supervisors:

"Percent complete", an estimate of the relative amount of work accomplished towards completing every activity Time remaining to complete an activity in progress (if problems or delays are encountered)

All activities that were completed during the shift should be marked 100%. Those activities which are in progress

should receive the best estimate of "percent complete", plus a fresh re-estimate of the remaining clock hours neededto complete them.

The Lap Books are then delivered to the turnaround planner, who updates the schedule, and returns the Lap Books to

the field. The Lap Books are shared between the supervisors covering the same areas on different shifts. This

promotes better communication between the day shift and night shift crews.

Lap Books could be organized by area, supervisor or type of work. Every field supervisor must have a Lap Book

containing all of the work orders for which he is responsible (even if he is responsible for only one or a few of the

activities listed).

The Lap Books, plus the daily Shift Schedules provide field supervisors with all the information they need to

organize, schedule and control their work.

Measuring and Reporting ProgressAt the end of a shift, some activities that were worked will be complete. These will be posted as "100 %". For

activities that were not completed, the field supervisor will usually use his best judgement to estimate progress and

how much time it will take to complete it. For example:

MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS, progress = 30%, remaining duration to complete = 20 hours

Usually, most of the reported activities will be complete (100 %). Less than half of the reported activities should be

still in progress (not completed). If the opposite is true, then the work scope has not been sufficiently detailed, and

the degree of error in reporting progress will be high.

It is near impossible to measure progress exactly, since it takes an educated guess - which is influenced by many

variables beyond the control of the supervisor (inspections, rework, etc.). Re-estimating the time required to

complete a task is very important, as this can have an impact on the schedule (particularly activities on the critical

path, major repairs, refractory work, etc.). For a well-defined scope, the overall degree of error in reporting progress

seems to be approximately two percent (2 %) less than the actual achieved.

After the progress information from all Lap Books has been recorded and updated, print a new Shift Schedule for

distribution to the field before the next shift begins.

NoteThe following text describes reports that are generated byATC Professional(that was specifically designed forshutdowns / turnarounds / outages). Other software may not offer comparable reports.

You should also analyze the Critical Pathand Critical Massto determine if there are any slippages (delays), and the

area or group of activities involved in the slippages. Check all critical and near critical activities for any errors in

logic or durati

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