What Information Is Needed to Design an Industrial Access System?
A request for an industrial access system can start with something as simple as needing to reach a valve, motor, tank or piece of process equipment. Turning that requirement into a workable access structure needs more information.
The position of the equipment is only one part of it. The design also needs to consider what people will be doing when they reach it, how often access is required, the space available, surrounding services, loads, support points and how the finished structure can be installed.
Providing the right information at the start of a project helps establish these requirements before the access arrangement is developed.
What Needs to Be Accessed?
The first requirement is a clear understanding of the equipment or area that needs access.
This might be a single valve or inspection point, several pieces of machinery at different levels, or a larger area of plant requiring a combination of walkways, platforms and stairs.
It is useful to identify each point that personnel need to reach rather than simply marking the general location of the equipment. The required working position may be above, beside or behind the plant itself.
This becomes particularly important where several maintenance points need to be reached from the same access structure.
What Work Will Be Carried Out?
Knowing what happens once somebody reaches the equipment can change the design considerably.
Visual inspection requires relatively little working space. Removing a motor, replacing a filter or servicing a large valve can require substantially more room.
Useful information includes:
- The maintenance or inspection task being carried out
- The number of people normally involved
- Tools or equipment that need to be taken onto the structure
- Components that need to be removed or replaced
- The direction in which access panels or equipment open
- Any required equipment removal route
These details help determine the working area rather than designing a platform that provides physical access but insufficient room to perform the task.
How Often Is Access Required?
The frequency and nature of access are also relevant.
An inspection point visited occasionally presents a different requirement from equipment accessed by maintenance teams every day. The route needs to suit how the area will actually be used.
It is also useful to establish whether access is only required by maintenance personnel or forms part of a regular operational route through the facility.
Existing Drawings Can Provide a Useful Starting Point
Existing site and equipment drawings can help establish the layout before more detailed measurements are taken.
Depending on the project, useful information may include:
- General arrangement drawings
- Plant layout drawings
- Structural drawings
- Equipment drawings
- Floor plans and elevations
- Details of existing platforms or access structures
Drawings should still reflect the current installation. Industrial sites change over time, and the plant in place may no longer correspond exactly with older documentation.
Dimensions and Levels Need to Be Established
The access system has to fit the actual space available.
Key dimensions can include floor levels, equipment heights, distances between machinery, available footprint, overhead restrictions and the position of existing structural elements.
Changes in level are particularly important when stairs, landings or elevated GRP access platforms are required.
Accurate dimensions also help identify areas where the proposed route may conflict with existing plant or services.
Identify Pipework, Ducting and Other Services
Plant equipment is rarely isolated from the services surrounding it.
Pipework, ducting, cable trays, electrical equipment and other services can all affect the available route. Their position needs to be understood before the structure is designed around them.
It is also important to identify services that need their own maintenance access. A new platform or walkway should not prevent somebody reaching a valve, junction, inspection point or other service component later.
Where services cannot be moved, the access arrangement may need to pass above, below or around them.
What Loads Will the Structure Need to Accommodate?
The intended use of the access system affects the loads that need to be considered.
Personnel are only part of the picture. Tools, maintenance equipment, components and materials may also be carried or temporarily placed on a platform.
Large components may need to be moved across the structure during maintenance or replacement.
Loading requirements should therefore be established for the individual project rather than assumed from another access installation.
Where Can the Access Structure Be Supported?
The available support arrangement can have a significant influence on the design.
Existing steelwork, floors or other structural elements may appear to provide convenient fixing points, but their suitability for additional loading needs to be established.
Where suitable support is unavailable, the access system may require its own supporting structure.
Understanding this early can avoid developing an arrangement that fits around the equipment but cannot be supported appropriately.
Consider the Site Environment
The conditions surrounding the structure affect material selection as well as its design.
Relevant information can include exposure to moisture, chemicals, weather, process contaminants and other environmental conditions.
This is one reason GRP grating is used for many industrial access applications. Its corrosion resistance can be advantageous in environments where steel would require additional corrosion protection.
Material selection should still be based on the actual operating environment and the requirements of the project.
How Will the Structure Be Installed?
Installation constraints should be considered before the access system reaches fabrication.
A completed structure may need to pass through doors, between existing machinery or beneath overhead services before reaching its final position. Lifting equipment may have limited access, and some areas may only be available during planned shutdowns.
Useful information at this stage includes:
- Routes into the installation area
- Door and opening dimensions
- Available lifting access
- Restricted working areas
- Operating plant that must remain accessible
- Planned shutdown or installation periods
These constraints can affect how the structure is divided for fabrication and assembled on site.
Photographs Help, but They Do Not Replace Dimensions
Site photographs are useful for understanding the general arrangement and identifying obvious obstacles.
They can show the relationship between machinery, services and existing access routes, particularly when supported by marked-up drawings.
Photographs alone, however, do not reliably establish dimensions, levels or structural suitability. They are most useful when combined with accurate site information.
Bringing the Information Together
Not every project will have a complete set of drawings and measurements available at the first enquiry. The important point is to establish what is known, what still needs to be confirmed and what information could affect the design.
For a straightforward platform, relatively little information may be required. A larger plant access structure incorporating stairs, platforms, walkways and handrails will normally require a more detailed assessment.
Working through these requirements before fabrication helps ensure that the finished structure provides access to the correct locations, enough space for the work being carried out and a practical route through the existing plant.
If you have an industrial access requirement, contact GRP Grating Systems with the available drawings, dimensions, photographs and details of the equipment requiring access. Any additional information needed to develop the access arrangement can then be identified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need complete technical drawings before asking for an access system?
No. Existing drawings are useful, but an initial discussion can begin with photographs, approximate dimensions and details of what needs to be accessed. Further information can then be identified as the project develops.
Are photographs enough to design an access platform?
Photographs can help explain the site layout but should not normally be relied upon for dimensions, levels or structural information. Accurate measurements and other project information may still be required.
Why does the maintenance task affect platform design?
The maintenance task determines where personnel need to stand and how much working space they require. Removing components or using tools can require more space than simply inspecting equipment.
Do existing platforms and steelwork need to be included in the information?
Yes. Existing structures can affect the position and support of new access equipment. Their presence should be identified even if it has not yet been established whether they can support additional loads.
Should future equipment replacement be considered during access design?
Where replacement requirements are known, they should be considered. An access structure should not unnecessarily block a removal route or prevent equipment from being serviced or replaced later.