1. SCOPE ……………………………………………………………………………………
2. REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………………
3. DEFINITIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………
4. INSTRUMENT INSTALLATION ……………………………………………………….
4.1 Instrument Identification ……………………………………………………….
4.2 General Instrument Installation Instructions …………………………..
4.3 Instrument Mounting Location ……………………………………………………….
4.4 Instrument, Tubing, Piping and Conduit Supports …………………………..
4.5 Process Connections for Instruments ……………………………………………………….
4.6 Impulse Lines ……………………………………………………………………………………
4.7 Temperature Instruments Installation ……………………………………………………….
4.8 Pressure Instruments Installation ……………………………………………………….
4.9 Level Instruments Installation……………………………………………………….
4.10 Flow Instruments Installation ……………………………………………………….
4.11 Analyzers ……………………………………………………………………………………
4.12 Instrument Air Piping and Connection …………………………..
4.13 Purging of Process Connections ……………………………………………………….
4.14 Instrument Cabling, Wiring and Electrical Connection …………………………..
4.15 Instrument Enclosures and Junction Boxes …………………………..
4.16 Heat Tracing and Insulation ……………………………………………………….
5. REVISION HISTORY ……………………………………………………………………………………
1. Scope
This standard covers the general requirements for the instrument installation, including the
physical mounting and instruments connections.
Instrument installation covers instruments, valves, junction boxes, etc.
2. References
Reference is made in this standard to the following documents. The latest issues, amendments,
and supplements to these documents shall apply unless otherwise indicated.
SABIC Engineering Standards (SES)
P01-E15 Pressure Testing of Piping Systems and Lay-up Procedures
R01-E01 Field Instrumentation Design Criteria
R01-E02 Hazardous Area Protection – Explosion Proof
R01-E03 Hazardous Area Protection – Intrinsically Safe
R08-E01 Process Analyzer System Design Criteria
R09-E01 Instrument Air System Design Criteria
R10-E01 Instrument Piping and Tubing Systems Criteria
R10-S01 Instrument Tubing Material Specification
R11-C02 Standard Installation Drawings – Instrumentation
R11-C03 Freeze Protection for Instrument Installation
X01-E01 Control System Design Criteria
X05-E01 Process Control Cabling and Wiring
X05-E02 Field Devices Cabling to Junction Boxes
X05-S01 Process Control Cables Specification
X06-C01 Standard Installation Drawings – Control System
Process Industry Practices (PIP)
PCCFL001
Flow Measurement Design Criteria
PCCGN002 General Instrument Installation Criteria
3. Definitions
Process Isolation Valve / Root Valve / Process Connection Block Valve: Valve specified,
provided and installed by piping discipline to isolate the process from the instrument
Impulse Lines: Tubing or piping which run from the isolation valve to the instrument
4. Instrument Installation
4.1 Instrument Identification
4.1.1 In addition to the identification plate installed at factory, each instrument shall be provided
with a three-ply phenolic nameplate, white background and black letters, all lettering shall be
upper case. Lettering and number shall be 5 mm of height to instruments. Engraving shall
be cut as black on white background with plates beveled at 45 degrees all around to show a
black border.
4.1.2 Instrument nameplates shall contain the instrument tag number and associated service
description.
4.1.3 Instrument nameplates shall be permanently mounted to a hot dip galvanized steel flat bar
extension off the instrument stand. These nameplates shall be attached to this bar using
stainless steel screws. If there is no instrument stand, then 0.045 inches of diameter
stainless steel wire shall be used to attach the nameplate near to the instrument.
4.1.4 Control panel front-mounted instruments shall have a nameplate mounted on front of panel.
Also, a nameplate is required on panel rear, which only includes tag number.
4.2 General Instrument Installation Instructions
4.2.1 Field Instruments installation shall follow manufacturer’s recommendation as a minimum, in
addition to SES-R11-C02 drawings.
4.2.2 Field mounted electrical instruments exposed to direct sunlight shall be installed with
sunshades, refer to SES-R11-C02 for details. Non metallic sunshades shall require SABIC
approval.
4.2.3 Instrument cable and air entries shall be made weather tight as soon as they are mounted in
the field. However, permanent sealant on the fittings shall not be applied until after testing is
satisfactorily completed.
4.2.4 Supports, panels and cubicles shall be leveled by shimming before bolting to the prepared
foundations.
4.3 Instrument Mounting Location
4.3.1 Instrument location shall be selected taking into account the requirements for functional
operation and maintenance accessibility.
4.3.2 Instruments shall be accessible for use, calibration and repair without requiring the removal
of piping, grating or other structure. This requirement also applies to the removal of any
covers or housings that are part of the instrument or its installation.
4.3.3 All instruments shall be installed in such a way that they are not subject to shock, excessive
vibration or temperature extremes.
4.3.4 The location of instruments shall permit easy access from grade, permanent platforms or
stairways for inspection and maintenance. Locations shall also minimize the possibility of
damage from fire and falling objects.
4.3.5 Instruments shall be orientated so that the indicating meter faces the direct access
approach to the equipment with which they are associated.
4.3.6 Instruments including pressure gages, dial thermometers, and gauge glasses shall be
readable from grade, platforms, or permanent ladders.
4.3.7 Where a process variable can be manually controlled at a control valve station, the process
variable indicator shall be clearly visible from the valve hand wheel or valve bypass location.
4.3.8 An instrument shall not be mounted on a handrail, adjacent to process vents, or obstructing
the walkway.
4.3.9 Direct reading instruments, e.g. pressure gauges, dial thermometers, variable area meters,
level gauges shall be supported by piping or equipment.
4.3.10 Field instruments mounted on supports shall be as per SES-R11-C02.
4.3.11 Instruments requiring reading, frequent calibration or maintenance should be installed
between 0.6 and 1.5 meters above grade or platform.
4.3.12 Permanent platform shall not be required for instruments which do not require frequent
access for calibration, maintenance, etc. and located as follows:
a. Less than 4.5 meters above grade and accessible by ladder or portable platform, or
b. Less than 2.1 meters above a permanent platform
4.3.13 Instrument located outside a platform handrail shall be mounted as follows:
a. To allow maintenance outside a platform without reaching through or leaning over the
handrail
b. Less than 1.5 meters above the platform
c. Less than 0.3 meters horizontally outside the platform edge
4.3.14 Instrument shall be located as close as possible to process connection adequately
supported and easily accessible.
4.3.15 On remote mounted current to pressure transducers, pneumatic tubing length, between the
transducer output and the final control element, shall be kept minimum to have better control
loop stability.
4.4 Instrument, Tubing, Piping and Conduit Supports
4.4.1 A prefabricated pipe stand support shall be used for field instrument mounting, as per SESR11-C02.
The
pipe
stand
shall
be
hot
dipped
galvanized
steel
as
a
minimum
requirement.
4.4.2 The contractor shall install supplemental supports, brackets, hangers, etc. to complete the
installation.
4.4.3 Welding supports to towers, vessels, or tanks which have been stress relieved, i.e. heat
treated after fabrication, is prohibited.
4.4.4 Supports, brackets, hangers, etc. for equipment and materials shall be installed so as not to
weaken the structure to which they are attached.
4.4.5 Fastening hardware, i.e. bolts, nuts, screws, and washers, shall be stainless steel. Supports
for instrument impulse line, conduit and equipment shall be hot dipped galvanized steel.
4.4.6 When fire protection is required for stainless steel tubing, it shall be supported by a stainless
steel tray, because direct contact between stainless steel tubing and supports coated with
galvanizing or inorganic zinc paint can cause liquid metal embrittlement of the stainless
steel and instantaneous brittle fracture if the tubing is exposed in a fire.
4.4.7 Supports for instruments shall be bolted or welded to structural steel or fixed to concrete by
not less than two anchors. Supports shall not be fixed to concrete or masonry which serves
as fireproofing cover.
4.4.8 All instruments shall be correctly leveled and aligned before fastening to the supports.
4.4.9 Base plates shall be shimmed and leveled and shall have a 25 mm gap from the concrete
surface or grade. Sand-cement grout shall be used to fill the void.
4.4.10 Impulse lines between the instrument and process equipment or pipeline shall be properly
supported to prevent strain on the instrument, equipment and piping connection. Care shall
also be taken to accommodate thermal expansion, seismic loading or relative motion of
piping or equipment to which such instrument items are connected.
4.4.11 Impulse lines, conduit, cable trays or instruments shall not be supported from process pipes.
Support from process pipe shall require SABIC approval, however, support on insulated
lines, vibrating lines or lines having temperature over 120 deg C shall be avoided.
4.4.12 Impulse lines shall be securely and firmly supported by bracketing from building steel, walls,
instrument supports or stands. In no case shall the instrument serve to support the impulse
line.
4.4.13 At locations where mechanical damage is likely to occur or for hazardous services,
instrument impulse lines or capillary shall be protected by a continuous support, for
example, a structural steel angle or channel.
4.5 Process Connections for Instruments
4.5.1 For process connection installation details, refer to piping or static equipment relevant SES.
4.5.2 For connection sizes and types on the instrument, refer to SES-R01-E01.
4.5.3 Process isolation valve shall be provided at each process connection. Installation of
instruments without process isolation valve shall require SABIC approval.
4.5.4 Where more than one instrument is connected to the process, each shall be able to be
independently isolated without affecting the functions of the others.
4.5.5 Where the process isolation valve is not accessible, an additional instrument valve shall be
installed at a convenient location.
4.5.6 Taps for liquid service shall be located on the sides of the pipe or oriented 45 degrees down
from the horizontal. Taps for gas service shall be located on the top of the pipe or oriented
45 degrees up from the horizontal. Any other tap position shall require SABIC approval.
4.5.7 For gas services, pressure and differential pressure instrument shall be mounted above the
pressure taps; installation below pressure taps shall require SABIC approval.
4.5.8 For liquid services, pressure and differential pressure instrument shall be mounted below
the pressure taps; compensation for the liquid head shall be done.
4.5.9 For steam services, pressure and differential pressure instrument shall be mounted below
the pressure taps, using condensate pots or fill tee. If an instrument is direct mounted on
pipe, it shall be equipped with a siphon.
4.5.10 Condensate pots or fill tee shall be located at same elevation or higher than the pressure
taps, installation below pressure taps shall require SABIC approval.
4.6 Impulse Lines
4.6.1 Welding downstream of the isolation valves shall require SABIC approval.
4.6.2 All instrument impulse lines materials shall be per SES-R10-S01.
4.6.3 Instrument impulse lines shall be in accordance with SES R10-E01 requirements. Analyzers
sample lines shall be in accordance with SES-R08-E01 requirements.
4.6.4 Pipe and tubing shall be installed in accordance with SES-R11-C02. All tubing shall be cut
with rotating-wheel type cutters producing no burrs or appreciable reduction in internal
diameter. Use of hex saw or any other tool for cutting tube is not allowed.
4.6.5 All installed tubing shall have open ends capped or taped, until it is connected to the
instrument or to the process isolation valve.
4.6.6 Tubing shall be formed with correctly sized benders and installed so that no stress is
exerted upon the installation. Tube fitting makeup shall be checked with the correct size
tubing gauge.
4.6.7 For tubing installation, rather than elbow fittings, bends should be used to change direction.
4.6.8 Tubing with a length of 6 meters shall be installed in one continuous length, for lengths more
than 6 meter, tubing unions are acceptable, and shall be kept as minimum as possible.
Analyzer tubing shall be installed in one continuous run.
4.6.9 Tubing laid closely together shall be offset where unions occur to allow spanner access.
4.6.10 Tubing shall be blown with instrument air immediately prior to connection.
4.6.11 Instrument impulse lines shall have a continuous slope to assure being full or free of liquid in
accordance with the installation details. The slope should be 1:12.
4.6.12 Tubing shall be installed such that no traps or pockets can occur, except for pigtails.
4.6.13 Fluid-filled sensing systems or “capillary tubes” shall be sealed to the instrument by the
manufacturer. Such systems shall not be opened or cut. Capillary tubing shall be installed in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, routed and protected to avoid damage.
Excess lengths of tubing shall be coiled in the minimum radius recommended by the
manufacturer.
4.6.14 Bushings are not permitted for line size changes in impulse lines.
4.6.15 Tube fittings shall not be used between the process taps and isolation valve.
4.6.16 All vent or drain valves or tubes connected to vent or drain ports shall be directed away from
the normal personnel access position and routed to a safe disposal point when required by
the installation details.
4.6.17 Testing of instrument piping and tubing shall be in accordance with the requirements of
SES-P01-E15.
4.6.18 The minimum tubing bend radius shall be in accordance with recommendations of the
tubing and tube bender manufacturers or the following.
Tubing OD Bending Radius
1/4 inch 9/16 inch Radius
3/8 inch 15/16 inch Radius
1/2 inch 1.5 inch Radius
4.6.19 The following connection types shall not be seal welded at any time:
a. Tube fitting nuts
b. Caps and plugs
c. Threaded connections on instrument body
d. Plugs in valve vents and drains
4.6.20 Instruments handling toxic, volatile or flammable materials drain shall be connected to a
drain header with a double block and bleed arrangement
4.7 Temperature Instruments Installation
4.7.1 Warning tags to be installed wherever temperature elements are installed without
thermowells.
4.7.2 Temperature assemblies shall be placed in flowing streams, not in stagnant fluid.
4.7.3 Temperature assemblies shall not be installed in a bypass piping.
4.7.4 Thermocouple should not be located in an area of high induced EMF or electrical noise.
However, if not avoidable then conditioning equipment shall be used.
4.8 Pressure Instruments Installation
4.8.1 Pressure gauges, on services with temperature above 65 deg C, shall be installed with
gauge siphons when the instrument is close coupled.
4.8.2 Close coupled instruments used for measuring pulsating pressures of reciprocating pumps
and compressors shall be equipped with pulsation dampeners. Pulsation dampeners shall
be installed close to the instrument downstream of the instrument isolation valve to prevent
premature failure of the pressure instruments.
4.8.3 Pressure instruments shall not be close coupled on low temperature and cryogenic service.
This is to prevent exceeding the low temperature design limits of these instruments
4.8.4 Differential pressure instruments can be used to measure low pressure by leaving one tap
open to atmosphere. Vented tap shall be protected for wind velocity changes. Screen fitting
shall be provided on the vented tap for protection from particle and insect intrusion.
4.9 Level Instruments Installation
4.9.1 Differential pressure level transmitters shall be mounted at the centerline or below the lower
vessel nozzle, i.e. high pressure nozzle.
4.9.2 External level displacers shall be installed vertically. The center of the displacer shall be at
the elevation at which the level in the vessel is to be maintained.
4.9.3 Capacitance level probe shall be bonded to metallic tanks or vessels, where the level is
measured. A resistance in the process connections, such as PTFE tape thread coating can
cause erroneous reading.
4.9.4 Capacitance level probe shall be installed such that it is not affected by the filling stream. If
this is not possible, the probe shall be protected with a shield or baffle.
4.10 Flow Instruments Installation
4.10.1 Flow instrument installation requirement shall be in accordance with PIP PCCFL001.
4.10.2 Minimum straight run pipe length requirements shall be in accordance with PIP PCCFL001
for orifice plate, flow nozzle, and venturi tube. For other flow elements, manufacturer’s
recommendations on meter installation and upstream downstream requirements shall be
followed.
4.10.3 Location selected for elbow flow meter should be at least 25 pipe diameters from the
nearest upstream fitting and at least 5 pipe diameters from the nearest downstream fitting.
4.10.4 Differential pressure flow elements should be installed in horizontal runs to minimize
measurement inaccuracies. Vertical runs shall be used only with SABIC approval.
4.10.5 If differential pressure flow elements are installed in vertical piping runs, liquids should flow
up while condensing vapors should flow down.
4.10.6 Sharp-edged orifice plates with a beveled edge shall be installed with the bevel facing
downstream. Quadrant-edged orifice plates are installed with the rounded edge upstream.
Beveled orifice plates installed backwards can have errors exceeding 30 percent with the
flow being higher than calculated.
4.10.7 Averaging pitot tube impulse lines shall be kept to minimum because of low differential
pressure. Integrally mounted transmitters are preferred.
4.11 Analyzers
4.11.1 Analyzer systems installation shall be in accordance with SES-R08-E01.
4.12 Instrument Air Piping and Connection
4.12.1 Instrument air systems shall follow SES-R09-E01 requirements.
4.12.2 Air supply headers and laterals shall be arranged to allow air to be blown through a full-size
opening to facilitate final cleaning of the air system.
4.12.3 Instrument air branch supply lines shall be taken from the top of the header to an air
distributor that is accessible for maintenance.
4.12.4 Each branch air supply from the air distributor to the end user shall only supply air to one
user, and shall have a block valve with the instrument tagname. For details, refer to SESR11-C02.
4.12.5 Air connection to instrument shall be made with consideration for the following:
a. Instrument removal shall be possible without distortion of the pipe or tubing.
b. Piping or tubing shall not block maintenance access to instrument.
c. Piping configuration and anchoring shall minimize the vibration or stress reaching the
instrument.
4.12.6 Air supply to critical field service valves shall be protected from accidental damage.
4.12.7 Testing of air piping and tubing shall be performed in accordance with SES-R09-E01
requirements.
4.13 Purging of Process Connections
4.13.1 Purging of process connections shall comply with PIP PCCGN002.
4.14 Instrument Cabling, Wiring and Electrical Connection
4.14.1 For cable routes, cabling, wiring, and identification refer to SES-X05-E02, SES-X05-E01
and SES-X06-C01.
4.14.2 For cable specification, refer to SES-X05-S01.
4.14.3 For instrument installation in hazardous area refer to SES-R01-E02.
4.14.4 For instrument installation with intrinsically safe circuits refer to SES-R01-E03.
4.14.5 Refer to SES X01-E01 for power supply of instruments requiring external power.
4.15 Instrument Enclosures and Junction Boxes
4.15.1 Instrument enclosures and junction boxes (JB) shall be mounted on fabricated pedestals or
support mounted on steel structures. Refer to SES-R11-C02 for details.
4.15.2 For JB requirements and cable entry refer to SES-X05-E01, and SES-R11-C02.
4.16 Heat Tracing and Insulation
4.16.1 For instrument and enclosures heat tracing and insulation refer to SES-R11-C03.
4.16.2 Electrical heat tracing is preferred for heating instrument lines.
4.16.3 Electrical heat tracing shall be equipped with ground fault protection type circuit breaker.
4.16.4 Exposed short runs of pipe and tubing should be insulated with flexible braided fiberglass
tubing for personnel protection, where required.