Table of Contents
| Section | Title | Page |
| Purpose | 2 | |
| Scope | 2 | |
| Related Documents | 2 | |
| Definitions | 2 | |
| Waivers | 2 | |
| Warranty | 2 | |
| Materials | 3 | |
| Material References | 3 | |
| Insulation Thickness and Limits | 3 | |
| Site Establishment and Preparation | 3 | |
| General Application | 4 | |
| Application of Insulation | 5 | |
| Straight Piping | 6 | |
| Elbows and Bends (DN150 and smaller) | 7 | |
| Elbows and Bends (DN200 and larger) | 8 | |
| Tees and Branches | 8 | |
| End Caps | 9 | |
| Reducers | 9 | |
| Flanges | 10 | |
| Valves | 11 | |
| Termination of Insulation on Pipes | 12 | |
| Installation Quality Assurance Report | 13 |
1. PURPOSE
1.1 This global engineering specification defines and describes the minimum requirements for the installation of “Field‑I” thermal insulation for use on cold and cryogenic piping.
2. SCOPE
2.1 This specification applies to “Field-I” insulation that operates between -196° and 38°C (-320° and 100°F).
2.2 This specification applies to systems that will be installed outdoors, aboveground, and subject to sunlight, temperature extremes, and other ambient weather conditions.
2.3 Fully described and detailed alternate materials or methods of construction may be presented by the supplier for Air Products’ consideration and approval.
2.4 This insulation material is identified on drawings with the symbol Q1 (see 4WPI-INS022).
3. RELATED DOCUMENTS
3.1 Air Products Engineering Documents 3PI99002 Thermal and Acoustic Insulation Standard 4WPI-INS022 “Field-I” Thermal Installation System for Cold and Cryogenic Piping – Material Symbol Q
3.2 All standards and documents referred to herein shall be the latest issue, unless otherwise stated.
4. definitions
4.1 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and its subsidiary and associated companies will be referred to herein as Air Products.
4.2 The insulation contractor who supplies and installs the insulation will be referred to herein as the contractor.
4.3 Approved equal in this specification means “approved in writing by Air Products.”
4.4 All temperatures and dimensions in the text of this document are given in metric units with US customary units in parenthesis. In the figures, dimensions are only given in mm for clarity (divide by 25.4 to convert mm to inches).
5. waivers
5.1 Applications for waivers of the requirements contained in this specification, or to supply alternative items other than those listed, shall be made in writing to the Air Products representative, who will obtain approval and written authorization from the relevant Air Products manager prior to order, supply, or installation by the contractor.
5.2 In order that any request by the contractor may be evaluated, the contractor shall submit complete and full details of the recommended alternative.
6. warranty
6.1 The contractor shall provide a warranty guaranteeing the installation’s mechanical integrity against wind, weather, and normal operating conditions, and also the vapor barrier’s integrity against the ingress of moisture, all for a period after acceptance by Air Products of the insulation installation’s completion to be agreed in writing prior to start of installation.
6.2 The contractor will be required to provide sample installations of insulation on the piping at the start of the contract. These will be inspected by Air Products and might be destroyed in the process of examination. The contractor will be judged on the quality of the workmanship and only if satisfactory will be allowed to start the contract. All work on the insulation shall then be guaranteed by the contractor to be to the same quality of workmanship and will be judged to the same standard as the accepted sample. The contractor shall remove all damaged insulation and re-insulate as required.
7. Materials
7.1 All insulating materials and accessory materials to be used with this installation specification are defined in the Insulation System Specification 4WPI-INS022.
7.2 The contractor shall supply all insulating materials and accessory materials unless otherwise stated in the contract. The material shall be strictly according to the Insulation System Specification, which provides full names and addresses of suppliers.
8. Material references
8.1 All materials are indicated in the text and figures of this specification by the numbers shown in square brackets, thus [0], that refer to the materials in Sections 7, and are identified in the following list. [1] Pipe Insulating Material [3] Cavity Fill Material [3b] Cavity Fill Material [5] Fiberglass Jacket Adhesive [7] Insulation Joint Sealer [9] Insulation Banding Tape [10] Fiberglass Jacket [11] Metal Bands [26] Releasing Agent [28] Permanent End Seals
9. insulation thickness and limits
9.1 The insulation thickness and the extent to which the insulation shall be provided and installed on piping shall be as stated on the Insulation Summary and/or isometrics and drawings provided by Air Products. Refer also to 4WPI-INS022.
10. SitE Establishment and Preparation
10.1 All insulation installation shall be performed strictly according to this specification, the Insulation Summary, piping isometrics, and drawings provided by Air Products.
10.2 The contractor shall comply with all local and national regulations and safety rules.
10.3 The contractor shall comply with Air Products site and safety rules.
10.4 The contractor shall supply all materiel, tools, transport, and supervision required for satisfactory completion of the insulation contract.
10.5 All materials shall be new and shall be applied by competent personnel according to the manufacturer’s instructions, unless otherwise specified herein.
10.6 All materials and all installation of insulation shall be available for inspection by Air Products. Material having defects shall be replaced, and any defects found in the installation shall be corrected by the contractor at their expense.
10.7 Before starting work on site, the contractor shall prepare and obtain the agreement of the Air Products representative regarding their detailed program for the work. They shall also obtain agreement for the site establishment and for the location of working areas.
10.8 All pressure testing shall be satisfactorily completed before application of any insulating materials.
10.9 Insulating materials shall only be applied to a completely dry surface that might have been painted by others. All surfaces shall be free of dirt, rust, and any foreign matter.
10.10 Insulating and accessory materials shall only be applied to surfaces that are clean, dry, and frost-free, and when the ambient temperature is above +2°C (36°F). Great care shall be taken to prevent damage to the paint system, especially on stainless steel piping or equipment as this paint does not fully harden until it has reached the system’s operating temperature for the first time.
10.11 The contractor shall verify with the Air Products representative, before starting work on a pipe system or item of equipment, that the system is ready for insulation installation and shall also confirm the requirements for any special conditions such as cleanliness or internal purge.
10.12 The contractor shall cover all openings in the equipment to prevent the ingress of insulation or foreign materials.
10.13 Welding or drilling on equipment, piping, and structures is prohibited.
10.14 All insulating material shall be kept dry and shall be protected from inclement weather and contact with water at all times. Any evidence of moisture in the insulation or its accessories, either before or after application, shall be sufficient cause for rejection.
10.15 All insulation applied in one day shall be weatherproofed overnight or before rain by either the final coating or a temporary weatherproof covering.
10.16 All insulation shall be fabricated using a minimum number of pieces, and all surfaces between adjacent pieces of insulation shall be tightly butted together so that no voids or gaps occur at any joint, except where specifically indicated.
10.17 Cutting and fitting of any insulation at tie-ins, valve handwheels, steel gratings, steelwork, conduit, cable tray, tubing, pipe supports, or other interference shall be considered part of the insulation contract.
10.18 Repair and/or replacement in kind of any existing insulation at tie-in points shall be considered as part of the insulation contract.
10.19 Insulation on piping and equipment specified as personal protection on the Insulation Summary and/or isometrics shall be installed only within the limits shown therein.
10.20 All moving parts shall be free of mastics and cements.
10.21 The contractor shall remove all waste or surplus material.
11. General Application
11.1 Cavities
11.1.1 All cavities within the preformed insulation shall be completely filled with cavity fill material [3].
11.1.2 The method of application of the cavity fill material [3] shall be in a way to prevent voids from forming in the fill material.
11.2 Vapor Barrier System
11.2.1 It is essential that all insulation to this specification shall be completely covered by the contractor as it is installed using a vapor barrier system that is totally watertight. The protective fiberglass jacket [10] installed and sealed with the fiberglass jacket adhesive [5] to this specification is the vapor barrier.
11.2.2 At flanges, valves, heat exchanger heads, and other bolted joints, there shall be insulation that is removable to allow maintenance of the equipment. Permanent end seals [28] shall be applied such that when the removable insulation is either taken off or is applied later, the fixed insulation is fully sealed.
11.3 Protective Fiberglass Jacket
11.3.1 All insulation shall be protected with a fiberglass jacket [10] with minimum longitudinal overlap of 50 mm (2 in). Circumferential seams shall be butted together.
11.3.2 Longitudinal overlaps shall be located on or below the horizontal centerline, not on the top of the piping, but installed to shed water. Adjacent longitudinal overlaps shall be installed at 180 degrees from one another.
11.3.3 The surfaces of the longitudinal seam overlap shall be roughed prior to sealing to provide a good bonding surface.
11.3.4 Prior to sealing the seams of the fiberglass jacket, the jacket shall be secured with metal bands [11] spaced at 500 mm (20 in) maximum and at each end of the jacket section as indicated in the drawings in Section 12, stretched and clamped under tension with seals. This shall not crush or crack the insulation. Any cracked or broken insulation shall be replaced.
11.3.5 All exposed edges and sharp corners of insulation jacketing shall be rounded off to prevent a safety hazard. Metal band ends shall be cut close to the seal [12 mm (0.5 in) minimum], folded under, and flattened. Metal bands shall be removed 48 hours after the jacket adhesive [3] has cured where they pose a sharp hazard to personnel.
11.3.6 All flanges, valves, expansion bellows, flexible hoses, strainers, pump casings, vessel manways, and other frequently maintained items shall be provided with prefabricated, proprietary or custom-made removable insulation boxes secured to allow easy access. All items that do not have their labels or tag numbers visible after completion of the insulation shall have labels provided and installed by the contractor on the outside of the insulation.
11.3.7 Self-tapping screws or any other sharp-type fixing shall not be used under any circumstances.
12. Application of Insulation
12.1 Straight Piping
12.1.1 All insulation [1] shall be applied using single layer construction and shall be secured with insulating banding tape [9] spaced at 250 mm (10 in) maximum centers and at each end of the insulation section as indicated in Figure 1. Insulation circumferential and longitudinal joints shall have an 8 mm (1/4 in) gap on the inside diameter and 13 mm (1/2 in) gap on the outside diameter.
12.1.2 Before application of insulation, the surface of the pipe shall be wrapped with releasing agent [26].
12.1.3 All insulation shall be provided with a vapor barrier according to paragraph 11.2.
12.1.4 All insulation shall be completely covered with a protective fiberglass jacket according to paragraph 11.3.
Figure 1 Straight Piping
12.2 Fittings
12.2.1 Fittings shall be insulated with piping insulation [1], mitred and cut to fit, according to Figures 2A, 2B, 3, and 4.
12.2.2 The minimum thickness of insulation on fittings shall be equal to that required for adjacent straight piping.
12.2.3 Small openings and voids shall be filled with cavity fill material [3].
12.2.4 The insulation shall be carefully fitted and secured in place with insulation banding tape [9]. Although a minimum of three bands are mandatory on all fittings, it is the responsibility of the contactor to install as many as are required to ensure that the insulation is adequately secure.
12.2.5 A weather-resistant vapor barrier shall be applied over all fitting insulation according to paragraph 11.2.
12.2.6 All fitting insulation shall be completely covered with a protective fiberglass jacket according to paragraph 11.3.
Figure 2A Elbows and Bends (DN150 and smaller)
Figure 2B Elbows and Bends (DN200 and larger)
Figure 3 Tees and Branches
Figure 4 End Caps
Figure 5 Reducers
12.3 Flanges
12.3.1 All flanges shall be insulated with the same thickness of insulation as the adjacent straight piping according to Figure 6 using the same methods as for straight piping. Flange insulation shall be fabricated using insulation [1]. All voids shall be filled with cavity fill material [3] except that the cavity around the flange shall be packed with mineral wool.
12.3.2 The flange insulation shall be installed in such a manner that it may be removed to provide access to the flanges and allow removal of the flange bolts without disturbing the adjacent piping insulation. Permanent end seals [28] shall be applied such that when the flange insulation is either taken off or is applied later, the fixed insulation if fully sealed.
12.3.3 The outer layer of flange insulation shall be completely covered with a fiberglass pipe according to paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3. The ends shall be covered by fiberglass plate [28].
12.3.4 Spectacle blinds, blanks, or spacers shall be enclosed within the insulation box that shall have a label on the outside indicating their location.
Figure 6 Flanges
12.4 Valves
12.4.1 All valves shall be insulated with the same thickness of insulation, with the exception of extended stems, as the adjacent straight piping according to Figure 8. Valve insulation shall be fabricated using insulation [1]. All voids shall be filled with cavity fill material [3] up to the bonnet flange or union. The cavity around the bonnet and stem shall be packed with mineral wool.
12.4.2 The valve insulation shall be installed in such a manner that it may be removed to provide access to the valve, including the adjustment to the bonnet, without disturbing the adjacent piping insulation. Permanent end seals [28] shall be used to construct a valve box such that when the valve insulation is either taken off or is applied later, the fixed insulation if fully sealed.
12.4.3 All valve packing glands shall be accessible for adjustment or repacking.
Figure 8 Valves
12.5 Termination of Insulation
12.5.1 When insulation terminates on a pipe, the insulation shall be installed according to Figure 9 and shall be adequately sealed with fiberglass pipe and plate according to paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3.
Figure 10 Termination of Insulation on Pipes
Appendix a Installation Quality Assurance Report Appendix A
| Contract Reference | Report No. |
Description of work inspected to Air Products Engineering Specification 4WPI-INS023
| Area Location | Description of Equipment | Line Number | Insulation System Applied |
| 1. | Pre-application inspection | Pipe/equipment ready for insulation | Yes/No |
| Erection and assembly complete | |||
| System successfully pressure tested | |||
| Painting complete, dry, and accepted | |||
| Surface clean and dry | |||
| 2. | Insulation materials | Correct insulation supplied | |
| Correct accessory materials supplied | |||
| Fiberglass jacket and banding correct | |||
| No self-tapping screws supplied | |||
| 3. | Insulation application | Pipe and fittings wrapped
Insulation banded in position Insulation wrapped |
|
| All voids filled | |||
| 4. | Fiberglass jacket | All insulation covered with fiberglass jacket
All bonding surfaces roughed All joints sealed with epoxy |
|
| All jackets banded securely in position | |||
| No self-tapping screws used | |||
| Overlaps installed to shed water | |||
| Horizontal overlaps staggered
Butt joints on straight runs have a collar |
|||
| All joints and openings sealed | |||
| 5. | Finishing | Labels installed on outside of jackets | |
| Site cleaned and rubbish removed |
| Report by | Date |