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Installation of Single-Layer Thermal Insulation of Hot Piping and Equipment With Mineral Fiber

Table of Contents

Section Title Page
Purpose 3
Scope 3
Related Documents 3
Definitions 3
Waivers 3
Warranty 4
Materials 4
Material References 4
Insulation Thickness and Limits 4
Site Establishment and Preparation 5
General Application 6
Cavities 6
Weather-Resistant Cover System 6
Protective Metal Jackets 7
Application of Insulation 8
Straight Piping 8
Insulation Support Rings 10
Expansion Joints 11
Fittings 12
Flanges 17
Valves and In-line Items 19
Termination of Insulation 22
Pipe Supports 23
Equipment 26
Equipment Insulation Supports 29
Equipment Insulation Expansion Joints 32
Equipment Nozzles 34
Straight Piping 9
Insulation Support Rings 10
Expansion Joints 11
Elbows and Bends 12
External View of Typical Elbow With Miter Segments 13
Equal Tees 14
External View of Tees or Branches 14
Branches 15
End Caps or Vessel Heads 15
Reducers 16
Flanges 17
Valves (Preformed Insulation) 19
Valves (Fabricated Insulation) 20
Mechanical Flexible Joints or Bellows 21

DOUBLE CLICK ON GREEN NUMBER TO GO TO THAT SECTION Table of Contents (continued) 

Section Title Page
Termination of Insulation on Pipes and Metal Projections 22
Hanger Pipe Supports 23
Shoe Pipe Supports 24
Trunnion or Duck-foot Pipe Supports 25
Horizontal Vessels 26
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers 27
Vertical Vessels 28
Horizontal Vessel Heads and Vertical Vessel Top Heads 30
Vertical Vessel Bottom Heads 31
Vertical Equipment—Expansion Joint Insulation 32
Horizontal Equipment—Expansion Joint Insulation 32
Vertical Equipment Shell Stiffeners Insulation Detail 33
Equipment Flange Insulation Detail 34
Equipment Nozzle Insulation Detail 35
Installation Quality Assurance Report 36
Photographic Examples 37

DOUBLE CLICK ON GREEN “TOC” TO RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PURPOSE

1.1 This global engineering specification defines and describes the minimum requirements for the installation of single layer thermal insulation using mineral fiber for hot piping and equipment.

2. scope

2.1 This specification covers the installation of all preformed and slab mineral fiber insulation materials including adhesives, sealers, mastics, and jackets.

2.2 This insulation material is identified on drawings with the symbols: F2 – hot piping or equipment for prevention of heat loss (see 4WPI‑INS020), or F3 – hot piping or equipment for personnel protection (see 4WPI‑INS020).

3. related documents

3.1 Air Products Engineering Documents Å 3PI99002 Thermal and Acoustic Insulation Standard 4WEQ-1020 Insulation Supports for Warm- and High-Temperature Heat Exchangers and Pressure Vessels 4WPI-INS019 Mineral Fiber Thermal Insulation System for Hot Piping and Equipment, Material Symbol F Å Provided for background information only (not referenced in the text)

3.2 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C 585 Standard Practice for Inner and Outer Diameters of Rigid Thermal Insulation for Nominal Sizes of Pipe and Tubing (NPS System)

3.3 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 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-INS019.

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 Section 7, and are identified in the following list. [1] Pipe Insulating Material [2] Equipment Insulating Material [3] Expansion Joint and Cavity Fill Material [4] Covering [5] Covering Adhesive [6] Insulation Adhesive [7] Heat-Resistant Mastic [9] Tie Wires [10] Metal Jacket [11] Metal Bands [12] Pipe Clamp Insulation Support [13] Sheet Metal Insulation Support [14] Removable Insulation Boxes [17] Sheet Metal

9. INSULATION THICKNESS AND LIMITS

9.1 The insulation nominal thickness and the extent to which the insulation shall be provided and installed on piping and equipment shall be as stated on the Insulation Summary and/or isometrics and drawings provided by Air Products. Refer also to 4WPI-INS019. The actual insulation dimensions shall be according to ASTM C 585.

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 material, 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 commencing 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 When piping or equipment is electrically or steam traced by others, insulation shall only be applied when the tracing has been completed and approved by Air Products. The contractor shall provide and install “electric traced” signs on the outside surface of the insulation over electric traced lines at 3 m (10 ft) intervals on both sides of the pipe. All gland plates on electrical tracing cables shall be banded to the metal jacket [10] and adequately sealed with [7].

10.20 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.

10.21 All moving parts shall be free of mastics and cements.

10.22 The contractor shall remove all waste or surplus material.

11. GENERAL APPLICATION

11.1 Cavities

11.1.1 All cavities within the preformed insulation for pipes or equipment shall be completely filled by hand with cavity fill material [3] to a firm, resilient consistency.

11.2 Weather-Resistant Cover 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 weather-resistant cover system that is totally watertight. The protective metal jacket shall not be considered as providing any sort of watertight barrier.

11.2.2 The contractor shall install a factory- or site-applied covering [4] with covering adhesive [5].

11.2.3 On irregular surfaces, on vessel or heat exchanger heads, at the ends of insulation, or anywhere that it is not possible to use the covering [4], the weather-resistant mastic system shall be used. The mastic system shall extend a minimum of 75 mm (3 in) on to the covering [4] of the adjacent pipe or equipment insulation.

11.2.4 The covering system shall be installed as follows:

11.2.4.1 All outer surfaces of all piping and equipment insulation shall be completely sealed with covering [4]. The covering and longitudinal flaps shall be sealed with covering adhesive [5]. Circumferential butt joints shall be covered with a 75 mm (3 in) [or 100 mm (4 in) for equipment] wide strip of covering [4] and sealed with covering adhesive [5] or self-adhesive tape [5] centered on the joint.

11.2.4.2 When installing metal bands [11] to secure the outer layer, care shall be exercised in order not to damage or puncture the covering. Any damage or puncture shall be repaired with a piece of covering [4] and adhesive [5] or self-adhesive tape [5].

11.2.4.3 When there is a slip joint provided in the insulation of equipment, the covering shall be stopped short of the joint, and the joint shall be adequately sealed with weather-resistant mastic only.

11.2.4.4 For insulation that is removable, for example at flanges, valves, heat exchanger heads, and other bolted joints, the covering shall also be installed over the underneath pipe or equipment insulation and on to the pipe or equipment. It shall be applied such that when the removable insulation is either taken off or is applied later, the pipe or equipment insulation is fully sealed.

11.2.5 The weather-resistant mastic system shall be installed as follows:

11.2.5.1 All outer surfaces of all piping and equipment insulation shall be completely sealed with weather-resistant mastic reinforced with glass cloth [8] applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The glass cloth shall be embedded in the first coat of mastic while it is still wet, then the second (top coat) shall be applied.

11.2.5.2 The coating shall be carefully examined after drying to ensure that there are no cracks, holes, thin spots, bare reinforcement, or open joints of any sort. If there are any defects of this type, an additional coating of mastic shall be applied at a these locations until there are no further defects.

11.2.5.3 When the weather-resistant mastic [8] terminates onto a metal surface, the surface shall be cleaned of all dirt, grease, oil, and other foreign matter by wire brushing and solvent washing before the application of mastic.

11.2.5.4 When there is a slip joint provided in the insulation of equipment, the reinforcement cloth shall be stopped short of the joint and the joint adequately sealed with the mastic only.

11.2.5.5 For insulation that is removable, for example at flanges, valves, heat exchanger heads, and other bolted joints, the weather-resistant mastic shall also be installed over the underneath pipe or equipment insulation and on to the pipe or equipment. It shall be applied such that when the removable insulation is either taken off or is applied later, the pipe or equipment insulation is fully sealed.

11.3 Protective Metal Jackets

11.3.1 All insulation shall be protected with a metal jacket applied with minimum longitudinal and circumferential overlaps of 50 mm (2 in).

11.3.2 Longitudinal overlaps shall be located on or below the horizontal centerline, not on the top of piping or equipment, but installed to shed water. Adjacent longitudinal overlaps shall be installed at 180 degrees from one another to avoid double circumferential lap areas.

11.3.3 Metal jackets shall be secured with metal bands [11] spaced at 250 mm (10 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. On vertical equipment, metal jackets shall be supported with ‘s’ clips on 300 mm (12 in) maximum centers and with a minimum of two per jacket section.

11.3.4 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.

11.3.5 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.

11.3.6 Self-tapping screws or any other sharp-type fixing shall not be used under any circumstances. Any rivets used to fabricate metal jacketing shall have a smooth face on the insulation side of the jacket or shall be totally external to the insulation system. It must be demonstrated to Air Products’ satisfaction by the contractor before use, that the method proposed for using rivets or any other similar fixing cannot under any circumstances damage the vapor barrier.

11.3.7 All overlaps on metal jackets shall be installed to shed water and shall be sealed with heat-resistant mastic [7]. On straight seams, the metal joint sealing tape material is preferred and shall be installed continuously along the joint such that one edge is just visible.

11.3.8 All cut-outs in metal jackets shall be cut as close as possible to achieve a tight fit, shall be covered by a flashing of aluminum sheet, and shall be adequately sealed with heat-resistant sealer [7].

12. APPLICATION OF INSULATION

12.1 Straight Piping

12.1.1 All insulation shall be applied in a single layer. Multi-layer construction shall only be used when single layer is not available.

12.1.2 The insulation shall be provided with a covering according to paragraph 11.2 and shall be applied dry and without sealer or adhesive. All joints shall be tightly butted together.

12.1.3 The insulation shall be secured with metal bands [11] spaced at 250 mm (10 in) maximum centers and at each end of the insulation section as indicated in Figure 1. On piping with insulation outside diameters less than 200 mm (8 in) tie wires may be used and the wires shall be twisted together and pressed into the insulation. On nonvertical pipe or equipment, the longitudinal joints shall not be installed on the top of the pipe or equipment.

12.1.4 All insulation shall be completely covered with a protective metal jacket according to paragraph 11.2. 

Figure 1 Straight Piping

Straight Piping

12.2 Insulation Support Rings

12.2.1 Insulation support rings are required on vertical piping at the maximum spacing of 4.5 m (15 ft) when there are no flanges, fittings, or valves. At flanges, fittings, or valve locations, support rings shall be installed as close as possible above these locations. These support rings shall be insulated as indicated in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Insulation Support Rings 

Insulation Support Rings

12.2.2 The contractor shall provide proprietary support rings or shall provide materials for and fabricate support rings as detailed in the Insulation System Specification for [12] or [13].

12.2.3 For piping DN150 (NPS 6) and smaller, a sheet metal insulation support [13] shall be used. For piping larger than DN150, a pipe clamp insulation support [12] shall be used.

12.2.4 If in fabricating the pipe clamp insulation support it is not possible to cut off the arms of the clamp so that it does not extend past half of the insulation, then an extra layer of insulation shall be installed over the clamp, notched to accommodate the ends of the clamp if necessary.

12.3 Expansion Joints

12.3.1 Expansion joints shall be installed in the insulation according to Figures 3. One expansion joint shall be installed for any straight piping between 4 m (12 ft) and 6 m (18 ft) long, plus one additionally for every 6 m of length or fraction thereof longer than 6 m.

Figure 3 Expansion Joints 

Expansion Joints

12.3.2 Insulation support ring locations on vertical piping that are insulated according to paragraph 12.2 may be considered as fulfilling the requirements of a expansion joint.

12.3.3 Flange, valve, and in-line equipment locations that are insulated according to paragraphs 12.5 or 12.6 (for valves with fabricated insulation or for mechanical flexible joints or bellows) may be considered as fulfilling the requirements of a expansion joint.

12.4 Fittings

12.4.1 Fittings shall be insulated with premolded insulation when commercially available or with mitered piping insulation [1] according to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

12.4.2 The minimum thickness of insulation on fittings shall be equal to that required for adjacent straight piping.

12.4.3 The insulation shall be carefully fitted and secured in place with metal bands [11] for single layers or premolded insulation. Although a minimum of three wires or bands are mandatory on all fittings, it is the responsibility of the contractor to use as many as are required to ensure that the insulation is adequately secure.

12.4.4 All voids shall be filled with cavity fill material [3]. Small openings, cracks, and joints shall be filled with insulation adhesive [6] to give a smooth, even, outer surface.

12.4.5 All fitting insulation shall be protected with a metal jacket according to paragraph 11.2. When prefabricated, proprietary, metal jackets are available, they are preferred; otherwise, jacketing shall be fabricated to suit.

Figure 4 Elbows and Bend 

Elbows and Bend

Figure 5 External View of Typical Elbow With Miter Segments

External View of Typical Elbow With Miter Segments

Figure 6 Equal Tees

Equal Tees

 Figure 7 External View of Tees or Branches

External View of Tees or Branches

Figure 8 Branches

Branches

Figure 9 End Caps or Vessel Heads Up to 900 mm Diameter

End Caps or Vessel Heads Up to 900 mm Diameter

Figure 10 Reducers Concentric Reducer

Reducers Concentric Reducer

12.5 Flanges

12.5.1 All flanges shall be insulated with the same thickness of insulation as the adjacent straight piping according to Figure 11 using the same methods as for straight piping. Any voids shall be tightly packed with cavity fill material [3].

Figure 11 FlangesFlanges

12.5.2 The flange insulation shall overlap the pipe insulation by a minimum of 80 mm (3 in) and 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.

12.5.3 Flange insulation shall be fabricated in two halves from [1] using insulation adhesive [6].

12.5.4 Flange insulation shall be protected with a removable metal insulation box [14].

12.5.5 Spectacle blinds, blanks, or spacers shall be enclosed within the insulation box that shall have a label on the outside indicating their location.

12.6 Valves and In-line Items

12.6.1 All valves and in-line items shall be insulated with the same thickness of insulation as the adjacent straight piping according to Figures 12, 13, and 14. They shall be insulated with premolded insulation in two halves when commercially available, or with preformed piping insulation fabricated in two halves with insulation adhesive [6] using the same methods as for straight piping. All voids shall be packed with cavity fill material [3].

Figure 12 Valves (Preformed Insulation)

Valves (Preformed Insulation)

Figure 13 Valves (Fabricated Insulation)

Valves (Fabricated Insulation)

Figure 14 Mechanical Flexible Joints or Bellows

Mechanical Flexible Joints or Bellows

12.6.2 The valve or in-line item insulation shall be installed in such a manner that it may be removed to provide access to the valves or items for their removal, including the withdrawal of bolting, without disturbing the adjacent piping insulation.

12.6.3 Valve and in-line item insulation shall be protected with a removable, metal insulation box [14].

12.6.4 All valve packing glands shall be accessible for adjustment or repacking.

12.7 Termination of Insulation

12.7.1 When insulation terminates on a pipe or metal projection, the insulation shall be installed according to Figure 15.

Figure 15 Termination of Insulation on Pipes and Metal Projections

Termination of Insulation on Pipes and Metal Projections

12.8 Pipe Supports

12.8.1 When insulation is supported by a saddle or cradle support provided by others, it shall be sealed to the outside of the metal jacket [10] with a liberal coating of Heat-Resistant Mastic [7].

12.8.2 When insulation bears onto a pipe support or structural steel provided by others, the insulation shall be wrapped with sheet metal [17] that is 200 mm (8 in) wider than the support steel. The sheet shall be sealed to the outside of the metal jacket [10] with a liberal coating of Heat-Resistant Mastic [7] and secured with metal bands [11], one at each end.

12.8.3 Hanger supports provided by others shall be insulated as shown in Figure 16 with removable insulation to allow the pipe support bolts to be checked and adjusted.

Figure 16 Hanger Pipe Supports

Hanger Pipe Supports

12.8.4 Shoe supports provided by others shall be insulated as shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17 Shoe Pipe Supports

Shoe Pipe Supports

12.8.5 Trunnion or duck-foot supports provided by others shall be insulated as shown in Figure 18.

Figure 18 Trunnion or Duck-foot Pipe SupportsTrunnion or Duck-foot Pipe Supports

12.8.6 At locations where pipe supports or small metal projections are attached directly to the pipe, the insulation shall be cut to fit neatly and shall be adequately sealed with Heat-Resistant Mastic [7].

12.8.7 All pipe supports, guides, and anchors shall be insulated in a manner generally according to Figure 16, 17, or 18.

12.9 quipment

12.9.1 When commercially available, all insulation shall be applied in a single layer. Multi-layer construction shall only be used when single layer is not available. All blocks or slabs [2] shall be cut to follow the contours with as few joints as possible.

12.9.2 On irregular surfaces such as pumps and turbines, the insulation shall be cut and mitered as necessary to fit the shape and contour of the equipment and all large voids shall be filled with cavity fill material [3]. All cracks and small openings shall be filled with insulation adhesive [6].

12.9.3 The insulation shall be applied dry and without sealer or adhesive. All joints shall be tightly butted together and the long side of each block shall be parallel to the axis of the equipment.

12.9.4 All cracks and small openings shall be filled with insulation adhesive [6].

12.9.5 The insulation shall be secured with metal bands [11] at 300 mm (12 in) maximum centers as indicated in Figures 19, 20, and 21. On horizontal equipment, the longitudinal joints shall not be installed on the vertical centerline of the equipment.

12.9.6 All insulation shall be completely covered with a protective metal jacket according to paragraph 11.2.

Figure 19 Horizontal Vessels 

Horizontal Vessels

Figure 20 Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

Figure 21 Vertical Vessels

Vertical Vessels

12.10 Equipment Insulation Supports

12.10.1 On vertical vessels, all insulation shall be supported on the insulation supports of the vessel. These will be provided as part of the vessel by the vessel fabricator. Refer to 4WEQ-1020 for pressure vessel insulation supports. Welding to the vessel is prohibited. The insulation shall be secured to the vessel with stainless steel metal jacket bands [11] at 300 mm (12 in) centers.

12.10.2 On horizontal vessels, all insulation shall be supported in place with stainless steel metal jacket bands [11] at 300 mm (12 in) centers. Welding to the vessel is prohibited.

12.10.3 For both heads on horizontal vessels and the top head of vertical vessels, all layers of insulation shall be secured with stainless steel metal jacket bands [11] spaced at 300 mm (12 in) round the circumference. Bands shall be fastened to insulation supports or circumferential bands and a floating ring in the center of the head according to Figure 22.

12.10.4 The floating ring shall be supplied and installed by the contractor. It shall be made from 10 mm (0.38 in) diameter (minimum) stainless steel rod, welded shut. The ring diameter shall be a minimum consistent with the number of insulation bands used. The bands shall be spaced to adequately secure all insulation blocks to the head.

Figure 22 Horizontal Vessel Heads and Vertical Vessel Top Heads

Horizontal Vessel Heads and Vertical Vessel Top Heads

12.10.5 For the bottom head on vertical vessels, the insulation blocks shall be supported by tie wires [9] attached to the square nuts supplied as part of the vessel by the vessel. For vessels without skirts, the insulation round the knuckle of the head shall be secured by tie wire to the bottom insulation, support ring. Installation shall be according to Figure 23.

Figure 23 Vertical Vessel Bottom Heads

Vertical Vessel Bottom Heads

12.11 Equipment Insulation Expansion Joints

Figure 24 Vertical Equipment — Expansion Joint InsulationVertical Equipment — Expansion Joint Insulation

12.11.1 For vertical vessels, expansion joints shall be provided at each insulation support ring or shell stiffener except the bottom support.

12.11.2 For horizontal vessels, expansion joints shall be installed in the insulation at every 4.5 m (15 ft) according to Figure 25. There shall be at least one on equipment longer than 2.5 m (8 ft) between tangent lines, flanges, or stiffeners.

Figure 25 Horizontal Equipment — Expansion Joint Insulation

Horizontal Equipment — Expansion Joint Insulation

12.11.3 When only one expansion joint is required, it shall be located at the center of the equipment.

12.11.4 Expansion joints shall consist of a space 40 mm (1.5 in) minimum between insulation blocks filled with cavity fill material [3].

Figure 26 Vertical Equipment Shell Stiffeners Insulation Detail

Vertical Equipment Shell Stiffeners Insulation Detail

12.11.5 Shell stiffeners shall be fully insulated with the same insulation thickness as the equipment.

12.12 Equipment Nozzles

Figure 27 Equipment Flange Insulation Detail

Equipment Flange Insulation Detail

12.12.1 All equipment flanges, bolted casings, nozzles, manholes, handholes, access flanges, and other bolted connections shall be insulated with the same thickness of insulation as the equipment. Any voids shall be tightly packed with cavity fill material [3].

12.12.2 The insulation shall overlap the equipment insulation and shall be installed in such a manner that it may be removed to provide access to the flange and allow removal of the flange bolts without disturbing the adjacent equipment insulation.

12.12.3 When nozzles, manholes, or other bolted connections interfere with the spacing of metal bands used for insulation supports, the contractor shall supply and install a stainless steel ring, 6 mm (1/4 in) minimum diameter, welded shut round the nozzle, manhole, or other bolted connections. The bands shall be fastened to this ring as shown in Figure 28.

Figure 28 Equipment Nozzle Insulation Detail

Equipment Nozzle Insulation Detail

Appendix A Appendix A Installation Quality Assurance Report

Contract Reference Report No.

Description of work inspected to Air Products Engineering Specification 4WPI-INS020

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
Metal jacket and banding correct
No self-tapping screws supplied
3. Insulation application Inner layer banded in position
All voids filled
Outer layer banded in position
Vapor barrier jacket complete and sealed
All other areas sealed with vapor barrier mastic
All pipe supports and projections sealed
4. Metal jacket All insulation covered with metal jacket
All jackets banded securely in position
No self-tapping screws used
Overlaps installed to shed water
Horizontal overlaps staggered
All joints and openings sealed
5. Finishing Labels installed on outside of jackets
Site cleaned and rubbish removed

 

Report by Date

Appendix B Photographic Examples Photograph 1Installation of Single-Layer Thermal Insulation of Hot Piping and Equipment With Mineral Fiber

DO provide removable valve and flange boxes.
DO allow for bolt removal within valve and flange boxes.
DO NOT insulate valves, flanges, or other maintenance items in fixed insulation systems.

Photograph 2

Photograph 2

DO install expansion/contraction joints at correct intervals.
DO support insulation adequately on vertical equipment or piping.

Note: This specification when issued must contain this appendix. This appendix contains color images of photographs. Color printing or copying is preferred for paper distribution. Color copies of this appendix can also be obtained from Air Products, Engineering Standards upon request.

Appendix B (continued) Photograph 3

Photograph 3

DO protect insulation from rain during and after installation.
DO NOT install insulation during inclement weather.

Photograph 4

Photograph 4

DO cover ALL insulation with metal jacketing.

 

DO NOT leave glass cloth reinforcement without mastic covering.

 

DO NOT leave sharp edges of jacket or banding protruding.

Note: This specification when issued must contain this appendix. This appendix contains color images of photographs. Color printing or copying is preferred for paper distribution. Color copies of this appendix can also be obtained from Air Products, Engineering Standards upon request.

Appendix B (continued) Photograph 5

Photograph 5

DO NOT use self-tapping screws to secure insulation.

Photograph 6

Photograph 6

DO NOT leave ledges for water to collect.
DO NOT leave partially sealed areas.

Note: This specification when issued must contain this appendix. This appendix contains color images of photographs. Color printing or copying is preferred for paper distribution. Color copies of this appendix can also be obtained from Air Products, Engineering Standards upon request.

Appendix B (continued) Photograph 7

Photograph 7

DO use bands to secure metal jacket.

 

DO arrange joints in jackets to shed water.
DO seal all surfaces of insulation and seal jacket joints.

Photograph 8

Photograph 8

DO NOT leave gaps in the metal jacket or seams at the top which allow the ingress of water.

Note: This specification when issued must contain this appendix. This appendix contains color images of photographs. Color printing or copying is preferred for paper distribution. Color copies of this appendix can also be obtained from Air Products, Engineering Standards upon request.

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