Q. What are the role of Roads in design of a plant?

Roads are an important part of the design of a plant, as they provide access and separation during normal operation as well as emergency access.

Consideration to the following needs to be given:

• Primary roads have unrestricted traffic. They shall have sufficient horizontal and vertical clearance to permit the unobstructed travel of major vehicles.

• Secondary roads are those between process units used mainly for maintenance and turnaround activities, and firefighting access.

• Car parking areas including access both to and from the property onto the public roadway system. Some plants require frequent regular road movement of feedstock/intermediates (e.g. movement of bulk solids from marine unloading to storage yard, and movement of molten aluminum from pot lines to a casting house). These roads may either be part of the primary road system or a separate dedicated road system.

Additional access ways shall be provided for controlled traffic as follows:

• To all heavy equipment that may require periodic removal for maintenance.

• To reactors as needed to permit catalyst transfer vehicles to reach the area near catalyst unloading nozzles.

• At compressors as needed to permit vehicles such as flatbed trucks to enter a dropout area and remove components via mobile equipment or permanent handling facilities.

• Under pipe racks/conveyors as needed to permit crane access for routine maintenance and removal of equipment.

• To outlying areas, storage and load-out areas.

• Around the site perimeter with at least two access points to public roads.

• Around other equipment as required for maintenance.