Weight Management Considerations for Onshore Modularized Petrochemical Facilities

Modular construction is a well-proven technique for the North Slope of Alaska and the offshore petrochemical industry and is often preferred because of site conditions. Modularization is not a technique generally associated with conventional land-based petrochemical facilities, but certain project conditions, such as limited manpower availability and severe weather conditions, can make it the best construction execution method to achieve cost savings. Structural engineering for modular structures is more complex than for conventional structures due to requirements associated with transport, handling, and final placement of complete modules or major sub-assemblies. A primary source of the additional complexity is the need for structural engineers to participate in the Weight Management process. Determination of module weight and Center-of-Gravity (COG) location is a key component of the Weight Management process. This paper provides an overview of the Weight Management process and presents a structural engineer's roles in this process. An implementation example is provided to show how the weight control data is generated by the weight reporting scheme to be used to assist project planning and management, specifically in material procurement and transportation logistics planning.