CEW Features

Technical Article

Challenges in Design and Engineering of Horizontal

Buried Vessels
Horizontal vessel buried inside a pit is one of the very common features of a refinery or petrochemical plant.
However the contractors face a challenge while specifying the requirements of the buried vessels due to lack
of international standards and specifications specifically catering to buried vessels. This often leads to a lot
of variation in design of these vessels resulting in sub optimal engineering. The present article will discuss
basic design and selection issues of horizontal buried vessels, which if addressed carefully by the engineering
contractors in the early stage of development of specification, can go a long way in minimising the changes
during the detailed engineering stage.

A
Review of the Available Design the underground storage of flammable specification related to buried vessel
Codes for Design of Horizontal and non-flammable water polluting is very limited. Hence a design basis
Buried Vessels liquids. covering the following aspects will help
Let us start with the review of the available a. Applicability: Shop fabricated the engineering companies to evaluate
design codes and standards with respect cylindrical, horizontal steel tanks, various design options related to buried
to their applicability and limitations vis-a- single and double skin for the vessels, leaving the actual mechanical
vis horizontal buried vessels. underground storage of water design of the vessel to the applicable
polluting liquids (both flammable design code (eg, ASME Sec VIII Div 1,
1. EEUMA-190: Guide for the design, and non-flammable). PD-5500 etc.)
construction and use of mounded b. Limitations: • Design loads
horizontal cylindrical steel vessels for i.Nominal diameter: 800 mm to 3 • Combinations of various design loads
pressurised storage of LPG at ambient 000 mm • Type of saddles
temperatures. ii.Maximum length to diameter • Location and projection of inlet nozzle
a. Applicability: Is applicable for ratio of 6 • Centre to centre distance of nozzles
iii.Liquids with a maximum on top of the vessel
mounded storage steel vessel for
density of up to 1,9 kg/l and • Number of manways
pressurised storage of LPG.
with an operating pressure of
b. Limitations: The design loads
maximum 1,5 bar (abs) Design Loads
mentioned in cl. no. 4.1.3 of
3. IS 10987-1992: Code of practice Buried vessel shall be designed according
EEUMA-190 neither fully cover all
for design, fabrication, testing and to pressure vessel code applicable for the
the loads applicable to a buried
installation of underground/ above project, considering the following design
vessel nor are strictly not applicable
ground horizontal cylindrical steel loads
for horizontal buried vessels. While • Internal pressure with loads due to
storage tanks for petroleum products
EEUMA-190 does not specifically a. Applicability: Underground/ liquid head during operation and
mention about the buoyancy force above ground horizontal cylindrical testing
applicable on a vessel buried inside steel storage tanks with flat ends • Dead weight (weight of all component
a pit (it only refers to it in appendix for petroleum products parts of the tank and components
as an example), ‘load due to uneven b. Limitations: permanently attached to the tank, such
support by foundation’ (cl. no. i.Design pressure: Atmospheric as internal baffles, internal tank, dip
4.1.3.6), ‘load due to temperature ii.Design temperature: Ambient pipes, etc)
and internal pressure’ (cl. no. iii.Specific gravity of stored fluid: • Partial/ full vacuum due to steam out,
4.1.3.7) and ‘loads due to external Less than 1 if any
explosion’ (cl. no. 4.1.3.9) are not • External load due to sand
applicable for buried vessel. Why Is Design Basis For Buried • Concentrated live loads (eg, loads due
2. EN 12285-1: Workshop fabricated Vessel Required? to pump mounted on top of tank)
steel tanks - Horizontal cylindrical As may be noted from above, the • Buoyancy load
single skin and double skin tanks for availability of generic standard and • Seismic load

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• Loads resulting from connected piping Following three options are available for to meet the vessel RAS (required at site)
and attachments supporting the vessel on concrete saddle date of the vessel.
1. Equipment placed directly on the
Combination of Various Design Loads concrete saddle with steel straps to The projection of the inlet nozzle is
Cl. no. 4.1.4 of EEUMA-190 can be used hold the equipment against buoyancy dependent on the project philosophy
as guidance in this regard. However, 2. Equipment placed on concrete regarding the connection of the inlet
EEUMA-190 does not specifically saddle with normal bracket support nozzle with the connected piping under
mention about the buoyancy force with anchor bolts (as shown in Fig 1 the following scenarios
and the combination of buoyancy with below) to hold the equipment against • Vessel in sand filled pit: Since no
seismic load needs to be reviewed. Since buoyancy leakage of hydrocarbon vapour inside
for sand filled pit the buoyancy load 3. Equipment placed on concrete saddle sand filled pit is acceptable, either
calculation is anyway conservative, the with inverted bracket support with of the following two options shall be
possibility of simultaneous occurrence anchor bolts to hold the equipment exercised
of seismic with buoyancy may not be a against buoyancy. 1. If ‘golden joint’ inside the sand
possibility. However, for open pit the filled pit is acceptable then the
simultaneous occurrence cannot be ruled Location and Projection of Inlet Nozzle projection can be ‘minimum’ to meet
out. Hence, it was suggested to consider Since buried vessel is mainly used the code requirement and shall be
the simultaneous occurrence of buoyancy for blowdown service, the location of provided with bevel end without and
and seismic in case of vessel in open pit centerline of the vessel inlet nozzle flange, as shown in Fig 1 below.
and separately in case of vessel in sand is dependent on the final plant layout 2. If ‘golden joint’ is not acceptable,
filled pit. and piping slope required for effective then nozzle should be provided
drainage. The location of inlet nozzle with flanged end with sufficient
Type of Saddle cannot be finalised till the blowdown projection to clear the vessel pit
Buried vessel can be supported either system layout, in terms of distance of the into the adjacent valve pit. This
on steel or on concrete saddle and each vessel from the further point of release of should be advised by piping. Since
one has got its inherent advantages the blowdown, is finalised. Till the nozzle the projection will be substantial (~2
and disadvantages. A careful review of location is finalised, the nozzle cannot be to 2.5m) suitable bracing needs to
the following parameters may help in ordered (especially when it is of SR type be provided to avoid damage during
selection of correct type of saddle. as the length of the nozzle will depend transportation and erection.
on the location of the nozzle) and till that • Vessel in open pit: Since leakage
As rule of thumb, vessels in sand filled pit is not finalised, the vessel fabrication of hydrocarbon in an open pit is not
are supported on concrete saddle while cannot be completed and vessel cannot as critical as it is in a sand filled pit,
steel saddle is preferred to support vessel be dispatched. Hence, the model review standard nozzle projection with flanged
in an open pit. for the buried vessel needs to be planned end will be adequate.

Table 1: Merits and Demerits of Concrete and Steel Saddles Centre-To-Centre Distance of Nozzles
Parameter Concrete saddle Steel saddle on Top of Vessel
Unlike other horizontal vessels all the
Accessibility Provides better accessibility in sand Finds wider in cases in open pits or
nozzles in a buried horizontal vessel are
filled pits since entire pit need not be where sufficient clearance between
emptied to access the anchor bolts for the vessel periphery and the walls located on the top of the vessel (refer
vessel removal, only removal of sand of the pit are maintained. Fig 1 on the next page). This calls for a
from the top half of the pit will suffice. careful assessment of the vessel tan-to-
However complete removal of the tan length due to the following reasons
sand is required for reinstallation of which are typical to buried vessels
vessel due to the presence of boot(s).
Handling It is a challenge to handle vessels, Easier to handle during transporta- 1. Code required clearance between
which are on concrete saddle, during tion since same saddle can be used nozzle reinforcement pads of adjacent
transportation since separate trans- during transportation with suitable nozzles
portation saddle to be fabricated and temporary extension to take care 2. Minimum clearance required between
properly bolted to the vessel, as may of boots. outside diameters between flanges of
be noted from Fig 1 below. adjacent nozzles.
Interface Supporting and anchoring is more Supporting and anchoring similar 3. Requirement of stiffeners for slender
with other difficult than vessels supported on to those of conventional horizontal nozzles to protect them against
disciplines steel saddles, as may be noted from vessels. damage during transportation, uplift
Fig 1 below.
during flooding, sand filling of the pit

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Considering the fact that combining pump
manway with other manway may severely
jeopardise the maintenance of other
internals (eg, instrument dip pipes etc)
inside the vessel and the requirement of
more than one manway is mainly for above
ground vessel, where increase in number
of manway will not necessarily increase
the length of the vessel, the following
approach may be used as a guide in
deciding the number of manways without
increasing the vessel tan-to-tan length
• 1 manway for general maintenance,
Figure 1. Buried Vessel on Concrete Saddle with Golden Joint irrespective of the length, and
• 1 separate manway for each of the
sump pumps

Notwithstanding the above guidelines,

a close coordination among various
engineering disciplines is a prerequisite
for early finalisation of the selection and
design and minimising changes during the
detailed engineering stage.

References
1. EEUMA-190: Guide for the design,
construction and use of mounded
horizontal cylindrical steel vessels for
Figure 2. Combining of smaller nozzles Figure 3. Vessel Buried in Sand Filled Pit pressurised storage of LPG at ambient
temperatures.
etc, as shown in Fig 1 above. of 1 to 3 above. This may call for increase 2. EN 12285-1: Workshop fabricated steel
4. The project philosophy for covering in the vessel tan-to-tan length required tanks - Horizontal cylindrical single
the pit. from process consideration. Hence, skin and double skin tanks for the
other than Process, Civil department also underground storage of flammable and
While requirement of code is complied needs to be consulted before finalising non-flammable water polluting liquids.
with by carefully locating the nozzles the vessel tan-to-tan length. 3. IS 10987-1992: Code of practice
on the top of the vessel and providing for design, fabrication, testing and
combined reinforcement pads, the Number of Manways installation of underground / above
challenge of avoiding damage of too In the absence of specific project ground horizontal cylindrical steel
many slender nozzles on the top of the philosophy regarding the number of storage tanks for petroleum products.
vessel is addressed by either providing a manways in buried horizontal vessel,
temporary horizontal stiffener connecting we tend to adopt the same philosophy
all the small nozzles (as shown in Fig 1 as is being specified for above ground
above) or by locating two or more small horizontal vessel which is generally
nozzles on a single larger nozzle with a governed by the vessel tan-to-tan length,
blind cover as shown in Fig 2 above. eg, 1 manway for vessel length upto ‘X’
m and 2 manways for length larger than
In order to have easier access to the ‘X’ m etc. This approach results is longer
vessel pit, project philosophy may opt for than required vessel tan-to-tan length,
concrete covers supported on removable as discussed in the previous paragraph, Author’s Details
cross beams, instead of a thin layer of and in order to limit the vessel tan-to-tan
concrete. In case of former, the nozzle length sometimes the second manway is Ritabrata Pramanik
center-to-center distance will be governed combined with the manway for the sump Mechanical Engineering
by the width and number of the cross pump, which is an integral part of these Fluor Daniel India Pvt Ltd
beams over and above the considerations types of buried vessels. E: [email protected]

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