COMPLETE REVISIONMarch 2005

Process Industry PracticesStructural

PIP STF05535Vessel Circular Platform Details

PURPOSE AND USE OF PROCESS INDUSTRY PRACTICES

In an effort to minimize the cost of process industry facilities, this Practice hasbeen prepared from the technical requirements in the existing standards of majorindustrial users, contractors, or standards organizations. By harmonizing thesetechnical requirements into a single set of Practices, administrative, application, andengineering costs to both the purchaser and the manufacturer should be reduced. Whilethis Practice is expected to incorporate the majority of requirements of most users,individual applications may involve requirements that will be appended to and takeprecedence over this Practice. Determinations concerning fitness for purpose andparticular matters or application of the Practice to particular project or engineeringsituations should not be made solely on information contained in these materials. Theuse of trade names from time to time should not be viewed as an expression ofpreference but rather recognized as normal usage in the trade. Other brands having thesame specifications are equally correct and may be substituted for those named. AllPractices or guidelines are intended to be consistent with applicable laws andregulations including OSHA requirements. To the extent these Practices or guidelinesshould conflict with OSHA or other applicable laws or regulations, such laws orregulations must be followed. Consult an appropriate professional before applying oracting on any material contained in or suggested by the Practice.

This Practice is subject to revision at any time by the responsible Function Team andwill be reviewed every 5 years. This Practice will be revised, reaffirmed, or withdrawn.Information on whether this Practice has been revised may be found at www.pip.org.

© Process Industry Practices (PIP), Construction Industry Institute, TheUniversity of Texas at Austin, 3925 West Braker Lane (R4500), Austin,Texas 78759. PIP member companies and subscribers may copy this Practicefor their internal use. Changes, overlays, addenda, or modifications of anykind are not permitted within any PIP Practice without the express writtenauthorization of PIP.

PIP will not consider requests for interpretations (inquiries) for this Practice.

PRINTING HISTORYOctober 1999 IssuedMarch 2005 Complete Revision

Not printed with State funds

COMPLETE REVISIONMarch 2005

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Process Industry PracticesStructural

PIP STF05535Vessel Circular Platform Details

Table of Contents1. Introduction..................................2

1.1 Purpose ............................................. 21.2 Scope................................................. 2

2. References ...................................22.1 Process Industry Practices ................ 22.2 Industry Codes and Standards .......... 2

3. Definitions ....................................34. Requirements...............................3

4.1 General .............................................. 34.2 Materials ............................................ 3

DrawingsFigure 1 – Typical Plan for Ladders and

Platforms Attached to Vessel ............ 5Figure 2 – Typical Grating Layout for

Circular Platforms .............................. 6Figure 3 – Typical Splice Detail for Circular

Platforms............................................ 7Figure 4 – Typical Bracket Details for

Circular Platform................................ 8Figure 5 – Typical Vessel Clip Details for

Circular Platforms .............................. 8Figure 6 – Typical Angle Railing Post

Connection Details for CircularPlatforms............................................ 9

Figure 7 – Typical Pipe Railing PostConnection Details for CircularPlatforms.......................................... 10

Figure 8 – Ladder Exit Detail for CircularPlatforms ......................................... 11

Figure 9 – Typical Pipe Railing End PostConnection Details for CircularPlatforms ......................................... 12

Figure 10 – Typical Angle Railing End PostConnection Details for CircularPlatforms ......................................... 13

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1. Introduction

1.1 PurposeThis Practice provides fabricators with standard details for circular platforms forvertical vessels.

1.2 ScopeThis Practice describes the requirements and the design details for fabrication ofcircular vessel platforms including ladders and railing.

Comment: PIP STE05535, a guide for use by engineers who are providing thecircular platforms in accordance with this Practice and for use byengineers who are designing the vessels to support these vesselplatforms, is available on the PIP web site or from the PIP office.PIP STE05535 provides information to engineers about the designbasis of the platforms, circumstances that should be consideredbefore using this Practice, and a table showing the platform designloads for the vessel clips. Table 1 in PIP STE05535 should be usedto check whether the vessel requires reinforcement to receive theplatform loads.

2. References

Applicable parts of the following Practices and industry codes and standards shall beconsidered an integral part of this Practice. The edition in effect on the date of contractaward shall be used, except as otherwise noted. Short titles will be used herein whereappropriate.

2.1 Process Industry Practices (PIP)– PIP STE05535 - Vessel Circular Platform Detail Guidelines– PIP STF05501 - Fixed Metal Ladders and Cages Details– PIP STF05520 - Pipe Railing for Walking and Working Surfaces Details– PIP STF05521 - Angle Railing for Walking and Working Surfaces Details– PIP STS05120 - Fabrication of Structural and Miscellaneous Steel

Specification

2.2 Industry Codes and Standards

• American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)– ASTM A36 - Carbon Structural Steel– ASTM A307 - Carbon Bolts and Studs, 60 000 psi Tensile Strength– ASTM A325 - Structural Bolts, Steel, Heat Treated, 120/105 ksi Minimum

Tensile Strength

COMPLETE REVISION PIP STF05535March 2005 Vessel Circular Platform Details

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– ASTM A569 - Steel, Carbon (0.15 Maximum Percent), Hot-Rolled Sheet andStrip Commercial Quality

3. Definitions

purchaser: The party who awards the contract to the supplier. The purchaser may be theowner or the owner’s authorized agent.

contract documents: Any and all documents, including design drawings, that the purchaserhas transmitted or otherwise communicated, either by incorporation or by reference, andmade part of the legal contract agreement or purchase order agreement between thepurchaser and the supplier

owner: The party who owns the facility wherein the platforms will be used

supplier: The party responsible for fabricating the platforms

4. Requirements

4.1 General4.1.1 All equipment, materials, labor, and supervision shall be furnished, and all

operations necessary for the fabrication of vessel platforms shall beperformed as indicated by the contract documents.

4.1.2 Fabrication shall be in accordance with PIP STS05120.

4.1.3 All safety requirements shall be followed as specified in the contractdocuments.

4.1.4 The platforms, up to the maximum size permitted for shipping, shall bepreassembled in the shop.

4.2 Materials4.2.1 All structural material shall be ASTM A36 steel unless otherwise specified.

4.2.2 Welded steel bar grating shall be used on all platforms with 1-1/4-inch x3/16-inch (31-mm x 5-mm) plain bearing bars on 1-3/16-inch (31-mm)spacing and cross bars on 4-inch (100-mm) spacing. The material shall be inaccordance with ASTM A569.

4.2.3 All bolting material shall be 3/4-inch- (19-mm-) diameter ASTM A325bearing type with threads included in the shear plane, unless otherwisespecified.

4.2.4 Bolt holes shall be 1/16 inch (2 mm) greater than bolt diameter except asspecified.

4.2.5 Railing type shall be as specified in the contract documents.

4.2.6 Unless otherwise specified, all steel platform components and fasteners shallbe galvanized in accordance with PIP STS05120.

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