FROSIO InsulationRequirements for execution of work of insulation

Requirements for execution of work of insulation

2023-04-18•Version 0.4

Introduction

Installation of insulation should never start until the surface treatment has been checked and approved, e.g., approved for insulation. Ensure that all surfaces are dry, clean and free of chlorides. If in doubt of the surface condition, with corrosion, or with coating defects, the insulator must contact the customer or the inspection officer for the plant. Before all insulation work starts, all relevant installation instructions, procedures and specifications for the project must be readily available, known and understood. Often, the customer requires an approved IPS (Insulation Procedure Specification) before starting work.

NORSOK M-004 requires all suppliers to prepare an IPS. Insulation shall be installed in accordance to the instructions presented in the approved IPS. Any deviations shall be clarified with the purchaser.

The contractor is normally responsible for controlling the materials when receiving and withdrawing them, available technical and safety information for all products to be used, as well as approval of transport and storage.

The contractor is responsible for ensuring that all material is handled in a way to avoid it from being damaged. The insulation material must be protected from weather, wind and moisture during storage. All damaged material that does not meet the material supplier or customer's material requirements/standard shall be replaced

The material shall be packaged in such a way that no damage to the product occurs during transportation or during normal storage. Always follow the supplier's instructions and guidelines to ensure proper handling of the material.

According to NORSOK M-004 class 1, the following equipment shall not be insulated

Vessel manhole, handhole covers, nozzles and flanges on containers and tanks
Exchanger nozzles and flanges
Valves and piping flanges
Control valves, line valves and fittings, which are to be removed periodically
Expansion and rotation joints, slide valves and similar equipment

Note: exceptions for steam pipelines or when otherwise determined by special requirements or purchaser requirements.

Similarly for Class 6

Flanges and vaults shall only be insulated upon customer request.

Class 7

Flanges shall be insulted, however vaults shall only be insulated upon customer request.

Installation

The inspector/project manager or the person in charge of the work shall be able to point out errors that may occur during the installation of the insulation material, including:

Surfaces (temperature and condition)
Fastening material (bands, adhesive and so on)
Build-up of insulation system
Drainage
Weather protection (shed water, sealing, overlap and so on)

As an inspector, one should be able to explain and assist with solutions of how to rectify defects and poor quality.

1^st layer:

All insulation should be mounted with tight fitting and staggered joints. Openings in the insulation is not acceptable
When using cellular glass, an anti-friction coating shall have been applied to prevent damage to the coated surface. This coating shall be suitable for relevant operating temperatures
Cellular glass is normally no longer glued

2^nd layer or more

When building a multilayer insulation system, care must be taken on overlapping These should be mounted staggered compared to the previous layer with minimum of 150 mm.
Bend segments shall be fit so that all joints are tight to each other without

Bend-segments shall be fit so that all joints are tight to each other without openings.

Termination towards flanges

Termination at flanges shall be coned towards the pipe in order to have as much insulation as possible on the pipe
The distance at the cladding termination towards the flange must be at least the equivalent flange bolt length + 25 mm. The cladding termination shall have a fold on the pipe to avoid any sharp edges that can damage the pipe coating system. An "End Cap gasket" can be a good solution.

Mounting of mats

1 or 2 layers on horizontal surfaces:

Mounting by sewing together mats with either stainless steel or galvanized wire.

1 or 2 layers on vertical surfaces:

Insulation on long vertical pipe stretches should be supported with rings mounted on the pipe with a distance center to the center of no more than 3600 mm.

The width of the rings should be half the insulation thickness. On cold pipes, the rings should be covered with at least 30 mm insulation to avoid transfer from cold media.

Installation of cladding on pipes

Metal capsules for pipes and pipe parts should be rolled and end shrinked the longitudinal The round joint should be shrunk 50 mm from the end, when possible
Round joints shall be overlapped with 50 mm
Longitudinal joints with external diameters up to and including 150 mm shall be overlapped with 30 mm
For the outside diameter above 150 mm, the overlap shall be 50 mm
All joints on the metal capsule should have sealing in the overlaps
Longitudinal joints or joints on metal capsules on horizontal pipelines, or pipelines with fall, shall be located no more than at a 60 degree angle from the lowest point on the circumference.

Straight capsule

Corrosion resistant steel capsule for pipes and containers/tanks with DN 250 or less, shall have at least a thickness of 0,5 mm. For dimensions over DN 250 to DN 900 mm, the plate thickness shall be 0,7 mm. For dimensions larger than DN 900, the thickness shall be 0.9 mm.
The capsule must be terminated with end bottom and gasket against pipes/equipment, and with sealant.

Drainage on horizontal pipes and bends

Mounting cladding on tanks

For tanks and vessels with diameter < 1500 mm shall be insulated as pipes
For metal cladding on vessels and tanks, the ends shall be swaged and overlapped with minimum 75 mm for both longitudinal and round joints. For insulation of systems with operating temperatures over 180°C, the overlap shall be 100 mm.
Z-clips shall be used on vertical tanks to obtain stability and to avoid sagging of the panel.

Support rings on horisontal tanks

Overlap of joints, vertical and horisontal

Valve and flange boxes

Valves/flange boxes should be made so that it sheds liquid and moisture ingress
Tightening band shall be used when valve or flange is mounted 2.5 m above deck
The drainage should be installed at the lowest point in the box
For class 2 and class 9, drainage should only be in capsule, and not penetrate to the pipe.
Class 5 drainage should be tested and approved.

Prefabricated boxes shall have adjustable ex-center locks with minimum tensile strength of 900 N.

Mounting of tape systems

Non-metallic weather protection can be used instead of metallic cladding for all classes except Class 5
Installation of non-metallic weather protection shall be in accordance with the Manufacturer's recommendation
Termination towards pipes with operating temperature higher than that non-metallic weather protections maximum temperature shall be with metallic cladding of sufficient length to avoid overheating of the non-metallic weather protection.

Mounting of insulation jackets

The outer layer of the insulating jacket shall prevent water ingress to the insulation material
The material should be suitable for use at the operating temperature of the process equipment, and shall have an appropriate wear resistance that can withstand frequent handling and normal wear and tear.
The jacket shall be tested for flame spread in accordance with IMO Resolution A653 for self-extinguishing properties and be in accordance with IMO Resolution MSC 41 for smoke and toxic gases
The seams of the insulation jackets shall be waterproof and there should be drainage holes located at the jackets lowest point
The number of drainage holes may depend on the size and design of the jacket

Each part of an insulation jacket or prefabricated box should be equipped with an identification sign containing the following information:

Supplier name
Line number
Equipment number (when relevant)
Insulation jacket or prefabricated box number
Construction requirements (insulation class, fire requirements, and so on)

Heat tracing

All heating tracing on pipes, flanges, valves and equipment must be covered with aluminium foil
The thickness of the foil should be at least 45μm
Where heating cables pass through the capsule, edge protection ("banana") shall be installed to prevent damage to the cable. Sealant shall be applied to avoid water penetration.
The temperature of the heating cable must be clarified before determining the type for insulation of instrument piping.

Waterway (roof tile principle)

The main cause for corrosion under insulation is water penetration into the insulation material. A humid corrosive environment occurs on the pipe surface. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the weather protection is waterproof when installing cladding and that the cladding sheds water to avoid ingress. Water must run off the cladding and not into it.

Vertical pipelines shall be designed in a way that the upper part that prevents water penetration.

The longitudinal joints of the metal cladding on horizontal pipelines, or pipelines with fall, shall be located at a maximum of 60 degree angle from the lowest point on the perimeter. All joints on the metal cladding shall be sealed in overlaps.

As a general rule, the cladding shall be terminated fold and a gasket that prevents water penetration and galvanic corrosion. This termination shall be secured with a band.

Example of correct waterway

Example of build-up of pipe insulation in Norsok M-004

Class 1: Heat conservation (10˚C til 150˚C )

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Cellular glass 120 kg/m³
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
3	SS316 weather protection
4	SS316 band, 4 per meter

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage shall penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole shall be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding is installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system must be supported with rings with a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Suitable sealer.

Class 1: Heat conservation 150˚C < temperature ≤ 200˚C with distance holders

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Teflon holder with length 8-25 mm, cc = 500 mm
2	Perforated aluminium panel with 0,7 mm thickness
3	Mineral wool minimum 105 kg/m³
4	SS316 weather protection
5	SS316 band, 4 per meter. On mineral wool segments steel wire can be used

Note

With insulation thickness > 100 mm, the insulation should be mounted in 2 layers
Mineral wool pipe segments with shall be used. density 120 kg/m³
DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There shall be a drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before the insulation and cladding is installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
This solution can also be used on temperatures less than 150 degrees.

Class 1: Heat conservation over 200˚C

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Mineral wool minimum 105 kg/m³
2	Band, cc distance 275 mm. Steel wire can be used on small dimensions
3	SS316 weather protection
4	SS316 band, 4 per meter

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating

VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with ring with a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm

SEALING: Suitable sealer

Class 2: Cold conservation

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ _.First layer shal have anti-abrasive coating on the inside of the segment, the rest without.
2	Sealer suitable for ≤10 °C of type Nitoseal SC N
3	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm.
4	Vapour barrier, self-adhesive aluminium foil with 0,045 mm thickness and minimum overlap 50 mm.
5	25 mm AES fiber, only to protect vapour barrier. Joints shall be sealed with 50 mm wide alumium tape.
6	SS316 weather protection
7	SS316 band, 4 per meter

Note

VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALER: Cellular glass shall be sealed in all joints at temperatures ≤10°C
VAPOUR BARRIER: The maximum length of rivets and screws used for systems with vapour barrier is 10 mm. A 25 mm layer of AES fiber shall be used to protect the vapour barrier. On areas where vapour barrier (foil) is difficult to apply, Mastic shall be used on the outside of the insulation. The Mastic shall overlap the aluminium foil with minimum 50 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer.

Class 3: Personnel protection on pipe dimensions >DN100 (4”)

SS316 perforated panel: Hole diameter: 5 mm cc 8 mm and thickness 0,9 mm

Notat
If the surface temperature is below -10 °C or above +70 °C, and with a vertical distance of 2,1 m and 0,8 m horizontally from walkways and normally accessible areas shall be shielded. Insulation shall only be used where the temperature is above 150°C.

Class 4: Frost protection over 10˚C without heat tracing

No.	Insulation build-up
1	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on inside
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
3	SS316 weather protection
4	SS316 bands, 4 per meter

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer
Systems with operating temperatures below 10°C shall be insulated as cold conservation class 2 or 9.

Class 4: Over 10˚C with heat tracing

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Heat tracing installed by electrician prior to mounting the insulation
2	Aluminium foil with thickness 0,0045 mm. PVC coated that can be used up to 80°C
3	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
4	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
5	SS316 weather protection
6	SS316 bands, 4 per meter

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer
Systems with operating temperatures below 10 °C shall be insulated as cold conservation class 2 or 9.

Class 5: Fire protection, Jet 60 and HC 60. 400°C

No.	Insulation build-up
1	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
3	25 mm AES fiber 128kg/m³, water-repellent with aluminium foil. Joints are sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape
4	SS316 weather protection
5	SS316 bands, 4 per meter

Note

DRAINAGE: The solution shall be approved for fire and shall penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole shall be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer

Class 6: Acoustic insulation (10 dB)

No.	Insulation build-up
1	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
3	25 mm AES fiber 128 kg/m³, water-repellant with aluminium foil. Joints are sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape
4	SS316 bands, 4 per meter
5	SS316 weather protection

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating

VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer

Class 7: Acoustic insulation (20 dB)

No.	Insulation build-up
1	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm. Both layers with synthetic mat shall be secured with fiber glass tape.
3	25 mm AES fiber 128 kg/m³, water reppelling with aluminium foil. Joints sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape.
4	2 layer heavy synthetic mat (Noisestop Revac BM0070), minimum 6 kg/m².
5	SS316 band, 4 pr meter
6	SS316 weather protection, see chapter 10 for details.

Notes

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating.
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer

Class 8: Acoustic insulation (30 dB)

No.	Insulation build-up
1	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
2	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm. Both layers of synthetic mat shall be secured with tape
3	2 layers heavy synthetic soundproofing mat, minimum 6 kg/m².
4	25 mm AES fiber 128 kg/m³, water-repellant with aluminium foil. Joints are sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape
5	SS316 bands, 4 per meter mounted on outside last layer of synthetic mat
6	SS316 weather protection

Note

DRAINAGE: The insulation on horizontal pipes shall have drainage holes Ø15 mm, and the drainage should penetrate the entire insulation system. There should be at least one drainage hole for every 2 meters, and in all low-lying areas. The drain hole should be pre-drilled before insulation and cladding are installed to avoid damage to the substrate and/or paint or coating
VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
SEALING: Use suitable sealer

Class 9: Condensation

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Cellular glass 120 kg/ ³with anti-abrasive coating on the inside of first layer
2	Sealer suitable ≤10˚C Nitoseal SC N
3	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
4	Vapour barrier, self-adhesive aluminium foil with thickness minimum 0,045 mm. Minimum 50 mm overlap.
5	25 mm AES fiber to protect vapour barrier. Joints shall be sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape
6	SS316 weather protection
7	SS316 bands, 4 per meter mounted on outside last layer of synthetic mat

Note

VERTICAL STRETCHES: On long vertical stretches, the insulation system shall be supported with rings of a width equal to half the insulation thickness and with cc maximum = 3600 mm
VAPOUR BARRIER: The maximum length of rivets and screws used for systems with vapour barrier is 10 mm. A 25 mm layer of AES fiber shall be used to protect the vapour barrier. On areas where vapour barrier (foil) is difficult to apply, Mastic shall be used on the outside of the insulation. The Mastic shall overlap the aluminium foil with minimum 50 mm
SEALING: Cellular glass shall be sealed with suitable sealer in all joints at temperatures ≤10°C
SEALING: Use suitable sealer

Instrument tubing

Instrument tubing shall be insulated like any other pipe. FEF can be used for thermal insulation on instrument tubes up DN 32. For other insulation and FEF, see below.

Where it is not practically possible to do cladding on FEF, a FEF with pre-applied rubber weather protection can be used. The adhesive must be approved by the purchaser.

No.	Insulation build-up
1	FEF from -50°C to 80°C.
2	SS316 weather protection
3	SS316 bands, 4 per meter
4	High temperature FEF -50°C to 80°C.
5	Mineral wool min. 95 kg/m³ or AES-fiber over 150°C.
6	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
7	Suppliers pre-applied rubber weather protection. Must be glued in joints with supplier approved adhesive.

Note

Instrument tubes to be insulated must be attached to separate cable lugs to ensure that there is sufficient space for insulation. If these are not installed, the entire cable bridge must have cladding.

Instrument tubes larger than DN 32 shall be insulated as pipes in accordance to applicable class. Heat tracing temperature must be clarified prior to specifying the insulation to be used on the tubing. The cable dimension must be taken into consideration during design.

Combination classes

The below guidelines for insulation systems where the insulation system has more than one purpose. Two numbers in the line number of P&ID indicates insulation class, while the insulation symbol will show the insulation material and thickness.

Class 1 is shown as "01" and so on. Insulation system of class 1 and class 5 shall be identified by two numbers "15" in the line number. For combination classes that contain acoustic insulation, the valves and flanges of class 6 and valves for class 7 are normally not insulated. Any non-conformance to this is found in P&ID. Valves and flanges shall always be insulated in class 8. Class 5 shall always be the outmost layer in combination classes.

Examples of combination classes for frost protection (over 0°C and fire protection Jet 60 and HC 60-400°C)

No.	Insulation build-up
1	Heat tracing, installed by electrician prior to mounting the insulation
2	Aluminium foil with thickness 0,0045 mm. PVC coated that can be used up to 80˚C
3	40 mm Cellular glass 120 kg/m³ with anti-abrasive coating on the inside
4	Fiber glass tape 12 mm width, cc distance 275 mm
5	25 mm AES fiber 128kg/m³, water-repellant with aluminium foil. Joints are sealed with 50 mm wide aluminium tape.
6	SS316 bands, 4 per meter
7	SS316 weather protection

Drainage

All insulation classes with the exception of class 2, 9 and 4 (under 10˚C) shall have 15 mm drainage holes on horizontal stretches. The drainage shall penetrate the entire insulation system. Minimum drainage holes every 2 meters and in all low-lying areas. For Insulation class 5, drainage holes must be approved for fire. All weather protection shall be secured with bands of SS316, 4 per meter.

Examples of typical defects that cause water penetration into insulation system