Process piping model
Lines modeled with diameter, route, insulation outline, valves, flanges and support positions.
Plant and Process
Plant and industrial scan to BIM for retrofits that cannot afford surprises
Shutdown windows are short and expensive. We model your process piping, structures and equipment as they are today, so new tie ins land first time and the plant restarts on schedule.
Named project lead
Fixed price, fixed date
Service snapshot
What a typical engagement looks likeTypical LODLOD 300 to LOD 400
SectorsOil and gas, chemical, food, energy, water
SoftwareRevit, AutoCAD Plant 3D, IFC
DeliverablesRVT, DWG, IFC, NWD, isometrics
IncludesTie in point verification
Request pricing for this service
No obligation. Most quotes go out within 24 hours.
Overview
In a live plant, a measurement error costs a day of production
Process facilities change constantly. Lines get rerouted, valves get relocated, supports get added. P and IDs stay accurate but the physical layout drifts, and that drift is what breaks a tie in.
We model from scan data with pipe sizes, spool positions and support locations captured as built, and we work in the formats your engineering contractor already uses. Before fabrication starts, we usually run the model through clash detection to confirm every tie in is clear.
- Pipe runs with real diameters, routes and supports
- Equipment, skids, tanks and vessels in true position
- Steel racks, platforms, stairs and access routes
- Tie in points verified before fabrication starts
Why choose us
The tie in accuracy a shutdown budget actually depends on
In a live plant, the cost of being wrong is measured in a closed line, not a change order.
01
Tie ins measured, not estimated
Coordinate and tolerance reported per connection
This is what stops a spool arriving short on a shutdown that cost you a booked crew and a closed line.
02
LOD 400 as a standard offer
Fabrication level detail available on every project
Fittings, valves and connection detail suitable for spool drawings, not just a layout diagram.
03
Shutdown backwards planning
Programme built from your outage date, not ours
Verified data reaches your fabricator with time to spare instead of the week before the plant goes down.
04
Insulation outer face modeled
Both pipe and insulation dimension captured
Clearance decisions depend on the outer face, not the nominal pipe size, so we model both.
What you get
What the plant package delivers
Built for engineering contractors working to a shutdown clock.
Equipment and skid model
Vessels, pumps, tanks, heat exchangers and packaged skids placed in their measured positions.
Structural steel model
Pipe racks, platforms, walkways, stairs and ladders modeled with real section sizes.
Tie in verification
Every proposed connection point checked against the scan with a measured coordinate report.
Clash and access study
Clash testing plus crane, lifting and maintenance access routes tested against the model.
Piping isometrics
Isometric drawings generated for fabrication where the project requires them.
Scope of work
What we model in a plant environment
Scoped area by area so you can start with the zones affected by the next shutdown.
Included in every project
- Above ground process piping and fittings
- Valves, flanges, instruments and inline items
- Pipe supports, shoes, guides and anchors
- Storage tanks, vessels and columns
- Pumps, compressors and rotating equipment
- Heat exchangers and packaged skids
- Structural steel racks and platforms
- Cable trays, conduit and electrical containment
- HVAC and utility services in process buildings
- Access routes, stairs, ladders and handrails
| Scope item | What we deliver | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Piping | Routed lines with size, spec, supports and inline items | Tie in design and spool fabrication |
| Equipment | Vessels, pumps and skids with nozzle positions | Replacement and relocation planning |
| Steel | Racks, platforms and access structures | Load checks and modification design |
| Verification | Coordinate report on every tie in point | First time fit at shutdown |
Working to a shutdown date. Tell us the window at quote stage. We schedule plant projects backwards from the shutdown so verified tie in data is in your fabricator hands with time to spare.
How it works
How a plant project runs
Safety planning and access coordination are part of the job, not an afterthought.
Area scoping
We break the facility into zones and agree which lines, equipment and structures are in scope for each one.
Scan review
Coverage is checked against the scope, with attention to congested areas where occlusion is likely.
Model build
Piping, equipment and steel are modeled by discipline against the registered cloud.
Tie in verification
Proposed connection points are measured, reported with coordinates and issued for fabrication.
Coordination
Clash and access studies are run, then the federated model is handed to your engineering team.
Why clients pick us for this
Shutdown focused
Programmes planned backwards from your window.
Fabrication accurate
Tie in points measured and reported, not estimated.
Live site experience
Used to working around operating facilities.
Case study
Sixty two tie ins verified before a ninety six hour shutdown
Industrial · Rotterdam
The challenge
A food processing plant needed to tie new process lines into an existing piping network during a single 96 hour shutdown window, with no room for a tie in to be wrong once fabrication started.
What we did
We modeled the existing piping and steel to LOD 400 from scan data, measured all 62 proposed tie in points against the registered cloud and issued a coordinate report the fabricator used directly for spool drawings.
The result
62 tie ins verified
Every one confirmed within tolerance before fabrication began
Zero spools rejected
The fabricator returned zero spools during the shutdown
96 hour shutdown held
Plant restarted on schedule with no extension
"Sixty two tie ins, every one within tolerance. Our fabricator did not send a single spool back. That has never happened before on a shutdown this size."
PVP. van DijkEngineering Manager, Process Facility
Questions
Plant and Industrial BIM questions we hear most
Straight answers so you can scope your project with confidence.
Both. Revit suits buildings and mixed facilities, Plant 3D suits process heavy scopes with spec driven piping. We will recommend the right one for your project and can deliver IFC either way.
Yes, where the model is built with a piping specification applied. We confirm the spec at the start so isometrics can be generated cleanly rather than drafted by hand.
Congestion is where occlusion hurts most. We identify shadowed zones during the scan review, request supplementary scans where needed, and mark anything modeled from partial data.
Yes, and it is one of the most valuable things we do. Each tie in gets a measured coordinate, a photo reference and a tolerance note, which is what stops a spool arriving 40 mm short.
Yes. Insulated lines are modeled with both the pipe and the outer insulation dimension, because clearance decisions depend on the outer face.
Related services
Often ordered with this service
Most clients bundle two or three of these to keep one team accountable for the whole scope.
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