3D Modelling/Environment for Plant Design

In todays design world, majority of the project are executed using 3D environment. In 3D
environment the project plant is modelled as per the actual dimensions using a 3D software. In
the 3D software there are applications to model equipments & facilities into the software used by
all different disciplines in the project involving Piping, Equipment, Electrical, Instrumentation etc.
This helps to generate an integrated 3D model including all the facilities involved in the project.
There are various advantages of using 3D environment:

Using 3D software you can model all the piping, equipment, civil/structural, electrical,
instrumentation, HVAC & safety components involved in the project.

The actual plant which is going to be constructed at site is developed at the design
contractor engineering office using a 3D software.

3D model helps the design contractor to conduct timely review sessions with the client
team to check if the design work is carried out fulfilling the below aspect as per project
specification.
a.
Detailed design of plant
b.

Access provision for operation

c.

Maintenance access provided & carry-out material handling study

d.

Erection & installation requirement

e.

Drop object study carried out

2. 3D model facilitates to carry out clash checks for the different discipline involved in the project.
3. 3D model has the facility to extract material take-off for all disciplines form the model which
can be utilised for procurement.
4. 3D model is used to produce Equipment layout, Piping Layout & Support layout drawings
which will be issued to site for construction.
5. With 3D model you can extract isomeric for piping lines which are issued to site for
construction, GRE or Lined pipe vendor for his design & stress analysis.
6. Drawing for individual support for piping, trays & ducts can be extracted for the model.
7. Also from some 3D software, model file for stress critical lines can be generated which can be
directly imported in CAESAR II software to carry out the stress analysis for those particular
lines.
To create 3D model, there are different softwares available. Below listed are some popular ones:
1.
PDMS Plant design & Management software developed by AVEVA PLANT
2.
PDS- Plant design software developed by INTERGRAPH CORPORATION
3.

SP3D-Smart Plant 3D developed by INTERGRAPH CORPORATION

4.

Autoplant developed by BENTLEY

5.

CADWorx developed by INTERGRAPH CORPORATION

6.

Cadmatic 3D plant design developed by CADMATIC

Plant Design And Management System PDMS

An Overview
0

Table of contents:
1. Features Of PDMS
2. How PDMS is organized
3. Different Modules In PDMS

Plant design management system (PDMS) and its related application provides a powerful suit of
facilities for the creation analysis documentation of a real-life plant in three dimensional representation
in a logically interconnected system.
1. Features Of Plant Design And Management System (PDMS)

Concurrent engineering

Controlled catalogue database

Automatic drawing production

Isometric generation

Material takeoff

Report generation

Clash checking

Interfacing with third party software

Project progress monitoring

Customization -PML Programming

Training and maintenance

How PDMS is organized

How PDMS is organised

Different Modules In PDMS
The different modules available in PDMS are listed below:

Monitor

Design

Diagrams

Schematic Model Manager

Spooler

Draft

Isodraft

Paragon

Specon

Propcon

Lexicon

Admin

Modules in PDMS
1. Admin module in PDMS

PDMS Project Administration: The Project is a fundamental concept in PDMS, and all work takes
place within a project. Everything that is defined in PDMS ADMIN is specific to a given project,
although it is possible to read databases in another project.
This module is only used by project PDMS administrator to create piping specification required as per
the project material specification.
The following are the key operation in admin module
1. Creation of MDB
2. Creation of DBS
3. Creation of TEAM
4. Creation of users
5. Access control
6. Replication
7. Reconfigure
8. Communication
9. Backtracking
10. Session control

Admin in PDMS
2. Monitor Module in PDMS

Monitor allows the PDMS user to enter into a pdms project . This is a real life simulation of working
in a controlled working environment . This feature controls unauthorized access to the project and also
checks the user status for access.
This module gives the project information which has been assigned during the PDMS project set up.
The information like Project, Project name, Project code, Project Number is available in this module.
It also lists the different MDB available in the project which can be used.

Monitor module in PDMS

3. Design Module in PDMS

This module has different sub-modules like General, Equipment, Pipework, Cable Trays, HVAC
Designer, Structures, Design Templates & Cabling System. Each of the sub-module is used by the
modeler to model or create a graphical representation of the component required as per design
requirement. There are many general commands and sub-module specific commands which are
available to the user in different sub-module.

Design module in PDMS

Design module screen in PDMS

4. Isodraft Module in PDMS

ISODRAFT can be used to produce isometric plot files of pipes and networks, from either the Design
or Fabrication databases, to your own required standards. These drawings can be used for pipe work
fabrication, as well as during on-site erection.
The isometrics produced can be fully dimensioned and annotated to ensure that you find them easy to
use and unambiguous.
PDMS administrator has to create the back-up project template so that all the isometrics are extracted
in the project required. This back-up template is available to the modeler when he starts extracting the
isometrics using the standard isometric utility.
Using isodraft system isometrics can also be extracted.

Isodraft module in PDMS

Isodraft enables you to do the following
System isometric showing a complete piping network and equipment trim
Automatic spool identification
User defined Drawing Format
Automatic splitting of complex Drawing
Automatic isometric including the associated material list
Standard isometric of pipe zone or spool
5. Draft Module in PDMS

This module is used to extract project general arrangement drawing. Using this module all discipline
including piping, structural, electrical etc. extract all the required general arrangement drawing. PDMS
administrator has to create the back-up project template so that all the general arrangement drawings
are extracted in the project required. This back-up template is available to the modeler when he starts
extracting the isometrics using the standard isometric utility.
Extacting general arrangement drawing using draft module helps user to use annotation & tagging as
required.

Draft module pdms screen

Draft enables you to do the following
View creation
Dimensioning
Annotating
Labelling
2-D drafting
6. Paragon Module in PDMS

Paragon is used to input and modify the component catalogue stored in the PDMS Project Database .It
is similar to the Manufacturers catalogue which we refer while conventional design
This module is only used by project PDMS administrator to create different catalogue, section &
categories required in the project. PDMS administrator also uses this module to create project bolt
table & connection table (Coco table) as per project specification.

Paragon module display screen

Paragon enables you to do the following
Specifying the
Geometry
Connection information
Obstruction feature
7. Specon module in PDMS

Specon is used to input and modify project specification. This is similar to manual pipework which
assists and constrains the designer in the selection of components
Specon enables you to do the following
Specifying the detail text
Pipng symbol
Catalogue reference
8. Lexocon module in PDMS

Lexicon allows the PDMS Administrator to add new attributes to any element in the design catalogue
or the drawing database. Once defined udas can be accessed in the same way as the standard attributes
9. Propcon module

This module is used to construct a Properties Database . The database contains data for use with stress
analysis package and safety auditing of all parts of design.The data structure is designed to provide
information suitable for any stress analysis package if required.

Propcon module in PDMS