Advanced

cladding and
pre-insulation
systems

Neil Smallwood, FTI, UK,

describes systems that can
improve long term integrity
and constructability of
gas and LNG plants.

I
n building gas and LNG plants, the key objectives for
owners and EPC contractors include excellent plant integrity
to give lowest life cycle costs, building the plant with zero
accidents and keeping within budget and schedule. FTI, the
materials manufacturer and developer, has delivered over
1 million m2 of FibaRoll and FibaShield cladding materials,
which significantly help to achieve these objectives.

Plant integrity
Especially in gas and LNG plants, integrity and efficient running
are supported by well designed insulation systems installed and
operating correctly. Unfortunately this objective is undermined
when water is able to enter the insulation and degrade the
performance of the insulation. The consequences of extensive
water ingress depend on the relevant operating temperatures but
include inefficient plant performance, gas boil-off and corrosion
of the steel being insulated - corrosion under insulation (CUI).

CUI
CUI refers to the external corrosion of vessels and piping
fabricated from carbon manganese, low alloy and austenitic
stainless steel underneath cladding and insulation. CUI is a major
problem responsible for many major leaks that lead to health and
safety incidents and unscheduled shutdowns.
CUI is caused by water or moisture being present on the steel
underneath the insulation. The speed of corrosion is affected
by the amount of water present in the insulation, contaminants
such as chlorides and sulfides present, and the operating
Image: Part of the Sakhalin site fully insulated and clad.
temperature. It is generally recognised by oil and gas operators, Cause of water entry
and in publications such as CUI Guidelines1, that the operating Some of the most common causes are inadequate long term
temperature range of -4 C (25 F) - 175 C (347 F) is where CUI sealing at terminations, weak sealing between sheets of cladding
is most likely to occur. A complete analysis of the causes of CUI and damage from foot traffic (see Figure 1) or other sources
are discussed in Corrosion-under-insulation (CUI) guidelines of impact. Corrosion of metallic cladding is common in marine
a European Federation of Corrosion publication. environments and in some areas even 304 stainless steel is subject
to corrosion from purely environmental exposure. In low income
areas simple theft of metal cladding is a major issue.

Non-metallic cladding
As an answer to these problems, FTI has developed a
non-metallic cladding system called FibaRoll, which seals well at
terminations (see Figure 2) and is strong enough to withstand
foot traffic. It is also fire retardant as well as being UV and
chemical resistant. By sealing the insulation system, water entry is
prevented and as a result CUI is prevented.
The properties of UV curing GRP are specified in CINI
and specified for use by a number of the oil and gas majors.
Generally the specification requiring the use of these materials
as insulation cladding is in the cold/cryogenic range from
-190 C - +175 C, which is the uppermost temperature in
the CUI range. In addition to this range of temperatures are
operating temperatures, which normally operate outside this
range but cycle within it. CINI is a partnership of Dutch owners
Figure 1. Damage to ordinary sheet metal cladding from foot traffic and insulation specialists who developed a comprehensive guide
12 months prior to plant startup.
to best practice in industrial insulation called the CINI Manual
Insulation for Industries2.

Fire and smoke

FibaRoll exceeds the properties laid down in CINI, especially in
relation to fire performance notably achieving ASTM E84 15/50
and the Epiradiateur Test NFP 92-501 to M1 standard. These
tests cover smoke as well as fire and when subjected to the
International Maritime Organisations Smoke and Toxicity test
MSC 61(67) 1996 there were no traces of hydrogen chloride,
hydrogen bromide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen cyanide or sulfur
dioxide. Unlike many organic materials, fire performance has not
been achieved by the use of halogens or other substances in
the formulation, which could cause stress corrosion cracking of
stainless steels or hazardous smoke in case of fire.
Although fire retardant, these materials are not fire barriers.
FTI has a certified system with an intumescent coating from
Figure 2. FibaRoll provides a seal at terminations with a bond to steel Akzo Nobel known as Chartek, which gives a jet fire rating when
of over 5 Mpa.
tested in a propane jet fire for the test regime UK Health and
Safety Executive OTI 95 634.

Constructability
Mechanical strength helps to provide long term integrity by
withstanding damage from foot traffic but also allows innovation
in construction methods. Metal cladding is too easily damaged
to allow insulation before erection. However, FTI systems FibaRoll
and the pre-insulated piping system, FibaShield are able to take
most of the damage experienced during construction.
This allows vessels and piping to be insulated prior to erection
(see Figure 3) with the following benefits:
l No damage to coatings meaning less CUI in the future.
l Removal of 80% of labour from site leading to improved
health and safety.
l Improved quality control as a result of insulating and cladding
Figure 3. A 24 in. pipe with 140 mm of poured PIR insulation being in a workshop/at ground level rather than in the field where
loaded from the workshop set up in Southeast Asia to supply a vapour weather undermines quality and difficult access limits control
return line to an LNG plant. by inspectors.

lngindustry.com | Reprinted from Autumn 09

Table 1. Comparison of a traditional system of PIR, mastics and stainless steel 304 to a system using FibaRoll or
FibaShield Pre-insulated Pipe applied to a straight 12 in. pipe with 140 mm of PIR insulation
US$ per LM Traditional FibaRoll FibaShield (including Field Weld)
Material cost
PIR/adhesive/PAP foil 162 162 90
Mastics or PAP 1
124 10 10
Stainless or FRP 97 40 45
Total material costs 383 207 140
Labour cost2
PIR/adhesive/PAP foil 125 125 44
Mastics or PAP 82 15 1
Stainless or FRP 48 22 5
Total labour cost 255 162 50
Total cost 638 369 190
Total hours 17 11 3.33
Notes:
1. Traditional systems of cold and cryogenic insulation use a primary reinforced mastic vapour barrier underneath the metallic cladding. The reason
for using mastic is that PAP foils are easily damaged, especially when working with metal jacketing. When working with non-metallic cladding
materials such as FibaRoll, it is viable to use PAP foils. PAP foils are cheaper, quicker and easier to work with than mastics and provide a better
vapour barrier than mastics by approximately four times.
2. Labour cost is based on an hourly cost of US$ 15/hr. In developed countries where labour costs are higher, savings will be greater.
3. The percentage reduction in man-hours in applying PAP foil/FibaRoll when compared to mastic/scrim/stainless steel increases as the complexity of
the application increases, i.e. savings on the equivalent size of bend/tee/vessel top, etc. will be greater.
4. All options account for direct costs only. The indirect costs of FibaShield Pre-Insulated Pipe production are generally a little higher but this is not
significant as a unit cost on projects over a few kilometres.
5. There are many indirect cost savings with the FibaShield Pre-Insulated Pipe including savings at supports, scaffolding and retouching.
6. With the FibaShield system the insulation is continuous with joints only at field welds/fittings/bends. This continuous pouring system improves the
insulation value over a manually applied jointed system installed with shells by approximately 10%.

l Better control of schedule because pre-insulation does

not depend on other steps in the construction chain to be
completed.
l Simplified design at supports, improving plant efficiency (cold
supports) and removing a common cause of water ingress
(pipe shoes for hot).
l Significant reduction in scaffolding during construction.

l Lower dependence on highly skilled metal workers.

Damage to coatings during

construction and operations
A major cause of CUI is due to damaged coatings. Often this is
purely mechanical damage to the coating during construction
and it is common to have to repair 25 - 40% of coated pipe as
a result of handling damage. If a coating is well specified and is
undamaged mechanically there is a great chance that CUI will
not occur. If a pre-insulated pipe is handled during construction Figure 4. A FibaWearpad placed underneath the pipe to isolate the
rather than a coated pipe, there will be minimal if any mechanical pipe from its support.
damage to the coating. Therefore, pre-insulating pipe has real
benefits in preventing CUI and lengthening the maintenance free
period. construction site often over thousands of kilometres away. If
Another product from the company that avoids coating the cladding system is not well sealed the insulation and steel
damage is the FibaWearpad, which effectively isolates the pipe underneath is bound to be exposed to seawater. Using a well
from its support and prevents damage to the coating during sealed system is therefore crucial if this construction methodology
operation from movement or vibration and subsequent crevice is adopted.
corrosion. This is often the most common cause of corrosion on
existing plants leading to leaks and piping failure (see Figure 4). Economics
Table 1 compares a traditional system of PIR, mastics and
Modular construction stainless steel 304 to a system using FibaRoll or FibaShield
It is becoming more common to build LNG plants in shipyards Pre-insulated Pipe applied to a straight 12 in. pipe with 140mm
remote from the construction site and sail them to the of PIR insulation.

Reprinted from Autumn 09 | lngindustry.com

 Health and safety
Working with non-metallic cladding systems is one way of reducing
minor incidents such as cuts, which occur from handling sheet metal
and especially stainless steel.
Pre-insulation of pipes or vessels in a workshop away from the
job site reduces labour hours onsite and reduces the health and
safety risks.

Training and design

As part of the overall service provided by FTI there is often a
requirement for training, QC/inspection and design to ensure that
correct application techniques are used and attention is paid to the
design requirements of these materials. This can cover application of
tees/bends, etc. to stress analysis on pre-insulated pipes at supports.
Figure 5. The expected foot traffic on an insulated tank roof. FibaRoll
is rarely damaged even under heavy abuse.
Case studies
l In a current project in Singapore, FibaRoll has been used to clad
over cellular glass and PIR insulation materials on several process
vessels horizontally at ground level to good effect (see Figure 6).
Insulating at ground level made it easier to withstand the driving
rain common to that part of the world. In total approximately
300contractors have been trained in Singapore by FTI for work
on this site.
l Pre-insulated pipes have been used for LNG rundown lines for
over 20 years in diverse locations such as Oman, Australia and
Nigeria. Based on the classic shear-key system, FibaShield is fast
and economic to produce. FTI also utilises the system for lines
running at other operating temperatures. Pre-insulated piping is
ideal for construction, expansions and turnarounds to help hit
schedule and minimise hours onsite.
Figure 6. An insulated vessel being transported to the construction
l Sakhalin LNG is one of the largest LNG production plants
site.
ever built and posed many problems, least of all the very cold
winters. FTI supplied over 300 000 m2 to this plant for a range
Avoiding repairs to sheet metal of operating temperatures including hot and cold in conjunction
Although the negative aspect of foot traffic on metallic cladding with PIR or Foamglas (see title image).
is often associated with plants post startup, it is also often a
pre-commissioning problem as well. This not only means repairs and Conclusion
replacement to metal cladding before handover to the owner but These systems are specified by some of the leading oil and gas
also means that often the insulation is wet as well as meaning that majors and supported by a group of professionals at FTI and its
CUI is already underway before the plant is even running. contracting partners. They not only assist in the building of plants
Apart from the negative long term integrity viewpoint, the but also provide support to deliver efficient insulation systems and
repairs and replacement of sheet metal are costs that are often lowest life cycle costs.
borne by the EPC contractor. FTI supplied approximately 250 000
m2 of FibaRoll to a major petrochemical project in China with References
virtually no repair or replacement required. In contrast generally 1. Corrosion-under-insulation (CUI) guidelines by Dr. S. Winnik. European
5 - 10% of metal cladding would have been expected to have Federation of Corrosion Publications Number 55.
been replaced. 2. CINI Manual published by the CINI (Commissie Isolatie Nederlandse
Industrie) Foundation.

lngindustry.com | Reprinted from Autumn 09