TABLE OF CONTENTS Engineering design and documentation activities can be split broadly into two parts: front-end engineering and detailed engineering. Front-end engineering will vary according to the project size and conditions, but in the end, its content must define the project requirements, engineering standards, plant guidelines, and statutory requirements that are in effect at the site, setting the foundation for a successful detailed engineering.
Detailed engineering encompasses the preparation of all the detailed documentation necessary to support bid requests, construction, commissioning, and maintenance of the plant. In the present business environment, the size of corporate and plant engineering staff are generally at minimum levels, so the detailed engineering phase on large projects is frequently given to an engineering contractor or to an equipment supplier. In some cases, the instrumentation and control (I&C) engineering portion of a project is contracted out as part of a larger engineering package that includes other disciplines such as civil, electrical, mechanical, and the like.
Front-end engineering is the first step in engineering design. It defines the I&C requirements and covers the preparation of the engineering data that is needed to start detail design. This phase, from an I&C point of view, typically parallels the preparation of preliminary process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) sometimes known as engineering flow diagrams and the completion of hazard analysis for the process under control.
The hazard analysis is an essential part of the design activities. However, since it is not normally an activity led by I&C engineering, it will not be discussed...
