Timeline: July 2025 – January 2026
An operating polyethylene facility in Orange, Texas contracted Bell Engineering® to deliver a construction-ready design package for replacing an aging steam-traced piping system with a modern steam-jacketed configuration in the wax process area. The existing tracing had reached end of service life, and inconsistent line temperatures were creating reliability problems across the downstream process.
Bell led the detailed engineering scope end-to-end. We built a 3D model of the affected piping, generated the full iso set, and ran stress analysis to confirm that the heavier jacketed assemblies, thermal growth, and support loading would all work within the existing structure. Where existing supports were inadequate, we specified modifications that could be installed inside the plant’s turnaround window.
A key challenge was constructability. The new jacketed pipe had to be installed in an active process area with limited lay-down space and tight congestion around existing equipment. We worked through each spool with the client’s construction planner to confirm tie-in locations, break points, and rigging paths before the drawings were released. Material take-offs and isos were structured to support modular pre-fabrication off-site.
The final deliverable was a complete design package — 3D model, isos, stress reports, support details, and MTOs — ready for fabrication and field install. The upgrade is expected to deliver more uniform process temperatures and significantly lower maintenance intervention in the wax process area going forward.
