PLANT LAYOUT

Assignment 2 - Types of beams, Types of columns, Types of industrial shed, Architectural symbol
and Importance of plant layout

Submitted by:
Chahak Nagpal | Deepali Pandit | Lovely Gupta | Rashmi Dhara | Shikhar Maurya
DFT - VII

ABSTRACT

There are different types of structures all around us. Each structure has a specific purpose or
function. Some structures are simple, while others are complex; however there are two basic
principles of composing structures.
They must be capable of carrying the loads that they are designed for without collapsing.
They must support the various parts of the external load in the correct relative position.
A structure refers to a system with connected parts used to support a load. Some examples related
to civil engineering are buildings, bridges and towers. However, these structures are very complex
for analyze and design. There are so many components which come together to form a structure
like: beams, trusses, frames. In this assignment we are supposed to study building components
like: beam, column and sheds.
It is important for a structural engineer to recognize the various type of elements composing a
structures and to be able to classify them as to their form and function. We will introduce some of
these aspects. And will further explain the importance of plant layout and architectural symbols
used to represent it.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract
S.no
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Introduction
Beams
Types of beams
Beams used in bridges and buildings
Columns
Types of columns
Industrial Shed
Types of industrial shed
Illustrations of common and simple shades shapes
Architectural Symbols
Importance of plant layout (Chahak Nagpal)
Importance of plant layout (Deepali Pandit)
Importance of plant layout (Lovely Gupta)
Importance of plant layout (Rashmi Dhara)
Importance of plant layout (Shikhar Maurya)

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INTRODUCTION

Before jumping in to the details of building elements. It is important to understand what plant
layout is. And what role does it play.
A plant layout refers to the arrangement of physical facilities such as machinery, equipment,
furniture etc. within the factory building in such a manner so as to have quickest flow of material
at the lowest cost and with the least amount of handling in processing the product from the receipt
of material to the shipment of the finished product.
Objectives of Plant Layout
Plant layout planning includes decisions regarding the physical allocation of the economic
activity centers in a facility. An economic activity center is any entity occupying space.
The objective of plant layout planning is a more effective work flow at the facility, allowing
workers and equipment being more productive.
In designing the plant layout taking into account the changes over short and medium terms in
the production process and manufacturing volumes. The main objective consists of organizing
equipment and working areas in the most efficient way, and at the same time satisfactory and
safe for the personnel doing the work.
There needs to be a sense of Unity i.e. the feeling of being a unit pursuing the same objective.
Minimum Movement of people, material and resources.
Movement of materials and personnel work flow should be safe.
These main objectives are reached through the attainment of the following facts:

Congestion reduction.
Elimination of unnecessary occupied areas.
Reduction of administrative and indirect work.
Improvement on control and supervision.
Better adjustment to changing conditions.
Better utilization of the workforce, equipment and services.
Reduction of material handling activities and stock in process.
Reduction on parts and quality risks.
Reduction on health risks and increase on workers safety.
Moral and workers satisfaction increase.
Reduction on delays and manufacturing time, as well as increase in production capacity.

All these factors will not be reached simultaneously, so the best solution will be a balance among
them.
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Factors affecting Plant Layout

The final solution for a Plant Layout has to take into account a balance among the characteristics
and considerations of all factors affecting plant layout, in order to get the maximum advantages.
The factors affecting plant layout can be grouped into 8 categories:

Materials
Machinery
Labor
Material Handling
Waiting Time
Auxiliary Services
The building
Future Changes

BEAM

Beams run horizontally between the columns right underneath the floor. Their main purpose is to
hold up the floor, but beams are also important for holding the building together. They are designed
to handle bending moments, in addition tension forces, compression forces, and shear forces
caused by all of the forces that act on the building.
When a beam is exposed to a moment, it bends slightly, putting the top of the beam in compression
(pushing together) and the bottom of the beam in tension (pulling apart).The concrete of the beam
handles compression perfectly well, but it needs steel reinforcement to handle the tension forces.
The graph below shows the moment acting on a specific beam at each point along its length. In
designing the reinforcement for the beam, we needed to make sure that the beam would be able
to handle everything it needed to.

Beam Moment Diagram

Beam is the horizontal member of a structure, carrying transverse loads. Beam is rectangular in
cross-section. Beam carry the Floor slab or the roof slab. Bram transfer all the loads including its
self-weight to the columns or walls.
Basically, any structure member which cross section is much smaller compare to its length and
undergoes lateral load, known as beam.
In other words beam is a horizontal bar witch undergoes lateral load or couple which tends to bend
it or a horizontal bar undergoes bending stress known as beam.

TYPES OF BEAMS

Beams can be classified in many various ways depending upon the different parameter.
1. According to the geometry Depending upon the geometry of Beam it can be classified in two
three parts.
Straight Beam
Curved Beam
Tapper Beam

Straight, Curved and Tapper Beam

2. According to the equilibrium condition

In accordance with the equilibrium, Beams can be classified in two type.
Statically determinate beam - A beam is called determinate beam if it can be analyze by the basic
equilibrium condition. The support reaction can be found by using basic equilibrium condition.
These conditions are
Summation of all horizontal forces is zero.
Summation of all vertical forces is zero.
Summation of all moments is zero.
Example: Simply supported beam, Cantilever beam etc.
Statically indeterminate beam - If the beam cannot be analysis by using basic equilibrium
condition, known as statically indeterminate beam. The end reaction find out by using basic
equilibrium condition with combination of other conditions like strain energy method, virtual work
method etc. Example: Continuous beam, fixed beam

3. According to the cross section

A beam may have different cross section. The most common cross section of beam are as follow
I Beam - This beam types have I cross section as shown in figure. It has high resistance of bending.

I Beam

T Beam It has T cross section as shown in figure.

TBeam

4. According to end Support

Beams can also be classified according to the manner in which they are supported. Some types
that occur in ordinary practice are describe below.

Simply supported beam

Fixed beam
Cantilever beam
Continuous beam
Overhanging beam
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Simply Supported Beam - It is a beam supported freely at the two ends on walls or columns. In
actual practice, no beam rests freely on the supports (walls or columns). As the name implies,
simply supported beam is supported at both end. One end of the beam is supported by hinge
support and other one by roller support. This support allow to horizontal movement of beam. It
beam type undergoes both shear stress and bending moment.

Fixed Beam - In this beam, both ends of the beam are rigidly fixed into the supports. Also, Main
reinforcement bars and stirrups are provided. This beam is fixed from both ends. It does not allow
vertical movement and rotation of the beam. It is only under shear stress and no moment produces
in this beams. It is used in trusses, and other structure.

Cantilever Beam - It is fixed in a wall or column at one end and the other end is free, it is called
cantilever beam. It has tension zone in the top side and compression zone in the bottom side.
Cantilever beams a structure member of which one end is fixed and other is free. This is one of the
famous type of beam use in trusses, bridges and other structure member. This beam carry load
over the span which undergoes both shear stress and bending moment.

Continuous Beam - It is supported on more than two supports. This beam is more economical
for any span lengths. When we talk about types of beams we cannot forgot continuous beam. This
beam is similar to simply supported beam except more than two support are used on it. One end
of it is supported by hinged support and other one is roller support. One or more supports are use
between these beams. It is used in long concrete bridges where length of bridge is too large.

Overhanging Beam - In overhanging beam, its end extends beyond the wall or column support.
Overhanging of the beam is the unsupported portion of the beam. It may be one side or both the
sides of the support. Overhanging beam is combination of simply supported beam and cantilever
beam. One or both of end overhang of this beam. This beam is supported by roller support between
two ends. This type of beam has heritage properties of cantilever and simply supported beam.

5. RCC Beam
R.C.C. Beam is subjected to bending moments and shear. Due to the vertical external load, bending
compresses the top fibers of the beam and elongates the bottom fibers. The strength of R.C.C.
beam depends on the composite action of concrete and steels.

BEAMS USED IN BRIDGES AND BUILDINGS

Girders - Usually the most important beams, which are frequently at wide spacing.

Joists - Usually less important beams, which are closely spaced, frequently with truss-type webs.

Stringers - Longitudinal bridge beams spanning between floor beams.

Purlins - Roof beams spanning between trusses.

Girts - Horizontal wall beams serving principally to resist bending due to wind on the side of an
industrial building.

Lintels - Members supporting a wall over window or door openings.

COLUMNS

Columns handle mainly axial compression loads, but also may encounter axial tension and bending
moments.
Axial compression is resisted mainly by concrete, tension is resisted by the steel reinforcement, and
moments are resisted by both.
The curves at right show the capacity of the three column types to resist axial force and moment
simultaneously, and the plotted points represent calculated values of axial force and moment for
different loading scenarios.

Moment vs Axial force

A column can be defined as a vertical structural member designed to transmit a compressive load.
A Column transmits the load from ceiling/roof slab and beam, including its own weight to the
foundation. Hence it should be realized that the failure of a column results in the collapse of the
entire structure.

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TYPES OF COLUMNS

Columns can be classified bases on its Shape, Slenderness ratio, type of loading and Pattern of
lateral reinforcement.
1. Classification based on Slenderness ratio
Long Column or Slender [The length is greater than the critical buckling length and it fails by
buckling.]
Short Column [The length is less than the critical buckling length and it fails by shearing.]
Intermediate Column
2. Based on shape

Rectangle
Square
Circular
Polygon

3. Based on type of loading

Axially loaded column
Axial load and un-axial bending column
Axial load and biaxial bending column
4. Based on pattern of lateral reinforcement

Tied columns
Spiral columns

RCC Columns (Reinforced Concrete Columns)

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A reinforced concrete column can be defined as a structural member with a steel frame
(reinforcement bars) composed of concrete that is been designed to carry compressive loads.

Members reinforced with longitudinal bars and lateral ties.

Members reinforced with longitudinal bars and continuous spirals.
Composite compression members reinforced longitudinally with structural steel shapes, pipe,
or tubing, with or without additional longitudinal bars, and various types of lateral
reinforcement.

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INDUSTRIAL SHEDS
Any building structure used by the industry to store raw materials or for manufacturing products
of the industry is known as an industrial building. Industrial buildings may be categorized as Normal
type industrial buildings and Special type industrial buildings. Normal types of industrial building
are shed type buildings with simple roof structures on open frames. These buildings are used for
workshop, warehouses etc. These building require large and clear areas unobstructed by the
columns. The large floor area provides sufficient flexibility and facility for later change in the
production layout without major building alterations. The industrial buildings are constructed with
adequate headroom for the use of an overhead traveling crane. Special types of industrial buildings
are steel mill buildings used for manufacture of heavy machines, production of power etc. The
function of the industrial building dictates the degree of sophistication.
Steel-framed buildings are commonly in use for industrial purposes. They are classified into three
broad categories:
Warehouse and factory buildings.
Large span storage buildings.
Heavy industrial process plant structures.
In the design of industrial buildings, load conditions and geometrical factors will dictate the degree
of complication and hence the economy. The designer should possess good knowledge about the
industrial process or purpose for which the building is intended. In this way, an optimum balance
between safety, function and economy can be achieved. The main dimensions of an industrial
building are usually determined from a combination of functional and design considerations. Its
width is derived first from an owners study of the space required to carry out the processing or
storage operations. The designer then needs to consider whether this width can be provided
economically by a single clear span, or whether multi-bay spans are feasible. Likewise the overall
length is usually readily determined by the owner, but the designer should give thought to the
optimum bay length. Some of the factors affecting the choice are:

Foundation conditions and their ability to accept the column loads.

Crane runway girder considerations
Purlin and girt capacities
Masonry bond dimensions.
Tilt-up concrete panel size and available carnage.

The building height is again a functional consideration, for buildings with overhead travelling Cranes
the critical dimension is the clearance required under the hook. In Hyderabad, there is no snow and
therefore fairly low roof pitches are practicable. The steeper the slope the better the structural
action, but this benefit is usually outweighed by additional sheeting costs. In practice, roof pitches
between 5 and 10 are preferred. These pitches are suitable for any of the continuous length steel
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sheet roofing profiles, some of which are adequate for pitches down to 1.

Building configuration
Typically the bays in industrial buildings have frames spanning the width direction. Several such
frames are arranged at suitable spacing to get the required length.

Depending upon the requirement, several bays may be constructed adjoining each other. The
choice of structural configuration depends upon the span between the rows of columns, the head
room or clearance required the nature of roofing material and type of lighting. If span is less, portal
frames such as steel bents or gable frames can be used but if span is large then buildings with
trusses are used.

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The horizontal and vertical bracings, employed in single and multi-story buildings, are also trusses
used primarily to resist wind and other lateral loads. These bracings minimize the differential
deflection between the different frames due to crane surge in industrial buildings. They also provide
lateral support to columns in small and tall buildings, thus increasing the buckling strength.
Bents: - Bents are generally pre-assembled, either at the timber framing company's shop or at the
construction site. After the basic post and beam structure of the frame has been set in place, the
bents are then lifted and simply dropped into place one by one by the crane. Next, the workers
bring in additional members, purlins, which tie them together and give the frame a more rigid
structure. This process is very safe and efficient as it allows a crew to assemble a large portion of
the frame without ever stepping off the ground. This in turn, minimizes the amount of time that
the crew must spend several stories in the air clambering along beams not much wider than their
own feet.
Gable frame: - Gabled frame structures usually have the peak at their top. These frames systems
are in use where there are possibilities of heavy rain and snow.

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TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL SHED

Roof System
While planning a roof, designer should look for following quality lightness, strength, water
proofness, insulation, fire resistance, cost, durability and low maintenance charges.
Sheeting, purloin and supporting roof trusses supported on column provide common structural roof
system for industrial buildings. The type of roof covering, its insulating value, acoustical properties,
and the appearance from inner side, the weight and the maintenance are the various factors, which
are given consideration while designing the roof system. Brittle sheeting such as asbestos,
corrugated and Trafford cement sheets or ductile sheeting such as galvanized iron corrugated or
profiled sheets are used as the roof covering material. The deflection limits for purloins and truss
depend on the type of sheeting. For brittle sheeting small deflection values are prescribed in the
code.
Roof truss
Steel trusses are commonly used in commercial construction. They are pre-manufactured to order
and are made in an open web design. They are essentially axially loaded members which are more
efficient in resisting external loads since the cross section is nearly uniformly stressed. They are
extensively used, especially to span large gaps. Trusses are used in roofs of single story industrial
buildings, long span floors and roofs of multistory buildings, to resist gravity loads. The advantage
of using steel trusses for building is that they are stronger than wood and greater open space inside
a building is possible. They are ideal for barns, large storage buildings and commercial construction.

A 3D truss model showing arrangement of truss and connection between bays

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In the multispan roofs with spans, heights and slopes nearly equal, the windward truss gives shelter
to the other trusses. For general stability calculations and for the design columns, the windward
slope of wind-ward span and leeward slope of leeward span are subjected to the full normal
pressure of suction and on all other roof slopes, only wind drag is considered.

Lighting
Industrial operations can be carried on most efficiently when adequate illumination is provided.
The requirements of good lighting are its intensity and uniformity. Since natural light is free, it is
economical and wise to use daylight most satisfactory for illumination in industrial plants
whenever practicable.
Side windows are of much value in lighting the interiors of small buildings but they are not much
effective in case of large buildings. In case of large buildings monitors are useful.

Ventilation
Ventilation of industrial buildings is also important. Ventilation will be used for removal of heat,
elimination of dust, used air and its replacement by clean fresh air. It can be done by means of
natural forces such as aeration or by mechanical equipment such as fans. The large height of the
roof may be used advantageously by providing low level inlets and high level outlets for air.

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF COMMON AND SIMPLE SHADES SHAPES

Flat shade

Ridged, multi-gable or
m-type shade

Shed shade

Gable or saddle shade

Gable shade with catslide

Gambrel shade

Clerestory shade

Saw-tooth shade

Tented or pavilion

Gablet shade or Dutch

shade

gable

Barrel shade

Bow shade

Hip shade

Half-hip shade

Rhombic shade

Rainbow shade

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Conical shade

Spire

Gable shade with

Cross-gabled

eaves

building

Onion dome

Welsh spire

Hip and pent hip shade

Trough shade (rare)

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ARCHITECTURAL SYMBOLS
A system of architectural symbols are used to indicate commonly used materials and features that
have been developed over the years. To read an architectural plan readily, you must have a good
un-distending of what the symbols represent on a drawing. It is not necessary to develop total recall
of each symbol, but is important to recognize what material or component each symbol represents
when a construction drawing. Symbols are designed to approximate the appearance of the
material, fixture, or component. There are hundreds of different types of symbols some of the more
commonly seen symbols on a construction plan are the door, window, and electrical symbol.

Typical Door Symbols

Typical Window Symbols

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Typical Electrical Symbols

Typical Plumbing Symbols

HVAC Symbols
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ARCHITECTURAL SYMBOLS
Material

Elevation

Plan

Section

EARTH

COMMON OR FACE

BRICK

SAME AS PLAN VIEWS

WITH NOTE INDICATING
TYPE OF BRICK
(COMMON, FACE, ETC.)

FIREBRICK

LIGHTWEIGHT

CONCRETE

SAME AS PLAN VIEWS

STRUCTURAL

CONCRETE
BLOCK

OR

CUT STONE

OR

RUBBLE

CUT STONE

STONE

CUT STONE

RUBBLE

CAST STONE (CONCRETE)

CAST STONE
(CONCRETE)

RUBBLE OR
CUT STONE

WOOD STUD

WOOD

REMODELING

SIDING

PANEL

DISPLAY

ROUGH
MEMBERS

FINISHED
MEMBERS

PLYWOOD

WOOD STUD, LATH, AND PLASTER

PLASTER
METAL LATH AND PLASTER
LATH AND
PLASTER

SOLID PLASTER

ROOFING

SAME AS ELEVATION VIEW

SHINGLES

OR

GLASS

GLASS

GLASS BLOCK

GLASS BLOCK

SMALL
SCALE

LARGE
SCALE

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ARCHITECTURAL SYMBOLS
Material

Elevation

Plan

Section
CERAMIC TILE
LARGE SCALE

FACING
TILE
CERAMIC TILE

CERAMIC TILE
SMALL SCALE

FLOOR TILE

STRUCTURAL
CLAY TILE

SAME AS PLAN VIEW

LOOSE FILL OR BATTS

INSULATION

SAME AS PLAN VIEWS

RIGID

SPRAY FOAM

SHEET METAL
FLASHING

METALS OTHER
THAN FLASHING

OCCASIONALLY
INDICATED BY NOTE

INDICATED BY NOTE
OR DRAWN TO SCALE

STEEL

CAST IRON

ALUMINUM

BRONZE
OR BRASS

SAME AS ELEVATION
SMALL
SCALE

REBARS

STRUCTURAL
STEEL

INDICATED BY NOTE
OR DRAWN TO SCALE

OR
SMALL
SCALE

LARGE
SCALE

L-ANGLES, S-BEAMS, ETC.

PLOT PLAN SYMBOLS

NORTH

FIRE HYDRANT

WALK

E
OR

ELECTRIC
SERVICE

POINT OF
BEGINNING (POB)

MAILBOX

IMPROVED
ROAD

G
OR

NATURAL
GAS LINE

UTILITY METER
OR VALVE

MANHOLE

UNIMPROVED
ROAD

W
OR

WATER LINE

POWER POLE
AND GUY

TREE

BUILDING
LINE

T
OR

TELEPHONE
LINE

LIGHT STANDARD

BUSH

PROPERTY
LINE

NATURAL
GRADE

FINISH
GRADE

TRAFFIC SIGNAL

HEDGE ROW

PROPERTY
LINE

STREET SIGN

FENCE

TOWNSHIP
LINE

+ XX.00

EXISTING
ELEVATION

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IMPORTANCE OF PLANT LAYOUT

Chahak Nagpal
Plant layout can be defined as a technique of locating machines, processes and plant services
within the factory so as to achieve the greatest possible output of high quality at the lowest
possible total cost of manufacturing. Plant layout ideally involves the allocation of space and the
arrangement of equipment in such a manner that overall operations cost can be minimised.
Plant layout refers to the physical arrangement of production facilities. It is the configuration of
departments, work centers and equipment in the conversion process. It is a floor plan of the
physical facilities, which are used in production.
A plant layout study is an engineering study used to analyze different physical configurations for
a manufacturing plant. It is also known as Facilities Planning and Layout.
Objectives of Plant Layout:
The primary goal of the plant layout is to maximise the profit by arrangement of all the plant
facilities to the best advantage of total manufacturing of the product. The basic objective of plant
layout is:

Streamline the flow of materials through the plant.

Facilitate the manufacturing process.
Maintain high turnover of in-process inventory.
Minimise materials handling and cost.
Effective utilisation of men, equipment and space.
Make effective utilisation of cubic space.
Flexibility of manufacturing operations and arrangements.
Provide for employee convenience, safety and comfort.
Minimize investment in equipment.
Minimize overall production time.
Maintain flexibility of arrangement and operation.
Facilitate the organizational structure.

Principles of Plant Layout:

1. Principle of integration: A good layout is one that integrates men, materials, machines
and supporting services and others in order to get the optimum utilisation of resources
and maximum effectiveness.
2. Principle of minimum distance: This principle is concerned with the minimum travel (or
movement) of man and materials. The facilities should be arranged such that, the total
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3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

distance travelled by the men and materials should be minimum and as far as possible
straight line movement should be preferred.
Principle of cubic space utilisation: The good layout is one that utilise both horizontal and
vertical space. It is not only enough if only the floor space is utilised optimally but the
third dimension, i.e., the height is also to be utilised effectively.
Principle of flow: A good layout is one that makes the materials to move in forward
direction towards the completion stage, i.e., there should not be any backtracking.
Principle of maximum flexibility: The good layout is one that can be altered without much
cost and time, i.e., future requirements should be taken into account while designing the
present layout.
Principle of safety, security and satisfaction: A good layout is one that gives due
consideration to workers safety and satisfaction and safeguards the plant and machinery
against fire, theft, etc.
Principle of minimum handling: A good layout is one that reduces the material handling
to the minimum.

IMPORTANCE OF PLANT LAYOUT

The importance of a layout would be better appreciated if one understands the influence of an
efficient layout on the manufacturing function: it makes it smooth and efficient. Operating
efficiencies, such as economies in the cost of handling materials, minimization of production
delays and avoidance of bottlenecks all these depend on a proper layout.
An ideally laid out plant reduces manufacturing costs through reduced materials handling,
reduced personnel and equipment requirements and reduced process inventory.
The objectives or advantages of an ideal layout are outlined in the paragraphs that follow. The
advantages are common to all the plants, irrespective of age; and whether a plant employs 50
workers or 50,000 makes no difference in so far as the applicability of the plant layout advantages
is concerned. Some of these advantages are:
Economies in Handling
Nearly 30% to 40% of the manufacturing cost is accounted for, by materials handling. Every effort
should, therefore, be made to cut down on this cost. Long distance movements should be
avoided and specific handling operations must be eliminated. A cynic may say that the cheapest
way to handle materials is not to handle them at all. But, in a factory, materials have to be
handled; and therefore, it all depends on the layout.
Effective Use of Available Area
Every inch of the plant area is valuable, especially in urban areas. Efforts should therefore be
made to make use of the available area by planning the layout properly. Some steps for achieving
this end are: location of equipment and services in order that they may perform multiple
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functions; development of up-to-date work areas and operator job assignments for a full
utilization of the labor force.
Minimization of Production Delays
Repeat orders and new customers will be the result of prompt execution of orders. Every
management should try to keep to the delivery schedules. Often, the deadline dates for
delivery of production orders are a bug-a-boo to the management.
Plant layout is a significant factor in the timely execution of orders. An ideal layout eliminates
such causes of delays as shortage of space, long-distance movements of materials, spoiled work
and thus contributes to the speedy execution of orders.
Improved Quality Control
Timely execution of orders will be meaningful when the quality of the output is not below
expectations. To ensure quality, inspection should be conducted at different stages of
manufacture. An ideal layout provides for inspection to ensure better quality control.
Minimum Equipment Investment
Investment on equipment can be minimized by planned machine balance and location,
minimum handling distances, by the installation of general purpose machines and by planned
machine loading. A good plant layout provides all these advantages.
Avoidance of Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks refer to any place in a production process where materials tend to pile up or are
produced at a speed, less rapid than the previous or subsequent operations. Bottlenecks are
caused by inadequate machine capacity, inadequate storage space or low speed on part of the
operators. The results of bottlenecks are delays in productions schedules, congestion, accidents
and wastage of floor area. All these may be overcome with an efficient layout.
Better Production Control
Production Control is concerned with the production of the product of the right type, at the
right time and at a reasonable cost. A good plant layout is a requisite for good production
control and provides the production control officers with a systematic basis upon which to build
organization and procedures.

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Better Supervision
A good plant layout ensures better supervision in two ways:
Determining the number of workers to be handled by a supervisor and
Enabling the supervisor to get a full view of the entire plant at one glance.
A good plant layout is, therefore, the first step to good supervision.
Improved Utilization of Labor
Labor is paid for every hour it spends in the factory. The efficiency of a management lies in
utilizing the time for productive purpose. A good plant layout is one of the factors in effective
utilization of labor. It makes possible individual operations, the process and flow of materials
handling in such a way that the time of each worker is effectively spent on productive
operations.
Improved Employee Morale
Employee morale is achieved when workers are cheerful and confident. This state of mental
condition is vital to the success of any organization.
Morale depends on:

Better working condition

Better employee facilities
Reduced number of accidents
Increased earnings

Plant layout has a bearing on all these.

Avoidance of Unnecessary and Costly Changes
A planned layout avoids frequent changes which are difficult and costly. The incorporation of
flexibility elements in the layout would help in the avoidance of revisions.

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Deepali Pandit
It was during the time of internship when I got to know about the subject because we have to fill
an annexure about the same. Initially, I didnt like the subject but when the semester began and
so as the assignments I realized importance of plant layout.
Plant layout basically refers to arranging things in a manner, so as to minimize the extra
movement. Plant layout is a topic of major concern when you are setting a new unit because it
lets you plan the things very efficiently. Also the technological advancement has not left this area
untouched, there are certain software wherein you can make the plant layout in 2D or 3D and
this visual representation will further help to sorting out the things.
Apart from the very systematic arrangement of things in a new unit, this also helps to improvise
the existing layout. Theoretically, the subject is of high importance but as far as the practical
things are concerned it is not that feasible. It demands high investment and long commitment.
Although the results of plant layout has proven the importance of the subject. Increase in
efficiency and hence, the productivity will ultimately lower down manufacturing cost per unit
and give more profit to the company.

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Lovely Gupta
Plant layout refers to the arrangement of physical facilities such as machinery, equipment,
furniture etc. within the factory building in such a manner so as to have quickest flow of material
at the lowest cost and with the least amount of handling in processing the product from the
receipt of material to the shipment of the finished product.
The efficiency of production depends on how well the various machines; production facilities and
employees amenities are located in a plant. Only the properly layout plant can ensure the
smooth and rapid movement of material, from the raw material stage to the end product stage.
Plant layout encompasses new layout as well as improvement in the existing layout. It may be
defined as a technique of locating machines, processes and plant services within the factory so
as to achieve the right quantity and quality of output at the lowest possible cost of
manufacturing.
Need of Plant layout:
The necessity of plant layout may be felt and the problem may arise when:

There are design changes in the product.

There is an expansion of the enterprise.
There is proposed variation in the size of the departments.
Some new product is to be added to the existing line.
Some new department is to be added to enterprise and there is reallocation of the existing
department.
A new plant is to be set up.
IMPORTANCE OF PLANT LAYOUT:
Plant layout is an important decision as it represents long-term commitment. An ideal plant
layout should provide the optimum relationship among output, floor area and manufacturing
process. It facilitates the production process, minimizes material handling, time and cost, and
allows flexibility of operations, easy production flow, makes economic use of the building,
promotes effective utilization of manpower, and provides for employees convenience, safety,
comfort at work, maximum exposure to natural light and ventilation. It is also 99% important
because it affects the flow of material and processes, labor efficiency, supervision and control,
use of space and expansion possibilities etc.
Plant layout is important for achieving following objectives:

Proper and efficient utilization of available floor space

To ensure that work proceeds from one point to another point without any delay
Provide enough production capacity.
Reduce material handling costs
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Reduce hazards to personnel

Utilize labor efficiently
Increase employee morale
Reduce accidents
Provide for volume and product flexibility
Provide ease of supervision and control
Provide for employee safety and health
Allow ease of maintenance
Allow high machine or equipment utilization
Improve productivity

The possibility of attaining the best possible layout is directly proportional to following factors:
The Weight, Volume or Mobility of the Product:
If the final product is quite heavy or difficult to handle involving costly material handling
equipment or a large amount of labor, important consideration will be to amount the product
minimum possible e.g. boiler, turbines, locomotive industries and hype building companies etc.
Complexity of the Final Product:
If the product is made up of a very large number of components and parts i.e. large number of
people may be employed for handling the movement of these parts from shop to shop or from
machine to machine or one assembly point to another e.g. automobile industry.
The Length of the Process in relation to Handling Time:
If the material handling time represents an appreciable proportion of the total time of
manufacturing, any reduction in handling time of the product may result in great productivity
improvement of the industrial unit e.g. Steam Turbine Industry.
The Extent to which the Process Tends towards Mass Production:
With the use of automatic machines in industries for adopting mass production system of
manufacturing the volume of production will increase. In view of high production output, larger
percentage of manual labour will be engaged in transporting the output unless the layout is good.
FACTORS INFLUENCING LAYOUT
While deciding his factory or unit or establishment or store, a small-scale businessman should
keep the following factors in mind:
Factory building: The nature and size of the building determines the floor space available for
layout. While designing the special requirements, e.g. air conditioning, dust control, humidity
control etc. must be kept in mind.
Nature of product: product layout is suitable for uniform products whereas process layout is
more appropriate for custom-made products.

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 Production process: In assembly line industries, product layout is better. In job order or
intermittent manufacturing on the other hand, process layout is desirable.
Type of machinery: General purpose machines are often arranged as per process layout while
special purpose machines are arranged according to product layout
Repairs and maintenance: machines should be so arranged that adequate space is available
between them for movement of equipment and people required for repairing the machines.
Human needs: Adequate arrangement should be made for cloakroom, washroom, lockers,
drinking water, toilets and other employee facilities, proper provision should be made for
disposal of effluents, if any.
Plant environment: Heat, light, noise, ventilation and other aspects should be duly
considered. Adequate safety arrangement should also be made.

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Rashmi Dhara

Plant layout is the most effective physical arrangement, either existing or in plans of industrial
facilities i.e. arrangement of machines, processing equipment and service departments to
achieve greatest co-ordination and efficiency of 4 Ms (Men, Materials, Machines and Methods)
in a plant.
Layout problems are fundamental to every type of organization/enterprise and are experienced
in all kinds of concerns/undertakings. The adequacy of layout affects the efficiency of subsequent
operations.
It is an important pre-requisite for efficient operations and also has a great deal in common with
many problems. Once the site of the plant has been decided, the next important problem before
the management of the enterprise is to plan suitable layout for the plant.
Many symptoms of inappropriate business architecture appear as layout or material handling
issues.
A properly designed plant layout is an important source of competitive advantage. It can:

Operate At Low Cost

Provide Fast Delivery
Accommodate Frequent New Products
Produce Many Varied Products
Produce High or Low Volume Products
Produce At The Highest Quality Level
Provide Unique Services Or Features

Plant layout is often a compromise between a numbers of factors such as:

The need to keep distances for transfer of materials between plant/storage units to a
minimum to reduce costs and risks;
The geographical limitations of the site;
Interaction with existing or planned facilities on site such as existing roadways, drainage and
utilities routings;
Interaction with other plants on site;
The need for plant operability and maintainability;
The need to locate hazardous materials facilities as far as possible from site boundaries and
people living in the local neighborhood;
The need to prevent confinement where release of flammable substances may occur;
The need to provide access for emergency services;
The need to provide emergency escape routes for on-site personnel;
The need to provide acceptable working conditions for operators.
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The most important factors of plant layout as far as safety aspects are concerned are those to:

Prevent, limit and/or mitigate escalation of adjacent events (domino);

Ensure safety within on-site occupied buildings;
Control access of unauthorised personnel;
Facilitate access for emergency services.

The concept of plant layout is not static but dynamic one. It is on account of continuous
manufacturing and technological improvements taking place necessitating quick and immediate
changes in production processes and designs. A new layout may be necessary because of
technological changes in the products as well as simple change in processes, machines, methods
and materials.
Objectives of Plant layout:
A properly planned plant layout aims at achieving the following objectives:

To achieve economies in handling of raw materials, work in- progress and finished goods.
To reduce the quantum of work-in-progress.
To have most effective and optimum utilisation of available floor space.
To minimise bottlenecks and obstacles in various production processes thereby avoiding the
accumulation of work at important points.
To introduce system of production control.
To ensure means of safety and provision of amenities to the workers.
To provide better quality products at lesser costs to the consumers.
To ensure loyalty of workers and improving their morale.
To minimise the possibility of accidents.
To provide for adequate storage and packing facilities.
To workout possibilities of future expansion of the plant.
To provide such a layout which permits meeting of competitive costs?

Its objective is to combine labour with the physical properties of a plant (machinery, plant
services, and handling equipment) in such a manner that the greatest output of high quality
goods and services, manufactured at the lowest unit cost of production and distribution, will
result.

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Shikhar Maurya
Plant layout is a plan of an optimum arrangement of facilities including personnel, operating
equipment, storage space, material handling equipment and all other supporting services along
with the design of best structure to contain all these facilities.
Plant layout is a mechanism which involves knowledge of the space requirements for the facilities
and also involves their proper arrangement so that continuous and steady movement of the
production cycle takes place.
The plan of or the act of planning, an optimum arrangement of facilities, including personnel,
operating equipment, storage space, materials handling equipment and all other supporting
services along with the design of the best structure to accommodate these facilities.
The problems related to plant layout are generally observed because of the various
developments that occur. These developments generally include adoption of the new standards
of safety, changes in the design of the product, decision to set up a new plant, introducing a new
product, withdrawing the various obsolete facilities etc.
Objectives of a good plant layout are
Providing comfort to the workers and catering to workers taste and liking.
Giving good and improved working conditions.
Minimizing delays in production and making efficient use of the space that is available.
Having better control over the production cycle by having greater flexibility for changes in the
design of the product.
Principles of a good plant layout are
1. A good plant layout is the one which is able to integrate its workmen, materials, machines in
the best possible way.
2. A good plant layout is the one which sees very little or minimum possible movement of the
materials during the operations.
3. A good layout is the one that is able to make effective and proper use of the space that is
available for use.
4. A good layout is the one which involves unidirectional flow of the materials during operations
without involving any back tracking.
5. A good plant layout is the one which ensures proper security with maximum flexibility.
6. Maximum visibility, minimum handling and maximum accessibility, all form other important
features of a good plant layout.
Types of layouts
1. Process layout: These layouts are also called the functional layouts and are very suitable in
the conditions, when the products being prepared are non standard or involve wide variations
in times of processing of the individual operations.

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Such layouts are able to make better utilization of the equipment that is available, with greater
flexibility in allocation of work to the equipment and also to the workers. Imbalance caused in
one section is not allowed to affect the working of the other sections.
2. Product layout: These layouts are also known as the line layouts or the layout by sequence.
In such layouts, the manufacturing cycle is small with minimum material handling. The space
required is small and quality control is easy to exercise.
3. Project layout: Such layouts are also referred to as the fixed position layouts. In these
layouts, the components, heavy materials, sub assemblies all remain fixed at one place and
the job is completed by movement of machines, men and tools to the location of the
operations.
ADVANTAGES
1. Removal of obstacles in production: Plant layout ensures unrestricted and continuous
production thereby minimising bottlenecks in the process of production, this is because
work stoppages are minimum under this method.
2. Economies in material handling: There are direct channels for the flow of materials
requiring lesser time which considerably eliminate back-tracking of materials. On account of
this, cost of material handling is considerably reduced. This is greatly helpful in achieving
desired quality of the end product.
3. Lesser manufacturing time: Backward and forward handling of materials is not involved, it
leads to considerable saving in manufacturing time.
4. Lesser work in progress: On account of continuous uninterrupted mass production, there is
lesser accumulation of work in progress or semi-finished goods.
5. Proper use of floor space: It facilitates proper and optimum use of available floor space.
This is due to non- accumulation of work in progress and overstocking of raw materials.
6. Economy in inspection: Inspection can be easily and conveniently undertaken under this
method and any defect in production operations can be easily located in production
operations. The need for inspection under this method is much less and can be confined at
some crucial points only.
7. Lesser manufacturing cost: On account of lesser material handling, inspection costs and
fullest utilisation of available space, production costs are considerably reduced under this
method.
8. Lesser labour costs: Due to specialisation and simplification of operations and use of
automatic simple machines, employment of unskilled and semi-skilled workers can carry on
the work. The workers are required to carry routine tasks under this method. This leads to
lesser labour costs.
9. Introduction of effective production control: Effective production control on account of
simple operation of this method can be employed successfully. Production control refers to
the adoption of measures to achieve production planning.

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10. Maximum utilisation of machines: It ensures fuller and effective utilisation of machines and
consequently investment in equipment and machines becomes economical.
11. Greater flexibility: Changes in the sequence of machines and operations can be made
without much difficulty. This is because the machines are arranged in different departments in
accordance with the nature of functions performed by them.
12. Scope for expansion: Production can be increased by installing additional machines without
much difficulty.
13. More effective supervision: As the machines are arranged on the basis of functions,
performed by them, the specialised and effective supervision is ensured by the specialised
knowledge of supervisors. Each supervisor can perform his task of supervision effectively as he
has to supervise limited number machines operating in his department.
14. Economies in transformation: As the work is carried at one place and material is not taken
from one place to another, this leads to savings in transformation costs.
15. Different jobs with same layout: Different projects can be undertaken with the help of
same layout.
16. Production in accordance with specifications: The jobs can be performed in accordance
with the specifications given by the customers.

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