Guideline for

Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability

(RAM) Analysis
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this guideline is to establish the requirements for
performing a Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM)
Analysis.

2.0 SCOPE
This guideline applies to all projects involved in performing a RAM
analysis.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
The following functions have responsibilities defined in this
guideline:
Client
Project Engineering
Safety & Environmental Engineering
Process
Commissioning
Electrical
Mechanical
Instruments

4.0 GUIDELINE
4.1 General
The RAM analysis assigns failure rates and repair times to the
equipment items in the plant design in order to determine the
expected frequency and duration of plant production shortfalls for
comparison with the target value.

4.2 Define Basis of Analysis

Before the analysis begins, the scope of the work must be defined
and agreed with the client, the Project Engineer, the Lead Process
Engineer, the Project Safety & Environmental Engineer, or other
person responsible for executing the RAM study. At least the
following issues shall be specified:
4.2.1 The target values for availability and/or throughput for the
plant. Such information is likely to be specified in the contract
and may form the basis of a performance guarantee.
Furthermore, the contract may require a test run to demonstrate
that the target values can be met in practice.
4.2.2 References to any national, international, or client
standards that are appropriate to the RAM study for the project.
4.2.3 Precise definition of terms such as plant availability,
uptime, reliability andthroughput.
4.2.4 Units in which the results are to be presented, e.g., on-
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 stream days per year, total output as percentage of demand.
4.2.5 The software package or method to be used for the study.
4.2.6 The plant configuration to be modelled.
4.2.7 Any items of equipment that are not to be included in the
model.
4.2.8 Acceptable data sources.

4.3 Input Data for the RAM Model

Input data for the modelling must be specified. The following data
types shall be considered:
4.3.1 Process Description
The units comprising the facility and how they operate shall be
defined from the Process Description, the PFDs, the P&IDs and
supplier data.
4.3.2 Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
A review of P&IDs shall be carried out to identify those items of
equipment whose failure can contribute to plant shortfalls in
output. For these items, the potentially critical failure modes
shall be noted and the potential output shortfalls determined
from the process description and PFDs.
4.3.3 Failure Rate and Repair Time Data
For critical components in the FMECA, both failure rate and
repair time data shall be obtained. These can come from a
number of sources such as generic databases, e.g., OREDA
(Offshore Reliability Database), client, or supplier data (usually
via Mechanical and Instrument Groups).
4.3.4 Maintenance Schedules
Where necessary, for each item of equipment the frequency and
duration of maintenance activities shall be obtained. Such data
may be obtained from the client or supplier (usually via
Mechanical and Instrument Groups).
Note: Planned maintenance does not always impact availability
as it may be scheduled into periods of no or low demand.
4.3.5 Review Input Data
4.3.5.1 Before setting up the RAM model, the input data may
be reviewed and agreed with the functions identified in
section 3.0.
4.3.5.2 Agreeing the input data before modelling can save
time later because any re-working of the model, due to
disputed data, is eliminated. However, this action can be
postponed until the reporting stage.

4.4 Construct and Run RAM Model

After agreeing with the input data, the modelling process uses the
following steps:
4.4.1 Construct RAM Model
The determination of plant availability is made by
mathematically modelling the plant configuration. Where
practical and acceptable to the client, the company will use
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 RAMP (Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability of Process
Systems), a Monte Carlo simulation computer program for the
assessment of the availability, reliability, productivity, and
maintainability characteristics of process systems. However,
clients sometimes specify other software packages, e.g., MAROS
(Maintainability, Availability, Reliability, and Operability
Simulator). In this case it may be more economic and/or efficient
to contract third party specialists with access to the specific
package to perform the work.
4.4.2 Run RAM Model and Analyse Output
4.4.2.1 Utilising failure and repair characteristics and spares
availability data the program determines 'up-time' and
'down-time' for each element within a complex system. The
program simulates the system over the time period of
interest and, on the basis of the results obtained from
running numerous such periods, calculates the statistical
parameters required to assess system availability, shortfall in
throughput, and down-time.
4.4.2.2 Typically, the RAM model of the plant generates the
following information:
the total output as a percentage of demand;
the frequency and duration of total loss of output;
the frequency and duration of partial losses of
output;
the percentage of time operating at specific
outputs;
histograms of shortfall durations;
contribution of equipment items to shortfalls in
output.
4.4.2.3 The main factors contributing to the unavailability
shall be determined for potential optimisation studies.
4.4.2.4 If the results are below the agreed values, the input
data shall be reviewed and/or plant configuration revised to
achieve the required target.
4.4.2.5 Some equipment may dominate the unavailability,
thus greater attention shall be paid to checking assumptions,
source data, plant configuration, and maintenance
requirements on such items.

4.5 Issue and Review Report

A summary report of the input data, assumptions, model, and
results shall be drafted for review by the client and those groups
listed in Section 3.0.

5.0 REFERENCES
None

6.0 TERMINOLOGY

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Term Definition
MAROS Maintainability, Availability, Reliability, Operability
Simulator, a simulation tool from DNV
OREDA Offshore Reliability Database, an equipment failure
database populated with reliability data from offshore
operations, used for quantified risk assessment.
RAMP Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability of Process
Systems, a simulation tool from W.S. Atkins plc.
FMECA Failure, Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis
Supplier Manufacturer, Producer, or Seller of a specific
equipment/good.

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