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Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS

Section 3112F

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO MARINE

TERMINALS THAT TRANSFER LNG

3112F.1 Purpose and applicability.

Section 3112F provides minimum requirements specific to onshore marine terminals that transfer LNG. Sections 3101F through 3111F are also applicable, as appropriate. Offshore marine terminals that transfer LNG are subject to a case-by-case review and approval by the Division.

3112F.2 Risk and Hazards Analyses.

1. Prior to LNG transfer at marine terminal, a hazards identification exercise shall be carried out to isolate potential internal and external events that may cause a spill and/or impact to public health, safety and the environment.

2. Hazards analysis shall consider every component, part of a structure, equipment item, and system, whose fail- ure could cause a major accident, result in unaccept- able incident escalation beyond the design basis, or adversely affect the potential for the passive and active systems to control or shutdown the facility. Safety Crit- ical Components and Safety Critical Systems shall be identified.

3. Consequence models shall be developed for credible scenarios to identify Lower Flammability Limit (LFL) hazard regions. Release diameters shall include, at a minimum, 3mm, 10mm and 50 mm sizes. Scenarios involving the marine loading arms shall consider a full bore release.

4. Consequence models shall develop radiant heat zones from jet and pool fires for the 25 kW/m 2 , 12.5 kW/m 2 , 5 kW/m 2 and 1.6 kW/m 2 thermal endpoints.

5. A Cryogenic Exposure Analysis (CEA) shall be con- ducted to identify equipment and structures susceptible to cryogenic spray and pool exposure due to LNG releases from different size holes.

6. A Facility Essential Systems Survivability Assessment (ESSA) shall be conducted to determine the survivabil- ity of the Safety Critical Components.

7. Impact on Safety Critical Components and Systems shall be mitigated.

3112F.3 Specific berthing and mooring considerations.

In addition to the minimum design requirements for berthing and mooring in Sections 3103F, 3105F and 3107F of this code, the following shall be satisfied:

1. Wind force and moment coefficients for LNG vessels shall be used in accordance with Appendix A of OCIMF MEG 3 [12.1], as appropriate.

2. The limiting environmental criteria for which the LNG carrier may safely remain berthed at the terminal shall be determined using dynamic mooring analysis.

3. Real time monitoring and recording of environmental conditions including wind, current and waves shall be conducted to assist in mooring system management.

4. Vessel hull pressure shall be considered in fender anal- yses and design.

3112F.4 Fire protection.

A Fire and Explosion Hazard Anal- ysis (FEHA) for potential pool fires, jet fires and flash fires, considering LNG releases from different size holes, as speci- fied in Section 3112F.2, shall be conducted and result in rec- ommendations regarding:

1. Type, quantity and location of fire and gas detection devices to detect potential fires and/or gas releases in a specified time frame

2. Fire suppression coverage, including fixed and porta- ble systems, and equipment necessary to allow the design scenarios to be mitigated and/or extinguished

3. Design application rates for required fire protection systems

4. Firefighting requirements, including an analysis of the capability of response by other facilities, USCG and federal, state and local agencies Critical structural supports and equipment within the fire exposed areas identified in the FEHA shall be provided with passive fire protection designed for the duration identified in the analysis.

Emergency shutdown (ESD) systems shall be provided, in accordance with API RP 14C [12.2] and Section 12.3 of NFPA 59A [12.3], to shut down the flow of LNG to/from the terminal and shut down equipment whose continued opera- tion could add to or prolong an emergency event.

The ESD system shall be of a failsafe design or shall be otherwise installed, located or protected to minimize the pos- sibility that it becomes inoperative in the event of an emer- gency or failure at the primary control system. ESD system components that may be exposed to fire effects shall be evalu- ated to confirm that the actuator operation will not be impaired.

3112F.5 LNG pipelines.

1. All pipe specified for use in cryogenic service shall be furnished in accordance with Paragraph 323.2.2A and Table A-1 of ASME B31.3 [12.4]. The extreme thick- ness of insulation on cryogenic piping shall be taken into consideration during piping design.

2. All piping materials, including gaskets and thread com- pounds, shall be selected appropriate to the range of temperatures to which subjected. Piping that may be exposed to the low temperature of LNG or to the heat of an ignited spill, during an emergency where such expo- sure could result in a failure of the piping, shall comply with at least one of the following:

(a) Made of material(s) that can withstand both the

normal operating temperature and extreme

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

MARINE OIL TERMINALS

temperature to which the piping may be sub- jected during the emergency

(b) Protected by insulation or other means to delay

failure due to extreme temperatures until cor- rective action can be taken by the operator.

(c) Capable of being isolated and having the flow

stopped where piping is exposed only to the heat of an ignited spill during the emergency

3. LNG pipelines shall be designed for cool-down with liquid nitrogen where the use of LNG is not possible.

4. All LNG drains should be located within a containment area or piped to a collection system or containment area.

5. LNG lines shall be analyzed for a start-up case where the top of the pipe is 90 degrees F warmer than the bot- tom of the pipe. The upward bowing of the pipe shall be limited to 1.25 inches.

6. Pipe supports, including any insulation systems used to support pipe whose stability is essential, shall be resis- tant to or protected against fire exposure, escaping cold liquid, or both if they are subject to such exposure.

7. Pipe supports for cold lines shall be designed to mini- mize excessive heat transfer, which can result in piping failure by ice formations or embrittlement of support- ing steel. If icing up of piping and components is unavoidable, the weight of the accumulated ice shall be considered during piping and support design.

8. Valves shall comply with ASME B31.5 [12.5].

9. Cryogenic valves in liquid cryogenic service shall not be installed in vertical lines. Valves in liquid cryogenic service shall be installed in horizontal lines with the stem in the vertical position or at least 45 degrees verti- cally from the horizontal centerline of the pipe.

10. All cryogenic valves (except butterfly valves, check valves and globe valves) shall have a body cavity relief to the “safe” side of the valve. All cryogenic valves with a body cavity relief shall be marked on the exterior of the body with a letter “V” and an arrow pointing to the direction of the venting side.

11. Thermal relief valves shall be installed to protect the equipment and piping from over pressuring as a result of ambient heat input to blocked in LNG or other light hydrocarbon liquids.

12. Cryogenic subsea pipeline designs shall be qualified by a certifying agency, acceptable to the Division, in a qualification program that demonstrates that the sys- tem has been designed, fabricated and can function as intended with safeguards provided as determined to be necessary.

3112F.6 Mechanical components and systems.

1. The CEA analysis shall be used to recommend accept- able cryogenic exposure durations for Safety Critical Components to produce CEA drawings.

2. ESD system components, which are exposed to cryo- genic effects, shall be evaluated to confirm that the actuators will not be impaired by the potential expo- sures, thereby preventing the components from failing to a safe position.

3. Critical structural supports and equipment within the cryogenically exposed areas shall be provided with cryogenic insulation. The cryogenic insulation and pas- sive fire protection shall be designed for sufficient inci- dent duration.

4. For marine loading arms in LNG service, ice formation on non-insolated arms and hoses must be taken into account. Mechanisms for venting, apex venting, purg- ing and cool down of the marine loading arms shall be identified on the P&IDs.

5. Areas beneath marine arms shall have restricted access during and after product transfer, until there is no lon- ger danger of falling ice.

3112F.7 References.

[12.1] Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), 2008, “Mooring Equipment Guidelines (MEG3),” 3rd ed., London, England.

[12.2] American Petroleum Institute (API), 2001 (Reaf-

firmed 2007), API Recommended Practice 14C (API RP 14C), “Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation, and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production Platforms,” 7th ed., Washington, D.C.

[12.3] National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 2012,

NFPA 59A, “Standard for the Production, Storage, and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG),” 2013 ed., Quincy, MA.

[12.4] American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),

2015, ASME B31.3-2014 (ASME B31.3), “Process Piping,” New York.

[12.5] American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),

2013, ASME B31.5-2013 (ASME B31.5), “Refriger- ation Piping and Heat Transfer Components,” New York. Authority: Sections 8750 through 8760, Public Resources Code.

Reference: Sections 8750, 8751, 8755 and 8757, Public Resources Code.

31F-84 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE – MATRIX ADOPTION TABLE

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Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Appendix N — REPLICABLE
  6. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED
  7. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  8. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  9. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  10. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  13. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  14. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  15. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  17. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  18. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  19. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  20. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  21. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  22. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  23. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  24. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  25. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  26. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  30. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  31. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  32. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  33. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  34. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  35. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  36. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  37. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  38. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  39. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  40. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  41. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  42. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  43. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  44. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  45. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  46. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  47. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  48. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  49. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  50. Appendix H — SIGNS
  51. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  52. Appendix J — GRADING
  53. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  54. Appendix P — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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