Bulk carriers

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BULK CARRIERS







a ship constructed with a single
deck, top side tanks and hopper
side tanks in cargo spaces and
intended to primarily carry dry
cargo in bulk; an ore carrier; or
a combination carrier

(International Convention for
the Safety of Life at Sea, 1999).
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dry cargo

ore

ore/crude oil

OBO

dry bulk carrier is used to distinguish bulk
carriers from bulk liquid carriers such as:
oil,
chemical, or
liquefied petroleum gas carriers.

OBO - a bulk carrier which carries a combination
of ore, bulk, and oil.

"O/O" is used for combination oil and ore
carriers.

VLOC, ULOC, VLBC and ULBC - very large and
ultra large ore and bulk carriers.
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all kinds of dry cargo in bulk,

large cargo hold volume,

hatchways as large as possible,
to accelerate the discharge of
cargo,

all holds should be self-
trimming to facilitate loading,

the number of holds such as to
permit the loading of various
types of e.g. grain and also to
ensure full holds,

the ballast capacity should be
such as to ensure immersion of
the propeller and reasonable
trim.

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Bulk carriers of all types have certain features in common:

1. Single cargo deck, without tween decks.
2. Machinery aft of cargo spaces so shaft tunnel does not interfere with discharging gear.
3. Large ballast capacity.
4. Double bottoms under bulk cargo holds.


To facilitate rapid cargo discharge & minimise cleaning requirements, holds are
designed with a minimum of internal obstructions that might catch and hold cargo.

Hold cross section, is arranged so that cargo is self-trimming and self-loading:

1. Cargo will flow outwards from the point of discharge of bucket grabs or gravity chutes
to fill the entire cargo space with a minimum of hand trimming.

2. The narrowing width at the top of the hold limits transverse cargo shifts when the hold is
not completely filled.

3. During discharge, remaining cargo will flow to a fairly small area where it can be picked
up by the discharging equipment.
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Cross section of a typical bulker


1. Cargo hold

2. Hatch cover

3. Upper hopper tank for water
ballast or oil (uzvojni tank)

4. Double bottom

5. Lower hopper tank, for water
ballast (lower side ballast tank in a
bulk carrier, shaped & positioned to
create a hopper form to the cargo hold).

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Hopper hold found in bulk carriers; they
have the cut-away corners found in some
hoppers behind which are hoppered tanks
used for ballast or for stability when carrying
certain cargo.
Structural configuration
Single deck ship with a double
bottom 1

Hopper tanks (donji boni tank) 2

Single skin transverse framed side
shell (jednostruka poprena oplata boka)3

Topside tanks 4

Deck hatchways 5

End brackets (zavrne konzole) 6

Corrugated transverse bulkheads
(naborane poprene pregrade)7
Typical structural arrangement of a bulk carrier cargo hold space
Corrugated (especially of sheets of iron or
cardboard) having parallel rows of folds which
look like a series of waves when seen from the edge
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.



1. side-rolling hatch covers - reduce cargo-
handling time during loading and unloading,

2. self-trimming cargo holds,

3. Hoppers (donji boni tank),

4. saddle tank - serves to shape the upper region of
the cargo hold and trim the cargo,

5. double bottom ballast tank,

6. Cofferdam (koferdam, meuprostor, pregrada),

7. wing ballast tank (boni balastni tank).
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A typical transverse section of a
cargo hold
In general

the plating (oplata): 1. side shell,
2. bottom shell, 3. strength deck, 4.
transverse bulkheads, 5. inner bottom,
6. topside and hopper tank sloping
plating provides boundaries of the
structure & carries static & dynamic
pressure loads exerted by e.g. the cargo,
ballast and the sea.

The plating is supported by secondary
stiffening members such as frames or
longitudinal.

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1.
2.
3.
5.
6.
6.

Specific safety concerns related to this type of
ship

Loading of cargo must be done carefully,
ensure cargo cannot shift during a voyage leading to stability problems,
large hatch covers must be watertight and secure.

The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC Code), & amendments to
SOLAS chapter VI to make the Code mandatory, were adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee
(MSC), 85th session, in 2008.

The amendments expected to enter into force on 1 January 2011.

The IMSBC Code replaces the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code), which
was first adopted as a recommendatory code in 1965 and has been updated at regular
intervals since then.


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The aim of the mandatory IMSBC Code is:
to facilitate the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes by providing information on
the dangers associated with the shipment of certain types of cargo and instructions on the
appropriate procedures to be adopted.

The Code
highlights the dangers associated with the shipment of certain types of bulk cargoes,
gives guidance on various procedures which should be adopted;
lists typical products which are shipped in bulk,
gives advice on their properties & how they should be handled, and
describes various test procedures which should be employed to determine the characteristic
cargo properties.

The Code contains a number of general precautions & says it is of fundamental importance
that bulk cargoes be properly distributed throughout the ship so that the structure is not
overstressed and the ship has an adequate standard of stability. Code of Practice for the safe
loading and unloading of bulk carriers (resolution A.862(20).


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Overloading the cargo in insufficient draft
results in an excessive vertical load on the double bottom which may
distort the overall structural configuration:
Sheer stress
in transverse
corrugated
bulkhead
Cargo
weight
Buoyancy force
Buoyancy force
Cargo weight
Excessive deformation of
the double bottom
structure
Sheering of the transverse
corrugated bulkhead &
the comprehension of the
deck
Buoyancy force
Corrugated (especially of sheets of iron or cardboard) having
parallel rows of folds which look like a series of waves when seen
from the edge
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Cargo distributions along the ships length direct
influence on the bending & shearing of the hull girder
& on the stress in the hull
Homogenous hold loading conditions
(fully loaded)
Block hold loading conditions
Alternate hold loading conditions
(fully loaded)
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Stages in the development of a plan for
loading/unloading

1. given the intended voyage the amount of cargo and/or
water ballast to be carried & imposed operational limits ,
create a departure condition: develop a stowage plan.

2. given the arrival condition & having the stowage plan,
plan loading/unloading according to imposed operational
limits.

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A cargo loading/unloading plan should demonstrate an
Indication of:

The quantity of cargo & the corresponding hold number to be
laded/unladed.

The amount of water ballast & the corresponding tank / hold
number to be discharged / loaded.

The ships draft & trim.

Estimated time for completion of each step.
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Ballast free design allows water to
flow into trunks and to pass out
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