INTERNATIONAL CODE ON

INTACT STABILITY, 2008

2009 Edition

London, 2009
 Published in 2009
by the INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR
www.imo.org

Third edition, 2009

Printed in the United Kingdom by CPI Books Limited, Reading RG1 8EX

ISBN 978-92-801-1506-2

IMO PUBLICATION

Sales number: IB874E

Copyright # International Maritime Organization 2009

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means without prior permission in writing
from the International Maritime Organization.

This publication has been prepared from official documents of IMO, and every effort has been made to
eliminate errors and reproduce the original text(s) faithfully. Readers should be aware that, in case of
inconsistency, the official IMO text will prevail.
 Contents
Page

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Explanatory Notes to the International Code

on Intact Stability, 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

iii
 Foreword
The International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 (2008 IS Code), presents
mandatory and recommendatory stability criteria and other measures for
ensuring the safe operation of ships, to minimize the risk to such ships, to the
personnel on board and to the environment. The 2008 IS Code (resolution
MSC.267(85), adopted on 4 December 2008) will take effect on 1 July 2010
upon the entry into force of the respective amendments to the 1974 SOLAS
Convention and 1988 Load Lines Protocol.
The 2008 IS Code features:
* A full update of the previous IS Code (2002 edition; resolution A.749
(18), as amended by MSC.75(69))
* Criteria based on the best state-of-the-art concepts available at the
time they were developed, taking into account sound design and
engineering principles and experience gained from operating ships
* Influences on intact stability such as the dead ship condition, wind on
ships with large windage area, rolling characteristics and severe seas.
This publication also presents Explanatory Notes to the 2008 IS Code, which
are intended to provide Administrations and the shipping industry with
specific guidance to assist in the uniform interpretation and application of
the intact stability requirements of the 2008 IS Code.