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Seam 3- Cargo Handling and Stowage (Non-Dangerous Goods)JB-BB

1. Dashboard

2. My courses

3.  Seam 3- Cargo Handling and Stowage (Non-Dangerous Goods)JB-BB

4.  Lesson 3: Container Cargo

5.  Container Cargo

Container Cargo
Container cargoes are carried by a container ship on both her deck and below deck. Deck-
stowed containers on an 11,000 TEU vessel are stacked up to seven to eight high and nineteen
across, inter-locked with fittings and secured by special lashings. 

 Container ships generally carry a mix of 20-foot and 40-foot boxes. Most can also carry 45-foot
and 48-foot containers on deck and some can carry 53-foot containers as well.

The main characteristic of container ships is that they depend on shorebased lift-on/lift-off
equipment, mainly container gantry cranes (also called portainers), to handle their container
cargoes.

Their construction is somewhat similar to bulk carriers except that the hatch extend for almost
the full breadth  of the ship so that the containers can be lowered into the hold directly in stowed
that position as indicated in the stowage plan(Bay Plan).A Bay Plan is a numbering system gives
a cross-sectional view of the arrangement of containers on a vessel above or below deck.

It consists of six digits. The first digits indicate the bay, the middle two indicates the row, and the
last two represents the tier. To facilitate the lowering of the containers, vertical cell guides are
Installed inside the cargo holds allowing the vertical stacking and positioning below deck. Cell
guides are strong vertical structures constructed of metal that guide containers into well-defined
rows during the loading process and provide some support for containers against the ship's
rolling at sea.

The steel hatch covers are fitted on the top side with permanent means to fit unto the locking
devices at the bottom corners or castings of the containers to be  stowed as deck cargoes.

Container Numbering

Each container vessel is split into compartments which are termed as bays and depending on the
size of the ship it will proceed from 01 to 40 (for example) where Bay 01 is the bay towards the
Bow (the front) of the ship and Bay 40 is the Stern (the back) of the ship.

Bays are numbered lengthwise from bow to stern with odd numbers for 20' containers and even
numbers for 40' containers. The even number between two 20' containers is used to define 40'
bays. The bay spaces for 20' containers are numbered throughout fore to aft with odd numbers,
i.e.  in this case 01, 03, 05 and so on up to 25. The bay spaces for 40' containers are numbered
throughout with even numbers: 02, 04, 06 and so on up to 24. 

A system of three dimensions is used in cargo plans to describe the position of a container
aboard the ship. The first coordinate is the row, which starts at the front of the ship and increases
aft. The second coordinate is tier, with the first tier at the bottom of the cargo holds, the second
tier on top of that, and so forth. The third coordinate is the slot(row). 

Slots(row) on the starboard side are given odd numbers and those on the port side are given even
numbers. The slots nearest the centerline are given low numbers, and the numbers increase for
slots further from the centerline.

The cargo stowage plan or bay plan and the sequences of container loading and dis-charging are
prepared by shoreside personnel instead of the Chief Officer before the container ship arrives at
the loading port. To find or stow a container by position: when identifying a container's position
fore and aft on a vessel, the term "bay", "row" or "hatch" are used. 

To identify the container's position athwartships, the term "cell" is used and is numbered outward
from the center, even to port and odd to starboard. To identify a container's position by height
above keel, the term "tier" is used. The container indicated is in position 7F35, which is bay 7
forward, cell 3, tier 5. 

Although the Chief Officer does not make the stowage plan he should review it before loading
operations, particularly noting:

1. the ship's stability, trim and list

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o that the heaviest contai¬ners are stowed below deck with the bottom tier heavier than
the ones on top;
 o  build up the stacks of containers on deck that are closest to the ship's centerline,  the
heavier containers on the bottom tier; 
o distribute weight evenly between the port and starboard sides to prevent the ship from
listing, because when the ship has a list the containers cannot be inserted into the cell
guides in the hold;and  
o the distribution of the weight longitudinally must be such that it gives the desired trim;  

2. stresses to the vessel ( shear stresses and bending moments) should not exceed    the design
limits of the vessel. This means that, depending on design limits, no    more than two consecutive
hatches should be empty at the same time, nor    should they carry only empty containers;

 3. stack height that creates lost volume (space that could not be loaded) when high    cube
containers ( 9 ft-6 inches) are stowed under deck because one of this type    would occupy the
space of two 8 ft-6 in. containers; 

4.  stack weight limitations - the total weight of the stack should not exceed the deck     load
capacity of the tank top for containers stowed under deck, or deck load capacity of the hatch
cover for on deck stowage. The strength of containers in the bottom tier must also be considered,
since stacks under deck may be as high as 11 containers and as high as 5 containers on deck; 

5.  hazardous cargo - stowage restrictions set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
are complied with; 

6.  special cargo stowage restrictions - refrigerated (reefer) containers are generally    loaded on
deck on the first tier to allow servicing at sea and accessible to a power    source; aluminum
containers must be stowed in a protected location away from    possible damage by heavy seas;
containers marked "Keep from Freezing" (KFF)    should be stowed under deck in cold weather;
high cube containers should be    stowed on deck; containers with vulnerable cargo should be
stowed under deck.

Container Loading and Discharging Operation

When the ship has docked and shipping/port papers are accomplished, the lashings of containers
on deck are removed, and the shore side gantry crane(Portainer) is put in position alongside the
vessel. The gantry crane unloads first all the tiered containers on deck then the hatch cover is
removed. The crane will again commence unloading the stowed containers from the hold,
removing containers from one vertical cell only until that column or cell is emptied. 

After this, loading could start and continue in conjunction with the discharging operation. 

 The crane takes from the shore a container, loads it into the cell that has been emptied, takes a
container in the hold for discharging and carries it to the shore, then takes a container from the
shore for loading and carries it on board and so forth. The moment the shore crane moves, it
carries a container to be loaded or discharged.
Securing of Containers on Deck

Securing arrangements of containers stowed on deck is by means of three systems that are

in common  use today. They are: 1) locking, 2) lashing, and 

3) buttress systems. The manufacturers of equipment for the different systems

for securing containers provide information on which system might be best for a particular vessel
and the required lashings and allowable weights.

The locking system can be used for relatively lightly loaded containers stacked not more than
two tiers high by using stacking fittings, such as twist-lock stackers and stacking cones that are
fitted on the top and bottom corners of the containers to resist horizontal movement of a deck
stow. Lifting of containers in extreme seas is prevented by the pull-out strength of the twistlocks.
When properly secured the containers on the top tier are locked on to the containers under them
that are in turn locked on to the top of hatch covers.

For containers stacked more than two tiers high, the lashing system is utilized that uses steel
lashing rods, extention rods, lashing bridges(bridge locks) and tensioning devices such as
turnbuckles. Lashing rods secured to bottom of 2nd tier and wind lashing to bottom of 3rd tier
(empty boxes). 

Stacking fittings are also used in conjunction with the lashing equipment  in order to align the
container and for additional strength. Usually the lashing equipment are placed diagonally rather
than vertically in order to prevent racking of the container stacks. 

In the buttress system, the ship is provided with buttress towers that are permanently installed on
deck at the foreward and aft ends of each hatch. These towers prevent the removable stacking
frames from moving. 

The stacking frames allow several containers to be stowed as a block and locked as one
integrated unit that needs no further lashings. 

After a tier of containers has been loaded on the first stacking frame secured on top of  the hatch
cover, another stacking frame is placed on  top of it and the next tier of containers is loaded, and
so on.

 This system reduces  container securing time  because the stacking  frames provide a rigid

means of constraint. Containers of different heights should be stacked on the uppermost tier in
this system.
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Seam 3- Cargo Handling and Stowage (Non-Dangerous Goods)JB-BB

1. Dashboard

2. My courses

3.  Seam 3- Cargo Handling and Stowage (Non-Dangerous Goods)JB-BB

4.  Lesson 3: Container Cargo

5.  Out of Gauge Cargo(OOG)

Out of Gauge Cargo(OOG)

We consider cargo to be out of gauge(OOG) if its dimensions(length, width or height)  exceeds
the standard container dimensions such as flat rack or open top container but can still be unitized
in containers. An OOG  cargo is loaded on an open top or flat rack container.

It may still fit inside a standard container, but it may be so large or heavy that special equipment
is needed to handle the size and weight.Examples of Out of Gauge shipments: propellers, flanges
or trucks. 

The following containers are used for the carriage of OOG cargo:

Open top containers

Special open top containers are available  in lengths of 20’ and 40’ and have been designed for
over-sized cargo that does not fit into a standard container. They are equipped with removable
roof bows and tarpaulin covers, and the cargo can easily be secured with lashing bars and bull
rings.

20’ open top:

This is the smallest of our open top containers. However, with a maximum payload of up to 28.2
metric tonnes, it is still able to carry more weight than any of our other open tops. It measures
20’ x 8’ x 8’6”. Our open tops are suitable for any oversized cargo that exceeds the usual height
of our regular containers, but still fits within the weight limits.

40’ open top:

The 40’ open top container has a lot of extra space compared to the 20’. More specifically,it
measures 40’ x 8’ x 8’6” and has a maximum payload of 26.6 metric tonnes. 

Open Tops are suitable for any oversized cargo that exceeds the usual height of regular
containers,but still fits within the weight limits.

40’ open top high cube:

The 40’ open top high cube is the largest of our open top containers. It measures 40’ x 8’ x 9’6”
and has a maximum payload of up to 28.6 metric tonnes. This open top is suitable for any
oversized cargo that exceeds the usual height of regular containers, but still fits within the weight
limits.

Flat rack containers

This equipment is suitable for top or side loading and ideal for items such as heavy machinery,
pipes and boats. If required, two or more flat racks can be connected, depending on the size of
your cargo. 

40’ flat rack - folding end: 

This is a flat rack container with collapsible end walls for extra flexibility. It has a payload of
34.9 metric tonnes and measures 40’ x 8’ x 8’6”. All flat racks are suitable for top or side
loading, making them ideal for heavy machinery, pipes and other oversized cargo.

40’ flat rack high cube: 

This is a heavy-duty flat rack container with collapsible end walls. Designed to carry your extra
heavy cargo, this flat rack has a massive payload of 47.3 metric tonnes and measures 40’ x 8’ x
9’6”.

 All flat racks are suitable for top or side loading, making them ideal for heavy machinery, pipes
and other oversized cargo.

Some Types of Containers

GP General Purpose: Closed. Suitable for all types of general cargo. With suitable modification,
can accommodate solid bulk commodities, granular or powder.
Reefer: Carries refrigerated cargo. It is fitted with its own refrigeration unit. Require  selectrical
power supply for operation.

Bulk container: Carries granular substances or dry powder in bulk. It is fitted with  openings on
the top to allow for loading. Discharge is normally done through a window found on the right-
hand door of the container.

Ventilated container: It is similar to GP, but with ventilator galleries along the top and bottom
side rails. This allows for passive ventilation of the cargo.

Flat rack: It is used for odd-shaped cargo which normally extends beyond the          dimension
of the normal GP. Cargo can be lashed easily in a F/R.

Open Top: Carries an odd-shaped cargoes. Height of cargo exceeds the height of a      normal
GP. There are several securing ports in the floor or along the bottom side rail of the container.

Tank container: It is specially designed to carry a specific liquid. It can be a type of  dangerous
good or a special product.