A General Overview

Watertight doors- Need?

➢ In order to maintain the efficiency of a watertight
bulkhead it is desirable that it remains intact.

➢ In instances where it becomes necessary to provide access

between compartments on either side of a watertight
bulkhead, watertight doors are fitted. e.g.:

 at the direct means of access required between the

engine room and the shaft tunnel in cargo ships.

 In passenger ships watertight doors are more frequently

fitted to allow passengers to pass between
one point of the accommodation and another.
 Watertight doors- General
➢ The number of openings in watertight bulkheads
shall be kept at the minimum compatible with the
design and proper working of theship.

➢ Where a doorway is cut in a watertight bulkhead care

must be taken to maintain the strength of the
bulkhead.

➢ The opening is to be framed and reinforced if the

vertical stiffeners are cut in way of the opening.
 Watertight doors- General
➢ If the stiffener spacing is increased to accommodate the
opening, the scantlings of the stiffeners on either side of
the opening are increased to give an equivalent strength to
that of an un-pierced bulkhead. The actual opening is kept
as small aspossible.

➢ Openings in watertight bulkheads must be fitted with

watertight doors

➢ All such doors shall be closed prior to departure of the

craft from the berth.
 Hazardous Condition for the Ship
When the Doors Need to be Closed
➢ When there is a restrictedvisibility.

➢ In ports within the port limits of compulsory pilotage.

➢ When the depth of water is less than 3

times the draught.

➢ In high traffic density.

➢ Other factors when the master feels that the condition is

dangerous.
 Watertight doors- General
➢ Watertight doors may be hinged or sliding.

➢ Mild steel or cast steel watertight doors fitted below

the waterline are either of the vertical or horizontal
sliding type as a swinging hinged type of door could
prove impossible to close in the event of flooding and
is not permitted.

➢ Hinged watertight doors are only permitted above a

deck at least 2.0 metres above the deepest subdivision
load line
 Categorization of Watertight
Doors
➢ Watertight doors are categorized as:

 CLASS 1 – Hinged doors

 CLASS 2 – Hand operated sliding doors

 CLASS 3 – sliding doors which are power operated as

well as handoperated
Regulations Regarding Closure of Watertight Doors
(including SOLAS chapter II-1, watertight doors
from regulation 14 to regulation 25)
➢ All the power operated doors must be capable of closing
simultaneously from bridge and Ship Control Center
(SCC) in not more than 60 seconds when the ship is in
uprightcondition.

➢ The door shall have an approximate uniform rate of

closure underpower.

➢ The closure time, from the time the door begins to close
to the time it closes completely shall be in no case less
than 20 seconds or more than 40 seconds with the ship in
uprightcondition.
 Regulations Regarding Closure of Watertight
Doors (including SOLAS chapter II-1, watertight
doors from regulation 14 to regulation 25)

➢ In case of hand operation of the door, during

power failure, the door must be closed within 90
seconds

➢ All watertight doors shall be capable of being

operated when the craft is listed / inclined up to
15° on either side, and shall be fitted with means
of indication in the operating compartment
showing whether they are open or closed.
 Regulations Regarding Closure of Watertight
Doors (including SOLAS chapter II-1, watertight
doors from regulation 14 to regulation 25)

➢ shall be provided with an audible alarm, distinct

from other alarms in the area, which will sound
for at least 5s but no more than 10s before the
doors begin to move whenever the door is closed
remotely by power and continue sounding until
the door is completely closed.
 Regulations Regarding Closure of Watertight
Doors (including SOLAS chapter II-1, watertight
doors from regulation 14 to regulation 25)
➢ The power, control and indicators shall be
operable in the event of main power failure, as
required by regulation II-1/15.7.3 of SOLAS. In
passenger areas and areas where the ambient
noise exceeds 85 dB(A) the audible alarm shall be
supplemented by an intermittent visual signal at
the door.
➢ Watertight doors shall remain closed when the
craft is at sea, except that they may be opened for
access. A notice shall be attached to each door to
the effect that it is not to be leftopen.
 W/T Doors - Hinged
➢ Hinged: In approved positions in the upper tween
decks well above the waterline, hinged watertight
doors are permitted.

➢ These may be similar to the weather tight doors

fitted in superstructures, but are to have
gunmetal pins in the hinges.
W/T Doors - Hinged
 W/T Doors – Vertical Sliding
➢ Vertical sliding doors may be closed by a
vertical screw thread, which is turned by a shaft.

➢ In these the door moves in up-down direction.

W/T Doors – Vertical Sliding
W/T Doors – Horizontal Sliding
➢ Horizontal sliding doors are often fitted, and
these may have a vertical shaft extending above
the bulkhead deck, which may be operated by
hand from above the deck or at the door.

➢ This can also be power driven by an electric

motor and worm gear, the vertical shaft working
through bevel wheels, and horizontal screwed
shafts turning in bronze nuts on the door.
W/T Doors – Horizontal Sliding
➢ The horizontal sliding door may also be opened
and closed by a hydraulic ram with a hydraulic
hand pump and with control at the door and
above the bulkhead deck.
Horizontally sliding w/t door
 Watertight doors drill on ships
➢ Drills for the operation of watertight doors shall take
place every week. Also the doors should be checked
before leaving the port.

➢ All watertight doors, both hinged and power

operated should be operated daily during the
rounds.
.
 Watertight doors drill on ships
➢ The door should be able to operate from both local
and remote places. i.e. bridge and ship control center.

➢ If door is operated from remote location, there

should be an audio and visual alarm during closing.

➢ There should be indication of both open and close

on the remote place of operation.
 Tests of watertight doors
➢ Every watertight door should be tested by subjecting the
door and its frame to a hydraulic pressure equivalent to
the head of water measured from the bottom of the
door to the margin line in way of the bulkhead to which
the door is to be fitted,

➢ In no case should the test pressure be less than 6m head

for sliding doors or less than 3m head for hinged doors.
 Tests of watertight doors
➢ The framework to which the door frame is secured for
the purpose of testing at the works should not give
greater reinforcement to the frame than the stiffening
of the bulkheads to which it is to be fitted.

➢ The test is to determine whether the door is sufficient

strength and reasonably watertight under pressure. The
rate of leakage and deflection of the door at the centre
should be recorded.
 Tests of watertight doors
➢ After a satisfactory hydraulic test, each watertight door
and its frame should be stamped with the following
identification marks:

➢ After being fitted in place on the bulkhead at the ship,

the door and the attachment of the door frame to the
bulkhead should be included in the hose test required
for watertight bulkheads.
 Tests of watertight doors

➢ All sliding watertight doors should be operated by hand

and, if power operated, by power in the presence of the
surveyor, who should note and records the times taken
to close the doors.

➢ The surveyor should see that any warning signals are

efficient and that the indicators registerproperly.

➢ Hinged watertight doors are to be inspected and tried.

The surveyor should see that the lever operated clips
are in order and that the joints arewatertight.
Thank You