Grain Cargo

Anglo-Eastern Maritime Training Centre
Participant Hand-out
SECOND MATE (FOREIGN GOING)
Sec: SM (FG) Date: 18.01.2013 Revision: 0 Prep: SN Appr: KND Page 1 of 12
Competence No. 10: Monitor the loading, stowage, securing and unloading of
cargoes and their care during the voyage
10.3 Dangerous, Hazardous and Harmful (Marine Pollutants) Cargoes
10.3.4 Bulk grain cargoes
INDEX
Define:
 Grain, Filled compartment, Partly filled compartment.
Explain:
 Purpose and contents of International Grain code

 Need for Inspection of holds for insect or rodent infestation
 Preparation of hold and decks for carriage
 Trimming of partly and filled compartments
 How saucers or bundling arrangement reduces shift of grain
 How surface of partly filled compartment secured against shift
 Use of shifting boards
 How to separate different grain cargoes loaded in same compartment
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Description
GRAIN
Grain is defined in the IMO Grain Rules as: wheat, maize (corn), rye, oats, barley, rice,
pulses or seeds, and whether processed or not, which, when carried in bulk, has a
behaviour characteristic similar to grain in that it is liable to shift transversely across a
cargo space of a ship, subject to the normal sea-going motion.
Properties of Grain
Grains are liable to heat and/or sweat, especially if damp, when they may germinate or rot,
therefore requiring careful pre-loading inspection, carriage and ventilation. In major grain
ports, handling equipment’s are sophisticated, grain elevators being equipped to unload
railway wagons, lorries, barges or coastal craft and to reload from storage silos at high
speed into ocean going ships. For discharging grains, the pneumatic sucker system,
evacuators and grabs may be utilised.
a) It is easily tainted
b) It is subject to heating and condensation particularly if it is shipped at the beginning of
the season. It readily absorbs moisture.
c) It is likely to move if tilted beyond its angle of repose
d) Semi-fluid property; Liable to shift due to heavy rolling, causing the vessel to list
dangerously and possibly capsize. Due to this hazard that the IMO (International
Maritime Organization) Grain Rules came into being.
e) It is based on the recognition that in a compartment nominally filled with grain there
exist a void space between the surface of the grain and the deck head of the loaded
compartment.
Definitions
Filled Compartment (Trimmed)– refers to any cargo space in which after loading and
trimming as required the bulk grain is at its highest possible level.
Filled Compartment (Untrimmed) – refers to any cargo space which is filled to the
maximum extent possible in the way of the hatch opening but which has not been trimmed
outside the periphery of the hatch opening.
Partly filled – is taken to mean that level of bulk material which is less than ‘filled’. The
cargo would always be trimmed level with the ship in an upright condition. Note: A ship
may be limited in the number of ‘partly filled’ spaces that it may be allowed.
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A specially suitable compartment - refers to a cargo space which is constructed with

atleast two vertical or sloping longitudinal grain tight divisions which are coincident with
the hatch side girders or are so positioned as to limit the effect of any transverse shift of
grain. In sloping the divisions shall have an inclination of not less than 30° to the
horizontal.
Angle of flooding - The term “angle of flooding” means an angle of heel at which
openings in the hull, superstructures or deckhouses, which cannot be closed weather-
tight, immerse. (Small openings through which progressive flooding cannot take place
need not be considered as open.
IMO Grain Code
The international Code for the safe carriage of Grain in bulk details the principles and
procedures for the safe carriage of grain.
Compliance with the international Grain Code is a requirement under SOLAS Ch VI. The
international Code for the safe carriage of grain in Bulk normally applies to all ships,
regardless of size, engaged in transport of bulk grain. However some ships may be
exempted from complying the code by their flag state due to the sheltered nature of their
trade or the specific conditions of the voyage.
Grain must be carried in accordance with the requirements of the fore-mentioned Grain
Rules which consist of three parts, namely ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’.
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Part A contains 13 rules which refer, among other items, to definitions, trimming, intact
stability requirements, longitudinal divisions (shifting boards), securing and the grain-
loading information which is to be supplied to the master. This information is to include
sufficient data to allow the master to determine the heeling moments due to a grain shift.
Thus, there are tables of grain heeling moments for every compartment, which is filled or
partly filled, tables of maximum permissible heeling moments, details of scantlings of any
temporary fittings, loading instructions in note form and a worked example for the master’s
guidance.
Part B considers the effect on the ship’s stability of a shift of grain. For the purpose of the
rules, it is assumed that in a filled compartment (defined as a compartment in which, after
loading and trimming as required by the rules, the bulk grain is at its highest level) the
grain can shift into the void space which is always considered to exist at the side of
hatchways and other longitudinal members of the structure or shifting boards, where the
angle of repose of the grain is greater than 30°.
Part C concerned with the strength and fitting of shifting boards, shores, stays and the
manner in which heeling moments may be reduced by the saucering of grain. The
handling of bulk and the securing of hatches of filled compartments and the securing of
grain in a partly filled compartment is also detailed.
Document of Authorisation
To prove compliance with the Code, a Document of Authorisation is issued for every ship
that satisfies the conditions. The document certifies that the ship is capable of complying
with the requirements of the code regulations. This document should accompany or be
incorporated into a ship specific grain loading manual. Both these documents are issued
by or approved on behalf of that ship’s flag state administration. A ship without a
document of authorisation may be granted an exemption, provided the Master can
demonstrate compliance with the terms of the code.
The information approved by administration includes:

 Curves/ Tables of volumes, vertical centres of volumes and assumed volumetric
heeling moments for every compartment, filled or partly filled, or combination
thereof, including the effects of temporary fittings.
 Tables/ curves of maximum permissible heeling moments for varying displacement
and varying vertical centres of gravity to allow the master to demonstrate
compliance with the requirements\
 Details of scantlings of any temporary fittings
 Loading instructions in the form of notes
 Worked example for the guidance of the master
 Typical loaded service departure and arrival conditions and where necessary
intermediate worst service conditions
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Contents of the grain loading Manual:

 Ship’s particulars
 Light ship displacement.
 Table of liquid free surface corrections.
 Capacities and canters of gravity.
 Curve or table of angle of flooring where less than 40°
 Curves or tables of hydrostatic properties, suitable for a range of operating

draughts.
 Approved curves or tables of volumes, vertical centres of volumes and assumed

volumetric heeling moments for every compartment.
 Approved tables or curves of maximum permissible heeling moments of varying

vertical centres of gravity.
 Loading instructions
 A worked example, for the guidance of the master.
 Loaded departure and arrival conditions for 3 representative stowage factors.
Stability Requirements
The main criterion in connection with bulk grain loading is the stability of the vessel and
this must be kept foremost in all loading procedures. The IMO grain rule outline the
minimum stability requirements of a vessel loading bulk grain and these are as follow: -
 The angle of heel due to the shift of grain shall not be greater than 12° or in the
case of ships constructed after 1 Jan 1994, the angle at which the deck edge is
immersed, whichever is lesser
 In the statical stability diagram, the net or residual area between the heeling arm
curve and the righting arm curve up to the angle of heel of maximum difference
between the ordinates of the two curves or 40° or the angle of flooding, whichever
is least, shall in all conditions of loading be not less than 0.075 metre radians.
 The initial GM after correction for the free surface effect of liquids in tanks shall not
be less than 0.30m
 After loading the ship to be upright before proceeding to sea.
 The master to demonstrate the ability of the ship at all stages of any voyage to
comply with the stability criteria.
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λo = assumed volumetric heeling moments due to transverse shift

(Stowage factor x Displacement)
λ40 = 0.8 x λo
Grain Heeling Tables
The purpose of the tables is to allow the Ship’s Master to ascertain whether or not a
particular grain stowage condition will achieve the required stability criteria.
The obtained values can then be applied to acquire the approximate angle of heel which
would result from a possible shift of the grain cargo.
For a ship to be authorized to carry grain, the surveyor will have made calculations for
sample cargoes to show that adequate stability for the ship exists. A grain-loading
information listing should be made in which the surveyor would record all the dimensions
of the carriage compartments and then these would be converted into potential heeling
moments for when the space is filled or partly filled.
The Deck Officer would be expected to make his own calculations before the intended
voyage to take account of the type of grain being carried and its stowage factor. Account
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must also be taken for the condition of the ship at all stages of the voyage to ensure
adequate stability throughout.
General Preparations & Precautions Prior to Loading Grain
 Compartment must be absolutely clean and free from any odour.

 Bilges should be free and clean, particular attention being given to the strum boxes, to
lime or cement wash to the bilges.
 Burlap should be laid and nailed down over limber boards so as to prevent grain from
entering the bilges or bilge wells.
 The tanktop ceiling should be clean, dry, free from any stains and with seams properly
caulked and ensure no infestation.
 Entire compartment-bilges, limber boards, spar ceiling, battens, pipe guards, fittings
should be free of infestation of any kind.
 Ventilation system should be checked and allowed continuous flow of air over the
surface of grain to remove warm air currents arising from the bulk.
 Spaces should be closely inspected for insect infestation and fumigated if required.
 Any Fumigation should be carried out in accordance with the IMO Recommendations
on the safe Use of pesticides in ships’ and MGN 284 – Recommendations for ships
carrying fumigated bulk cargoes.
Methods of Reducing or Eliminating the Adverse Heeling Effect of Grain Shift
 Shifting Board (Filled+ Partly Filled)

 Over-stowing (Filled+ Partly Filled)
 Strapping and Lashing (Filled+ Partly Filled)
 Bundling (Filled)
 Saucering (Filled)
 Feeders (Filled)
 Shifting Board
When shifting boards are fitted in order to reduce the volumetric heeling moment, they are
to be of a certain minimum strength with a 15 mm housing on bulkheads and are
supported by uprights spaced according to the thickness of the shifting boards (e.g. 50
mm thick, shifting boards would require a maximum spacing of 2.5 m between uprights).
The shores will be heeled on the permanent structure of the ship and be as near
horizontal as practical but in no case more than 45° to the horizontal. Steel wire rope stays
set up horizontally may be fitted in place of wooden shores but the wire must be of a size
to support a load in the stay support of 500kg/m2.
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The shifting boards will extend from deck to deck in a filled tween deck compartment while
in a filled hold they should extend to at least 0.6 m below the grain surface after it has
been assumed to shift through an angle of 15°. In a partly filled compartment the shifting
boards can be expected to extend from at least one-eighth the maximum breadth of the
compartment above the surface of the levelled grain to the same distance below.
 Over-stowing
In partly filled compartments the grain can be topped off by loading bagged grain or other
suitable cargo. In this case the surface should be properly leveled off, over which
separation cloth (gunny sacks) should be spread. A platform made by spreading wooden
boards on wooden bearers can be used instead of separation cloth. The bulk cargo should
now be over stowed with sound, well filled bags to a height of 1/16th the maximum
breadth of the free grain surface, or to a height of 1.2 metres, whichever is greater.
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 Saucering and Bundling Bulk
By means of a saucer and bundling bulk – a saucer shape is constructed of bulk bundles
in the hatch square of a filled compartment. The depth of the saucer being established
between 1.3 and 1.4 m depth dependent on the ships beam, below the deck line.
 Strapping/ Lashing
 Over-stowing the levelled off surface of the bulk grain with bagged grain on top of
a separation cloth or platform.
 Strapping or lashing two solid floors of lumber over the slightly crowned surface of
the grain after covering with burlap or tarpaulin.
 Securing with a wire mesh, retained by wooden planks in place of the lumber
places
 All lashings in party filled compartments must be inspected regularly and tightened
as necessary
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Use of Pesticides on Board

To control infestation and rodents on boxboard the following methods are used. Prior to
carrying out any such process, proper risk assessment shall be conducted and necessary
precautions taken. Further it shall be remembered that the pesticide used shall not result
in contaminating the grain cargo. Shipper’s instructions shall be sought for the same.
 Contact Insecticides
These are discharged in air as a spray to kill flying insects. Alternatively these are sprayed
over surfaces over which the insects crawl. The insecticides are applied using a fog
generator, spray nozzles, knapsacks, powdered sprayers etc. The drawback of such an
application is the process is hazardous to personnel. Further inaccessible parts are likely
to be left over.
 Fumigants
These act as gases. Space to be fumigated needs to be made air tight for several hours or
few days depending upon the type of fumigants, concentration, commodity and ambient
temperature. The fumigants are poisonous in nature and require proper information such
as precautions and TLV to be advised with the fumigant.
While treating the laden holds, the air-tightness of the compartment, bilges etc shall be
carefully checked. No one shall be allowed on board till the ship is certified to be gas free.
Involved personnel shall be provided with respiratory protection.
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Fumigation in transit shall not be carried out unless the ship is approved by the
administration.
Rodents are mostly controlled by fumigation, by use of acute poisons, by chronic posions
and/ or baits. Again safety precautions shall be taken while employing any of the above
methods for control of rodents.
How to separate different grain cargoes loaded in same compartment

This shall be avoided so far as possible. However when necessitated, following points
shall be considered.
 The compatibility of two grains shall be checked. It shall not result in spoiling of one
grain due to the presence of the other in the same compartment. This may happen due
to factors such as moisture content, odour, ventilation requirements etc.
 The cargoes shall be separated by positive means to avoid any intermixing. The two
parcels may be separated by tween decks sealed suitably as not to allow any leakage
of cargo into lower hold.
 Where it is intended to over-stow one bulk parcel with another, the lower parcel should
be trimmed as flat as possible. If the surface is left uneven there is a risk that the
separation material may be damaged either as the result of uneven stresses during the
sea passage or as a result of contact with the grab or elevator legs and bulldozers
which may be used during the discharge of these commodities. Provided this
procedure is followed, a single layer of separation material of good quality is
considered adequate. Recommended materials include woven polypropylene,
polythene sheets or burlap.
 During loading operations it is essential that the distance between the separation
material and either the top of the weather-deck hatch coamings or the deck head of the
hold is measured and recorded. In this way it is possible to effectively locate the
separations between the parcels during discharge and thus avoid any tearing or
damage to the separation material.
 The loading of second and third parcels may entail pouring cargo from a considerable
height. As a result the surface of the lower stows inevitably becomes depressed; this
can be seen clearly on Figs 1 and 2. Because of the need to ensure a relatively even
surface between any two parcels it may be wise to plan the stowage so that
commodities with a high angle of repose, such as cereals and oil seed derivatives, are
loaded below those with a low angle of repose such as canary seed or linseed.
 Ideally, the level of the separation between any two parcels should not be located in
the vicinity of the upper ballast tank hoppers (as in Figs 3 and 4). This will ensure that
when the inevitable settling of the cargo occurs, during the course of the voyage, the
surface area of the separation material will remain adequate, and prevent admixture;
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see Figs 1 and 2. This problem, of course, does not arise in the vicinity of the lower
hopper tanks.
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Grain Cargo

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Anglo-Eastern Maritime Training Centre

10.3 Dangerous, Hazardous and Harmful (Marine Pollutants) Cargoes

10.3.4 Bulk grain cargoes

 Grain, Filled compartment, Partly filled compartment.

 Purpose and contents of International Grain code

A specially suitable compartment - refers to a cargo space which is constructed with

IMO Grain Code

The information approved by administration includes:

Contents of the grain loading Manual:

 Light ship displacement.

 Table of liquid free surface corrections.

 Capacities and canters of gravity.

 Curve or table of angle of flooring where less than 40°

 Curves or tables of hydrostatic properties, suitable for a range of operating

 Approved curves or tables of volumes, vertical centres of volumes and assumed

 Approved tables or curves of maximum permissible heeling moments of varying

 A worked example, for the guidance of the master.

 Loaded departure and arrival conditions for 3 representative stowage factors.

λo = assumed volumetric heeling moments due to transverse shift

Grain Heeling Tables

General Preparations & Precautions Prior to Loading Grain

 Compartment must be absolutely clean and free from any odour.

Methods of Reducing or Eliminating the Adverse Heeling Effect of Grain Shift

 Shifting Board (Filled+ Partly Filled)

 Saucering and Bundling Bulk

Use of Pesticides on Board

How to separate different grain cargoes loaded in same compartment

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