No.

5/93 SHIP TYPE: Bulk Carrier SIZE(GRT): 28 700

Edited by DSO-245 BUILT YEAR: 1986

OVER-PRESSURISING OF TOP SIDE TANKS - HULL DAMAGE

Course of Events During the course of intermediate survey as required for tankers and bulk carriers, damage to top side wing tank No. 2 starboard side and No. 5 port side for ballast water was noticed. (Figure 1.)

Fig. 1. Extent of Damage The internal structure of the tanks, specifically the transverses, frames and brackets on the sloping bottom, were found to be buckled with welds cracked or completely detached from the steel structure. Repairs were carried out by partially renewing the most seriously deformed structures. Probable Cause: The damage found was typical of that found in tanks over-pressurised as a result of choked air vent heads. Since top side tanks are normally only designed for a water head of approximately 2.5 m, the steel structure is vulnerable to damage even with moderate excess pressure. The tanks were checked for strength by recalculation of the design and found to meet requirements. However, comparisons of the ballast piping system with the vent system revealed that the air escape capacity was insufficient for the pump- and filling pipe dimensions. An under-dimensioned air vent system is the most probable cause of the damage, as no obvious sign of clogged or obstructed air vents was observed during the survey. (It should be noted that the DNV Rule requirement states that liquid velocity in the air pipe is normally not to exceed 4 m/sec.) Lessons to be Learned In this case it was suggested to increase the number of air pipes from the top side tanks. Normal procedure by the crew when topping up top side ballast tanks is to keep pumping until water overflows through the air pipes. If the air escape capacity is inadequate, tank pressure may rise significantly. Excessive pressure resulting in damage has been experienced in the following cases: - Flame screens located in vent heads painted over. - Vent heads with inadequate capacity in relation to the dimension of the air vent piping on which they are mounted. - Under-dimensioned air vent piping in relation to the filling system and pump capacity. For improving turn-round in ports and to accommodate charterers' requirements, ballast pumping capacity has been increased in recent years. An increased pump capacity achieved by, for instance, operating two pumps on a piping system designed for only one pump, may have the same damaging effect as mentioned above. There are indications that there are a number of bulk carriers sailing with insufficient air escape capacity in the top side ballast tank air vent systems. In order to prevent structural damage to top side ballast tanks, it is imperative to take due care when topping up such tanks.

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