STABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Rob Gehling
Principal Adviser – Technical Marine Standards
Maritime Safety & Environmental Strategy
AMSA, Canberra
 YOUR TASK

 Presumed to be to design your vessel with

intact stability characteristics to meet the
appropriate statutory criteria
- and ultimately prepare trim & stability
booklet as would be required for
submission to a regulatory authority
 YOUR AIM!
 If under AMSA jurisdiction, to provide the Master
with “such information satisfactory to the
Administration as is necessary to enable him by
rapid and simple processes to obtain accurate
guidance as to the stability of the ship under varying
conditions of service”
– Refer SOLAS II-1/22.1
– Load Lines Protocol (1988) reg. 10(2)(b) similar
 Appendix 2 of Marine Orders Part 12 defines what
is “satisfactory” to AMSA
 Other jurisdictions (eg. State, Military) have similar,
if sometimes less stringent requirements
 MY BACKGROUND
 3 years as Naval Architect in Drawing Office of
large shipyard, preparing and gaining approval for
stability booklets
 12 years in AMSA and its predecessors, assessing
and approving stability booklets
 Australian delegate to IMO’s Sub-Committee on
Stability, Load Lines and Fishing Vessels Safety
(SLF) since 1988, taking specific interest in
operational intact stability issues
– Recently elected as Vice-Chairman of SLF
 JURISDICTION
 Determined by ship type and trading pattern
– Military – DoD’s own rules but are often guided by
commercial rules which they may make mandatory (ref.
s.3, Navigation Act 1912)
– Trading ship (ref. s.2(a), Navigation Act) - State
requirements (USL Code) for intra-state voyages incl
charter boats, but AMSA (Marine Orders/SOLAS) for
inter-state and international service
– Fishing vessel or fishing fleet support vessel (ref. s.2(b)/
(ba), Navigation Act) – State requirements (USL Code)
unless on international voyages, then AMSA
– Pleasure craft (ref. s.2(d), Navigation Act) - State Boating
laws re equipment but refer AYF and relevant parts of
AS.1799 re design and construction
 DEFINITIONS
 Passenger ship (SOLAS) is ship which carries more
than 12 passengers
 Cargo ship (SOLAS) is any ship which is not a
passenger ship
 Special purpose ship (Special Purpose Ship Code) is
a mechanically self-propelled ship which by reason
of its function carries more than 12 special
personnel (persons who are not passengers or crew
and who are in board in connection with the special
purpose of the ship or special work being carried out
aboard the ship, number includes any passengers)
 CODES
 Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) Guidelines
– Intact and damage stability requirements
 Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Code
– Includes intact & damage stability
 High-Speed Craft Code (2000)
– Alternative to SOLAS construction/equipment
/certification requirements, includes intact & damage
stability criteria
 Special Purpose Ship Code
– Modifies SOLAS for SPSs, includes intact & damage
stability criteria
 Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code
– Used by State/NT authorities, stability mainly intact
 IMO INTACT STABILITY CODE
 Adopted in November 1993 through res. A.749(18)
and has since been amended by res. MSC.75(69)
 Intended to be a consolidation of requirements and
guidance information adopted by IMO (eg. res.
A.167(ES.IV), A.168(ES.IV), A.206(VII),
A.268(VIII) & Codes for specific vessel types)
– Non-mandatory but now under review again with view to
some parts being made mandatory
 Useful reference but not implemented by Australia
(refer Marine Orders Part 12) because of problems
with weather criterion among other things
 TYPICAL TRIM & STABILITY
BOOKLET AS PER MO.12
 General stability-related info
– vessel particulars, draft mark diagram, immersion angle
& heeling lever diagrams
 Info for Master and officers
– Instructions & stability criteria
 Worked example of stability condition calculation
 Calculations for typical / “worst” loading conditions
 Supporting data/tables/graphs
– Tank plan & table, tank calibrations, hydrostatic tables,
KN tables, nomenclature, inclining report
NOTE – Actual required content varies with ship type
 STABILITY CRITERIA –
LANDING CRAFT
 Statutory Authority is Dept of Defence, so following
info relates to hypothetical (?) application of
commercial criteria
 Criteria are at 6.2.2 and 6.2.3 of Appendix 2 to
Marine Orders Part 12, most likely using 6.2.3(k), or
8.C.16 of USL Code
– Allows for maximum GZ to occur at angles between
15deg. and 25deg, but requires higher area under GZ
curve to 30deg. than normal IMO criteria
– Note that criteria not to vary between load conditions
 STABILITY CRITERIA –
MBD DAY SAILER/RACER
 As “pleasure craft” no statutory stability requirements apply
– But refer AYF stability requirements(?)
 Refer yacht stability requirements(?) of AS.1799 Small
Pleasure Boats Code
– Not mandatory but have effect under consumer protection and
trade practices law
 Statutory stability requirements could apply if vessel put
into survey for commercial operations (eg. harbour sailing)
– USL Code section 8.C.12 implemented by State authorities and
also called up by Marine Orders Part 12 (not AMSA jurisdiction!)
 STABILITY CRITERIA –
NWBS DAY TRIP BOAT
 Apply relevant criteria from section 8.C.1 of USL
Code
– Assuming vessel is under State jurisdiction (not AMSA)
 Could use criteria of 2.3 to 2.5 of 2000 HSC Code
– Call-up standards of Annexes 7 and 8 of Code, depending
on whether craft is monohull or multihull
 Note that 1.1 of Annex 8 to the 2000 HSC Code calls
up the “Severe wind and rolling criterion” from the
IMO Intact Stability Code
– Absence of adjustments to tabulated factors to apply to
HSC renders such application difficult
 STABILITY CRITERIA –
NWBS DAY TRIP BOAT (CONT)
 Note that Table 2.3.4 of 2000 HSC Code provides
for some inter-changeability between the
requirements of Annexes 7 and 8
– Eg. trimarans’ stability is similar to monohulls but amahs
of can be tailored to meet the specified stability criteria
 CFD may soon enable compliance with 2.4 to be
verified by calculation but trials required for now
 Intact stability criteria currently being researched as
major part of review of 2000 HSC Code
 AUSTAL MONOHULL
CREW/SUPPLY VESSEL
 Mexican flag and high service speed would normally pose
questions
– But these are answered by specification of IMO Code on Intact
Stability (IS Code)
– Severe Weather Criterion NOT required
 Note 2000 HSC Code could not be applied as HSC Code
requires high-speed criterion to be met at displacement of
maximum operational weight
 Consider using 4.5.6 of IS Code in place of 3.1.2
– Offshore cargo handling probably precludes fitting passenger
cabin above cargo deck
 DAMAGE STABILITY
(Not part of brief for this presentation
but generally results in relevant
operational information being
included in Trim & Stability Booklet)
ANY QUESTIONS????
 DAMAGE STABILITY
– SOLAS & MARPOL
 SOLAS Ch. II-1 Part B provides deterministic
requirements for subdivision of passenger ships,
Res. A.265(VIII) is probabilistic alternative
 SOLAS reg.II-1/8-1 covers probabilistic subdivision
and damage stability of ro-ro passenger ships
 SOLAS Ch.II-1 Part B-1 provides for probabilistic
subdivision & damage stability for dry cargo ships of
L>80m unless covered by deterministic criteria
 MARPOL Annex I specifies oil tanker subdivision &
damage stability requirements incl. double-hulls
 DAMAGE STABILITY –
SOLAS/MARPOL-RELATED CODES
 International Bulk Chemical (IBC) Code gives
requirements for chemical carriers
– note that where a chemical carrier can carry
petroleum grades in addition to noxious liquid
substances in bulk, MARPOL Annex I also
applies
 International Gas Carrier (IGC) Code gives
requirements for liquefied gas carriers
 Other Codes cover existing ships – unnecessary to
list here
 NOTE RE PROBABILISTIC

 Res. A.265 (IX)DAMAGE STABILITY

(1973) is probabilistic alternative to
SOLAS Ch.II-1 damage stability requirements
– now applied to ro-ro passenger ships through
SOLAS reg. II-1/8-1
 Amendments to SOLAS Ch. II-1 scheduled for
adoption in May to “harmonise” probabilistic method
for passenger & cargo ships (flood length)
 Probabilistic principles likely to be extended to Load
Line and MARPOL Conventions’ damage stability
 MARPOL Annex I oil outflow and guidelines for
double-hull equivalence are already probabilistic
 INTACT STABILITY DATA -DAMAGE
STABILITY LINK
 A given ship at a given displacement and trim will
have a limiting intact KG at which it meets any
damage stability criterion
 Tracking this data over a range of intact
displacements and trims gives a series of limiting
KG curves within which the ship must be operated
to maintain compliance with the criterion
 Such curves are most useful to the Master when
integrated into the intact stability booklet
– preferably on the same page as similar limiting KG
information for intact stability criteria
OTHER ASPECTS OF
STABILITY
 SHIPS FOR DRY BULK
CARGOES
 The most important criterion for such ships is in
relation to ships which may carry grain, which must
comply with the International Grain Code which is
given mandatory effect in SOLAS reg. VI/9
– Most bulk carriers are designed to comply with this Code
even if they are intended to engage in the iron ore and coal
trades – commercially important in terms of both resale
features and being able to accept grain cargoes when they
arise
– Involves provision of Grain Stability Data
 For specialised bulk cargoes, Bulk Cargoes Code
should be checked for any extra requirements
– Eg. transportable moisture limits, extra watertight
integrity / bilge requirements, gas sniffing (coal)
 TIMBER CARGOES

 Many Handy-size bulk carriers are arranged for

carriage of timber on deck (clear side-decks,
stanchions)
 1966 Load Line Convention Annex I, Ch. IV
provides for assignment of “lumber” load lines
– stability requirements are as per 4.1 of Intact
Stability Code which in turn calls up the Code of
Safe Practice for Ships Carrying Timber Deck
Cargoes
 SUMMARY
 It is essential to establish the jurisdiction and
regulatory environment in which the ship will
operate at the outset
– This varies between your selected projects
 AMSA intact stability requirements generally build
on basic IMO stability criteria, HSC is exception
 Looking beyond intact stability, relevant intact
stability criteria related to cargoes and the
operational linkage between intact and damage
stability should not be overlooked
ANY QUESTIONS????