SCHRIFTENREIHE SCHIFFBAU Festschrift anlässlich des 100 ...

� Testimonies of the survivors, the evacuation simulations with AENEAS and the location
and number of victims observed by the divers on the wreck clearly show that large open
spaces form a serious obstacle for an evacuation in a heavily listed ship.
� Transverse stairs in an evacuation route, like the ones next to the cabin compartments in
the bow part of the MV Estonia, can easily become a dead end in the route when the ship
list increases. This is shown by the evacuation simulations and the observations of the
divers.
� As the ship list increases it becomes increasingly difficult to advance in longitudinal
corridors tilted sideways, as one cannot anymore walk in an upright position. The open
cabin doors in the lower side wall of the tilted corridor must be jumped over or passed
somehow.
� Certain differences between the results of the evacuation simulations and the known
facts on the accident suggest that it was probably very difficult to get out of the cabins. It
is possible that a considerable number of persons in cabins were either injured or trapped
permanently inside the cabins as a consequence of the first sudden heel.
� In cabins, where the floor was inclined downwards towards the cabin door, loose items,
bags etc., slid towards the lowest point and often blocked the cabin door opening
inwards.
� It is further known that if the cabin area just in front of the door does not have a good
hand rail or other support, it is very difficult for a person hold his/her own weight on the
inclined floor and simultaneously pull the cabin door open towards him/herself.
� In cabins, where the floor was inclined upwards towards the cabin door, the difficulty is to
get to the door against the slope. It is known from the survivors’ testimonies that this
caused overwhelming difficulties to some passengers now missing.
� The standard IMO Day- and Night Cases for advanced evacuation simulation are
undoubtedly useful in ship design. The difference between the evacuation simulation
according to the IMO Night Case, i.e. without ship’s list, and the real MV Estonia case is,
however, considerable. The increasing ship list can significantly slow down or stop the
evacuation process. Even if the MV Estonia is perhaps an extreme case, it can well be
asked whether the IMO evacuation criteria should also deal with situations of non-zero
ship list. In view of the MV Estonia case this can be seen as particularly important for
vessels, like Ro-Ro passenger ferries, which can rapidly develop a large list.
8.6 Discussion – Suggestions - Recommendations
The watertight integrity of the vehicle deck of a Ro-Ro passenger ferry must be assured
under all possible design conditions. Krüger and Kehren (2008) recommend to investigate
the actual loading scenarios based on first principles together with an analysis of the
structural response of the design element in question in order to ensure that under all
relevant operational conditions the watertight integrity of the vehicle deck is assured.
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