Navigation standards slammed - Tanker Operator

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and as a result, the society has developed
its Green Passport concept along the
same lines.
As for the controversial Common
Structural Rules (CSR) programme adopted
for all new vessels whose newbuilding
contracts had been signed on or after 1st
April this year, the IMO's Marine Safety
Committee (MSC) is due to debate this
subject further at its May
meeting, following strong
objections from the Greek
shipping community.
BV's marine division's
head of development
Philippe Baumans said the
tanker sector was the main
reason for IACS members
agreeing the rules. A special
notation- CSR - has been
added to those vessels' class
descriptions, which conform
to the new rules. As for sister
vessels contracted after the
due date as options, they will
have an exemption from the
new rules and can be constructed
to the old rules.
Baumans explained that
for a vessel built for 25 years'
North Atlantic trading, previously
there was serious
competition between the
major class societies on
scantlings allowance. BV has
adapted its MARS programme,
originally developed
for bulkers, to incorporate
tankers. The software
was developed to look at
transverse bulkheads, girders
and other stress areas on
board a tanker. BV found
that 70% of the fatigue and
stress damages occurring to
tankers was caused by cracking.
For example, about 18%
of all suezmaxes have reported
finding cracks. A Fatigue
Plus notation is also being
developed specifically for
tankers.
To cope with the CSR, a
new generation of VeriSTAR
has also been developed. The
computer is now able to calculate
the thickness of various
areas on board and highlight
where a problem exists.
An automatic meshing program
is used for fatigue
analysis - a sort of hot spot
map, Baumans said.
On a VLCC, the increase
to the midship strakes, longitudinals,
stiffeners and other
areas will increase the lightweight
by around 4% to 7%.
This, thought Baumans,
would lead to a 7%-10%
newbuilding price increase
due to the extra amount of
steel needed. He was of the
opinion that a lot of orders
had been placed this year
before the deadline to the old
rules purposely to avoid
paying the higher prices.
There are options attached to
some to convert them to the
new rules at a later date, he said. BV is
actively involved in training the shipyards
to construct tankers to the new rules.
Coatings programme
As for the coatings performance initiative,
this was discussed by a joint working
group in February. BV has drafted a text
for the new rules, which will be submitted
to the IMO’s MSC's May meeting. The
idea is a Tanker Structure Coating Forum,
which would set a 15-year standard for
coatings. This would be based on a selection,
preparation and application standard,
which could be adopted by the IMO
as early as December this year. Once
adopted, the standard will appear in the
IACS members' rules. One of the problems
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is the ballast spaces on double hull
tankers. These should be coated.
However, IACS does not include inspections
of ballast tanks in its rules.
There are some that fear that if and
when the new IACS rules on coatings are
adopted, newbuilding tankers would have
their deliveries put back to incorporate
these new coatings recommendations. TO
TankerOperator May/June 2006 page 21