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Canadian Atlantic |
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Texas |
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Pacific Northwest |
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Gulf |
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NewYork Met |
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New
York Met Section May 12, 2004 - Hatch Covers and IACS UR S21/UR S30 Amendments Relating to Bulk Carrier Safety: An Overview The NY Metropolitan Section’s May meeting featured an excellent presentation on the new design requirements for hatch covers on bulk carriers that recently came into effect. This was a joint meeting of SNAME, the Society of Marine Port Engineers of New York, and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. The authors began with a review of recent bulk carrier loss history, highlighting the increased loss rate for ships greater than 15 years old. 70% of the losses were ships older than 18 years with heavy cargoes, which suffered water accumulation in the holds during bad weather. Special attention was paid to the losses of the M/V Derbyshire, M/V Tyne Bridge, and M/V Kowloon Bridge. A simulation was shown of the loss of the M/V Derbyshire, highlighting the role the failure of the forward two hatch covers played in the rapid loss of the ship. It was stated that if the ships currently sailing could be brought into compliance with under 10-year standards, there would be an 80% reduction in the loss of bulk carriers.
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Prior design methodology was to design to a static head of water over the hatch. The new standards require that the forward two hatches be designed to also withstand front and side loading. The specific structural design requirements were discussed in detail. In addition, water ingress detectors and drainage systems for the holds are now required. The locking arrangements must be sailor-friendly to ensure their use, and there must be a secondary system in place that does not require crew intervention. The authors also provided guidance for preparations to retrofit existing hatches to the new standard. They recommended that the ship be surveyed at least 4-to-6 months before the industrial period to allow for design development and classification society approval. Due to the volume of drawings currently being submitted to comply with the new rules, the classification society approval is the bottleneck in the process. The authors estimate that there will be seven to eight years of work as the ships currently sailing are upgraded to the new standard. After an insightful and detailed question and answer period, the meeting was adjourned.
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