| SOLAS Genl. Prov. | SOLAS Sub. Division | SOLAS Fire Safety | SOLAS LSA | SOLAS GMDSS | |
| SOLAS Grain | SOLAS Dangerous Goods | ISM | STCW | Athens Conv. | |
| Tonnage Rules |
Legislative Requirements
SOLAS - Carriage of
Grain
Intact
Stability
The intact stability characteristics of any ship
carrying bulk grain shall be shown to meet, throughout the voyage, at least the
following criteria after taking into account in the manner described in part B
of this Code and, in figure the heeling moments due to grain shift:
.1 the angle of heel due to the shift of grain shall
not be greater than 12˚ or in the case of ships constructed on or after 1
January 1994 the angle at which the deck edge is immersed, whichever is the
lesser;
.2 in the statical stability diagram ‘the net or
residual area between the heeling arm curve and the righting arm curve up to
the angle of heel of maximum difference between the ordinates of the two
curves, or 40˚ or the angle of flooding (θ), whichever is the least,
shall in all conditions of loading be not less than 0.075 metre-radians; and
.3 the initial metacentric
height, after correction for the free surface effects of liquids in tanks,
shall be not less than 0.30 m.
Before loading bulk grain the master shall, if so
required by the Contracting Government of the country of the port of loading,
demonstrate the ability of the ship at all stages of any voyage to comply with
the stability criteria required by this section.
After loading, the master shall ensure that the ship
is upright before proceeding to sea.
Stability
requirements for existing ships
For the purposes of this section the term existing
ship means a ship the keel of which is laid before
An existing ship loaded in accordance with documents
previously approved under regulation 12 of chapter VI of SOLAS 1960, IMO
resolutions shall be considered to have intact stability characteristics at
least equivalent of this Code. Documents of authorization permitting such
loadings shall be accepted for the purposes of masters
ability to show that the ship would be able to comply at all sections of the
voyage (stated earlier).
Existing ships not having on board a document of
authorization may apply the provisions of ‘Optional stability requirements for
ships without documents’ (below paragraph), without limitation on the
deadweight, which may be used for the carriage of bulk grain.
Optional Stability requirements for ships without
documents of authorization carrying partial cargoes of bulk grain
A
ship not having on board a document of authorization may be permitted to load
bulk grain provided that:
.1 the total weight of the
bulk grain shall not exceed one third of the deadweight of the ship;
.2 all filled compartments, trimmed, shall be fitted
with centreline divisions extending, for the full length of such compartments,
downwards from the underside of the deck or hatch covers to a distance below
the deck line of at least one eighth of the maximum breadth of the compartment
or 2.4 m, whichever is the greater, except that saucers may be accepted in lieu
of a centreline division in and beneath a hatchway except in the case of
linseed and other seeds having similar properties;
.3 all hatches to filled compartments, trimmed, shall
be closed and covers secured in place;
.4 all free grain surfaces in
partly filled cargo space shall be trimmed level and
.5 throughout the voyage the metacentric height after
correction for the free surface effects of liquids in tanks shall be 0.3 m or
that given by the following formula, whichever is the greater:
GMR = L B Vd
(0.25 B - 0.645 sqrt of (Vd
B))
SF x A x 0.0875
Where:
L = total combined
length of all full compartments (metres)
B = moulded breadth of the vessel (metres)
SF = stowage factor (cubic metres per tonne)
Vd = calculated average void depth calculated
in accordance with B 1 (metres - Note: not millimetres)
A = displacement
(tonnes); and
.6 the master demonstrates to the satisfaction of’ the
Administration or the Contracting Government of the port of loading on behalf
of the Administration that the ship in its proposed loaded condition will
comply with the requirements of this section.
Document of
authorization
A document of authorization shall be issued for every
ship loaded in accordance with the regulations of this Code either by the
Administration or an organization recognized by it or by a Contracting
Government on behalf of the Administration.
It shall be accepted as evidence that the ship is capable of complying
with the requirements of these regulations.
The document shall accompany or be incorporated into
the grain loading manual provided to enable the master
Such a document, grain loading stability data and
associated plans may be drawn up in the official language or languages of the
issuing country. If the language used is
neither English nor French, the text shall include a translation into one of
these languages.
A copy of such a document, grain loading stability
data and associated plans shall be placed on board in order that the master, if
so required, shall produce them for the inspection of the Contracting
Government of the country of the port of loading.
A ship without such a document of authorization shall
not load grain until the master demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
Administration, or of the Contracting Government of the port; of loading acting
on behalf of the Administration, that, in its loaded condition for the intended
voyage, the ship complies with the requirements of this Code.
Information
regarding ship’s stability and grain loading
Information in printed booklet form shall be provided
to enable the master to ensure that the ship complies with this Code when
carrying grain in bulk on an international voyage. This information shall include the following.
Information which shall be acceptable to the
Administration or to a contracting Government on behalf of the Administration
shall include:
.1 ship’s particulars;
.2 lightship displacement and the vertical distance
from the intersection of the moulded base line and midship section to the
centre of gravity (KG);
.3 tables of liquid free surface corrections;
.4 capacities and centres of gravity;
.5 curve or
table of angle of flooding, where less than 40˚’, at all permissible
displacements;
.6 curves or tables of hydrostatic properties suitable
for the range of operating drafts; and
.7 cross curves of stability
which are sufficient for the purpose of the requirements and which include
curves at 12˚ and 40˚.
Information which shall be approved by the
Administration or by a contracting Government on behalf of the Administration
shall include:
.1 curves
or tables of volumes, vertical centres of volumes, and assumed volumetric
heeling moments for every compartment, filled or partly filled, or combination
thereof, including the effects of temporary fittings;
.2 tables
or curves of maximum permissible heeling moments for varying displacements and
varying vertical centres of gravity to allow the master to demonstrate
compliance with the requirements; this requirement shall apply only to ships
the keels of which are laid on or after the entry into force of this Code;
.3 details
of the scantlings of any temporary fittings and, where applicable, the
provision is necessary to meet the requirements of the code;
.4 loading
instructions in the form of notes summarizing the requirements of this Code;
.5 a worked example for -the guidance of the master; and
.6 typical loaded service departure and arrival conditions and
where necessary intermediate worst service conditions.
It is recommended that loading conditions be provided
for three representative stowage factors, example - 1.25, 1.50, and 1.75 cubic
metres per tonne.