Resolution MSC.267(85)

ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE ON INTACT STABILITY, 2008 (2008 IS CODE)

(adopted on 4 December 2008)

 

 

THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,

 

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,

 

RECALLING ALSO resolution A.749(18) entitled "Code on Intact Stability for All Types of Ships Covered by IMO Instruments", as amended by resolution MSC.75(69),

 

RECOGNIZING the need to update the aforementioned Code and the importance of establishing mandatory international intact stability requirements,

 

NOTING resolutions MSC.269(85) and MSC.270(85), by which it adopted, inter alia, amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended (hereinafter referred to as "the 1974 SOLAS Convention") and to the Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (hereinafter referred to as "the 1988 Load Lines Protocol"), respectively, to make the introduction and the provisions of part A of the International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 mandatory under the 1974 SOLAS Convention and the 1988 Load Lines Protocol,

 

HAVING CONSIDERED, at its eighty-fifth session, the text of the proposed International Code on Intact Stability, 2008,

 

1. ADOPTS the International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 (2008 IS Code), the text of which is set out in the Annex to the present resolution;

 

2. INVITES Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and Parties to the 1988 Load Lines Protocol to note that the 2008 IS Code will take effect on 1 July 2010 upon the entry into force of the respective amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and 1988 Load Lines Protocol;

 

3. REQUESTS the Secretary-General to transmit certified copies of the present resolution and the text of the 2008 IS Code contained in the Annex to all Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and Parties to the 1988 Load Lines Protocol;

 

4. FURTHER REQUESTS the Secretary-General to transmit copies of this resolution and the Annex to all Members of the Organization which are not Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention or Parties to the 1988 Load Lines Protocol;

 

5. RECOMMENDS Governments concerned to use the recommendatory provisions contained in part B of the 2008 IS Code as a basis for relevant safety standards, unless their national stability requirements provide at least an equivalent degree of safety.

 

 Annex.

INTERNATIONAL CODE ON INTACT STABILITY, 2008
(2008 IS CODE)

 

 Preamble

 

1. This Code has been assembled to provide, in a single document, mandatory requirements in the introduction and in part A and recommended provisions in part B relating to intact stability, based primarily on existing IMO instruments. Where recommendations in this Code appear to differ from other IMO Codes, the other Codes should be taken as the prevailing instrument. For the sake of completeness and for the convenience of the user, this Code also contains relevant provisions from mandatory IMO instruments.

 

2. Criteria included in the Code are based on the best "state-of-the-art" concepts, available at the time they were developed, taking into account sound design and engineering principles and experience gained from operating ships. Furthermore, design technology for modern ships is rapidly evolving and the Code should not remain static but should be re-evaluated and revised, as necessary. To this end, the Organization will periodically review the Code taking into consideration both experience and further development.

 

3. A number of influences such as the dead ship condition, wind on ships with large windage area, rolling characteristics, severe seas, etc., were taken into account based on the state-of-the-art technology and knowledge at the time of the development of the Code.

 

4. It was recognized that in view of a wide variety of types, sizes of ships and their operating and environmental conditions, problems of safety against accidents related to stability have generally not yet been solved. In particular, the safety of a ship in a seaway involves complex hydrodynamic phenomena which up to now have not been fully investigated and understood. Motion of ships in a seaway should be treated as a dynamical system and relationships between ship and environmental conditions like wave and wind excitations are recognized as extremely important elements. Based on hydrodynamic aspects and stability analysis of a ship in a seaway, stability criteria development poses complex problems that require further research.

 

 Introduction

 

 1. Purpose

 

1.1 The purpose of the Code is to present mandatory and recommendatory stability criteria and other measures for ensuring the safe operation of ships, to minimize the risk to such ships, to the personnel on board and to the environment. This introduction and part A of the Code address the mandatory criteria and part B contains recommendations and additional guidelines.

 

1.2 This Code contains intact stability criteria for the following types of ships and other marine vehicles of 24 m in length and above, unless otherwise stated:

 

.1 cargo ships;

 

.2 cargo ships carrying timber deck cargoes;

 

.3 passenger ships;

 

.4 fishing vessels;

 

.5 special purpose ships;

 

.6 offshore supply vessels;

 

.7 mobile offshore drilling units;

 

.8 pontoons; and

 

.9 cargo ships carrying containers on deck and containerships.

 

1.3 Administrations may impose additional requirements regarding the design aspects of ships of novel design or ships not otherwise covered by the Code.

 

 2. Definitions

 

For the purpose of this Code the definitions given hereunder shall apply. For terms used, but not defined in this Code, the definitions as given in the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended, shall apply.

 

2.1 Administration means the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly.

 

2.2 Passenger ship is a ship which carries more than twelve passengers as defined in regulation I/2 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended.

 

2.3 Cargo ship is any ship which is not a passenger ship, a ship of war and troopship, a ship which is not propelled by mechanical means, a wooden ship of primitive build, a fishing vessel or a mobile offshore drilling unit.

 

2.4 Oil tanker means a ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in bulk in its cargo spaces and includes combination carriers and any chemical tanker as defined in Annex II of the MARPOL Convention when it is carrying a cargo or part cargo of oil in bulk.

 

2.4.1 Combination carrier means a ship designed to carry either oil or solid cargoes in bulk.

 

2.4.2 Crude oil tanker means an oil tanker engaged in the trade of carrying crude oil.

 

2.4.3 Product carrier means an oil tanker engaged in the trade of carrying oil other than crude oil.

 

2.5 Fishing vessel is a vessel used for catching fish, whales, seals, walrus or other living resources of the sea.

 

2.6 Special purpose ship has the same definition as in the Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships, 2008 (resolution MSC.266(84)).

 

2.7 Offshore supply vessel means a vessel which is engaged primarily in the transport of stores, materials and equipment to offshore installations and designed with accommodation and bridge erections in the forward part of the vessel and an exposed cargo deck in the after part for the handling of cargo at sea.

 

2.8 Mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU or unit) is a ship capable of engaging in drilling operations for the exploration or exploitation of resources beneath the sea-bed such as liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, sulphur or salt.

 

2.8.1 Column-stabilized unit is a unit with the main deck connected to the underwater hull or footings by columns or caissons.

 

2.8.2 Surface unit is a unit with a ship- or barge-type displacement hull of single or multiple hull construction intended for operation in the floating condition.

 

2.8.3 Self-elevating unit is a unit with moveable legs capable of raising its hull above the surface of the sea.

 

2.8.4 Coastal State means the Government of the State exercising administrative control over the drilling operations of the unit.

 

2.8.5 Mode of operation means a condition or manner in which a unit may operate or function while on location or in transit. The modes of operation of a unit include the following:

 

.1 operating conditions means conditions wherein a unit is on location for the purpose of conducting drilling operations, and combined environmental and operational loadings are within the appropriate design limits established for such operations. The unit may be either afloat or supported on the sea-bed, as applicable;

 

.2 severe storm conditions means conditions wherein a unit may be subjected to the most severe environmental loadings for which the unit is designed. Drilling operations are assumed to have been discontinued due to the severity of the environmental loadings, the unit may be either afloat or supported on the sea-bed, as applicable; and

 

.3 transit conditions means conditions wherein a unit is moving from one geographical location to another.

 

2.9 High-speed craft (HSC)1 is a craft capable of a maximum speed, in metres per second (m/s), equal to or exceeding:

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1 The Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000 (2000 HSC Code) has been developed following a thorough revision of the Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 1994 (1994 HSC Code) which was derived from the previous Code of Safety for Dynamically Supported Craft (DSC Code) adopted by IMO in 1977, recognizing that safety levels can be significantly enhanced by the infrastructure associated with regular service on a particular route, whereas the conventional ship safety philosophy relies on the ship being self-sustaining with all necessary emergency equipment being carried on board.

 

3.7 x 0.1667

 

where:

 

= displacement corresponding to the design waterline (m3).

 

2.10 Containership means a ship which is used primarily for the transport of marine containers.

 

2.11 Freeboard is the distance between the assigned load line and freeboard deck2.

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2 For the purposes of application of chapters I and II of Annex I of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 or the Protocol of 1988 as amended, as applicable to open-top containerships, "freeboard deck" is the freeboard deck according to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 or the Protocol of 1988 as amended, as applicable as if hatch covers are fitted on top of the hatch cargo coamings.

 

2.12 Length of ship. The length should be taken as 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or as the length from the fore side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on the waterline, if that be greater. In ships designed with a rake of keel the waterline on which this length is measured should be parallel to the designed waterline.

 

2.13 Moulded breadth is the maximum breadth of the ship measured amidships to the moulded line of the frame in a ship with a metal shell and to the outer surface of the hull in a ship with a shell of any other material.

 

2.14 Moulded depth is the vertical distance measured from the top of the keel to the top of the freeboard deck beam at side. In wood and composite ships, the distance is measured from the lower edge of the keel rabbet. Where the form at the lower part of the midship section is of a hollow character, or where thick garboards are fitted, the distance is measured from the point where the line of the flat of the bottom continued inwards cuts the side of the keel. In ships having rounded gunwales, the moulded depth should be measured to the point of intersection of the moulded lines of the deck and side shell plating, the lines extending as though the gunwale were of angular design. Where the freeboard deck is stepped and the raised part of the deck extends over the point at which the moulded depth is to be determined, the moulded depth should be measured to a line of reference extending from the lower part of the deck along a line parallel with the raised part.

 

2.15 Near-coastal voyage means a voyage in the vicinity of the coast of a State as defined by the Administration of that State.

 

2.16 Pontoon is considered to be normally:

 

.1 non self-propelled;

 

.2 unmanned;

 

.3 carrying only deck cargo;

 

.4 having a block coefficient of 0.9 or greater;

 

.5 having a breadth/depth ratio of greater than 3; and

 

.6 having no hatchways in the deck except small manholes closed with gasketed covers.

 

2.17 Timber means sawn wood or lumber, cants, logs, poles, pulpwood and all other types of timber in loose or packaged forms. The term does not include wood pulp or similar cargo.

 

2.18 Timber deck cargo means a cargo of timber carried on an uncovered part of a freeboard or superstructure deck. The term does not include wood pulp or similar cargo.3

 

2.19 Timber load line means a special load line assigned to ships complying with certain conditions related to their construction set out in the International Convention on Load Lines and used when the cargo complies with the stowage and securing conditions of the Code of Safe Practice for Ships Carrying Timber Deck Cargoes, 1991 (resolution A.715(17)).

 

2.20 Certification of the inclining test weights is the verification of the weight marked on a test weight. Test weights should be certified using a certificated scale. The weighing should be performed close enough in time to the inclining test to ensure the measured weight is accurate.

 

2.21 Draught is the vertical distance from the moulded baseline to the waterline.

 

2.22 The inclining test involves moving a series of known weights, normally in the transverse direction, and then measuring the resulting change in the equilibrium heel angle of the ship. By using this information and applying basic naval architecture principles, the ship's vertical centre of gravity (VCG) is determined.

 

2.23 Lightship condition is a ship complete in all respects, but without consumables, stores, cargo, crew and effects, and without any liquids on board except that machinery and piping fluids, such as lubricants and hydraulics, are at operating levels.

 

2.24 A lightweight survey involves taking an audit of all items which should be added, deducted or relocated on the ship at the time of the inclining test so that the observed condition of the ship can be adjusted to the lightship condition. The mass, longitudinal, transverse and vertical location of each item should be accurately determined and recorded. Using this information, the static waterline of the ship at the time of the inclining test as determined from measuring the freeboard or verified draught marks of the ship, the ship's hydrostatic data, and the

 

3. Refer to regulation 42(1) of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 or the Protocol of 1988 as amended, as applicable sea water density, the lightship displacement and longitudinal centre of gravity (LCG) can be obtained. The transverse centre of gravity (TCG) may also be determined for mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) and other ships which are asymmetrical about the centreline or whose internal arrangement or outfitting is such that an inherent list may develop from off-centre mass.

 

2.25 An in-service inclining test means an inclining test which is performed in order to verify the pre-calculated GMC and the deadweight's centre of gravity of an actual loading condition.

 

2.26 A stability instrument is an instrument installed on board a particular ship by means of which it can be ascertained that stability requirements specified for the ship in the Stability Booklet are met in any operational loading condition. A Stability Instrument comprises hardware and software.

 

 Part A.
MANDATORY CRITERIA

 

 Chapter 1.
GENERAL

 

 1.1 Application

 

1.1.1 The criteria stated under chapter 2 of this part present a set of minimum requirements that shall apply to cargo4 and passenger ships of 24 m in length and over.

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4 For containerships of 100 m in length and over, provisions of chapter 2.3 of part B may be applied as an alternative to the application of chapter 2.2 of this part. Offshore supply vessels and special purpose ships are not required to comply with provisions of chapter 2.3 of part A. For offshore supply vessels, provisions of chapter 2.4 of part B may be applied as an alternative to the application of chapter 2.2 of this part. For special purpose ships, provisions of chapter 2.5 of part B may be applied as an alternative to the application of chapter 2.2 of this part.

 

1.1.2 The criteria stated under chapter 3 are special criteria for