“We are seeing a surge in new orders and also the demands by terminals for quick loading of bulk ships. These challenges are very real for the bulk carrier industry and we recognise that class must be proactive in providing practical solutions,” said Ulf T. Freudendahl, Director – Bulk Carriers.

Hong Kong Shipowners Association Managing Director, Arthur Bowring, agreed that the bulk carrier arena was in need of industry attention, pointing out that the congestion in bulk load ports meant that some ships were blocked from trading, or else subject to pressure for faster loading. He added that many of the new bulk carriers are being ordered by his association members.

DNV is currently conducting plan approval for CSR-compliant bulk carriers, from handysize to capesize, for construction in China, India, South Korea and Vietnam. It is also classing the very large ore carriers (VLOCs) that BW Shipping is constructing at Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co Ltd in China.

“Particularly at newly established yards, designers are not completely used to the ramifications of the Common Structural Rules, while the higher reliance on software is also a challenge,” said Anders Swerke, director of DNV’s Maritime Service Centre Shanghai.

The corrosion margins that have been established for scantlings take into account the location and the environment to which the structural member’s surface is subject. Critical areas include main frame connection to hopper sloping plating, and improved steel grade for bracket and adjacent side plating. Also important are fatigue checks of inner bottom plating connection with lower stool and hopper sloping plating.

Mr Swerke said that new rule requirements introduce a radical shift towards more computerisation of the rule formulations and structural assessment. For shipbuilders that are intensively prepared, the basic hull drawings approval can be completed in under a month.

As an example, for one client, DNV went through modeling on May 3 and issued main scantling approval May 21.

Mr Swerke warned against simple reliance on software to solve design workloads, but emphasised that “the days of pen, paper, and calculator to design ships are gone.” Good software support is critical for any Class to provide timely and rational support to shipowners as well as designers and shipbuilders.

Eventually, the CSR rules will make life easier for the shipyards because all IACS societies will have a harmonised rule set. At the start, shipbuilders will have a greater workload though, because they will have to learn a new set of rules and apply these new rules to the drawings.

“Ostensibly, the idea of CSR is to eliminate competition between class societies with respect to structural requirements and standards, but really, if you look deeper, the objective is to construct more robust vessels,” said Mr Freudendahl. The net scantling approach allows for expected corrosion through the lifetime of a ship with a fatigue equivalent of trading in the North Atlantic over 25 years.

Bjorn Haugland, Vice President, Region Greater China added, “We realise that the new rules are creating a tremendous challenge for all in the industry. The dramatic increase in contracts for bulker newbuildings has intensified the demands on designers and classification societies alike.” Mr Haugland pointed out that the ships built today will be serving shipowners for a quarter century, so that due care must be taken for their structural integrity. “When we think that in a quarter century from now, there will be people’s husbands and fathers sailing on the ships we build today, then we are certainly aware of our responsibility to future structural integrity.”

Mr Freudendahl pointed out that the entire industry has only been incorporating the cargo hold loading diagrams in the loading manuals since the unified IACS bulk carriers rules were introduced on 1 July 2003. “Historically, until recently, bulk carrier loading manuals and instrumentation have focused on longitudinal stress, such as bending moments and shear force,” he said.

He suggested, and members of the audience agreed, that many captains are not familiar with how the cargo hold loading diagrams are now mandated as part of the loading manual for bulk carriers.

DNV’s design rules on bulk carriers, and also loading manuals guidance, have focused on individual cargo hold features and stresses for many years. “We certainly didn’t win market share by such strict requirements, but we believe that ships using DNV rules for cargo hold loading are more robust, and we are pleased that IACS have adopted the same approach.”

Mr Freudendahl pointed out that, prior to the unified IACS rules and CSR, many bulk carriers vessels outside of DNV class were not built to specific fatigue life calculations. “Bulk carriers are more vulnerable to general structural failure than other ships, especially when there is water ingress in the hold,” he added.

He suggested that the Conditional Assessment Programme (CAP) would become increasingly common in the bulk carrier arena. “CAP was first introduced in 1989 and is a de-facto requirement in the tanker sector. Lately, we have had several requests for CAP on bulk carriers. Terminal and cargo owners are more and more looking into the technical standards they are involved with.”

Mr Haugland summarised the day’s events, pointing out that, “Owners need help with their ships in operation. With all the new building capacity coming on line, we also need to support the shipyards, not only implementing the new rules, but really taking responsibility to provide guidance.”