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BULK CARRIERS. SOLAS REGXII/14.

RESTRICTION FROM SAILING WITH


ANY HOLD EMPTY.
IMPLEMENTATION (1 JULY 2006).
INFORMATION TO
OWNERS/MANAGERS
Convention : SOLAS CH XII Bulk Carriers

Flag :ALL FLAGS

Ship type :Bulk Carriers

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. REMINDER

1. SOLAS REGULATIONS

1.1. SOLAS Reg.XII/14 (Restriction from sailing with any hold empty) reads :

Bulk carriers of 150 m in length and upwards of single-side skin


construction, carrying
cargoes having a density of 1,780 kg/m3 and above, if not meeting the
requirements
for withstanding flooding of any one cargo hold as specified in
regulation 5.1 and the
Standard and criteria for side structure of bulk carrier of single-side skin
construction,
adopted by the Organization by resolution MSC.168(79), as may be
amended by the
Organization, provided that such amendments are adopted, brought
into force and
take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the
present Convention
concerning the amendments procedures applicable to the Annex
other than Chapter I,
shall not sail with any hold loaded to less than 10% of the hold’s
maximum allowable
cargo weight when in the full load condition, after reaching 10 years of
age. The
applicable full load condition for this regulation is a load equal to or
greater than 90% of
the ship’s deadweight at the relevant assigned freeboard.
1.2. SOLAS Reg.XII/8 (Information on compliance with requirements for bulk
carriers),
paragraphs 2 and 3 read :

. 2 Any restrictions imposed on the carriage of solid bulk cargoes having a


density of
1,780 kg/m3 and above in accordance with the requirements of regulations 6
and
14 shall be identified and recorded in the booklet referred to in paragraph 1.

. 3 A bulk carrier to which paragraph 2 applies shall be permanently


marked on the side
shell at midships, port and starboard, with a solid equilateral triangle
having
sides of 500 mm and its apex 300 mm below the deck line, and painted
a contrasting
colour to that of the hull.

2. PROHIBITED LOADING CONDITIONS

2.1. When a Bulk carrier has not been assessed to comply with the above
requirements of
SOLAS Regulation XII/14, the prohibited loading conditions(referred to as
alternate hold
loading conditions) are those loading conditions where any hold is loaded to
less than 10%
of the hold maximum allowable cargo weight with the vessel in the full load
condition
which is a condition equal or greater than 90% of the ship's deadweight at
the summer
freeboard.

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1. The requirements of Resolution MSC.168(79) are those of IACS UR S12


rev.2.1 or UR S31 for
ships not built in accordance with UR S12 Rev.2.1 or subsequent revisions.
Bulk carriers contracted for construction before 1 July 1998 or constructed
before 1 July 1999
are to be assessed for compliance with the requirements of UR S31 in
accordance with
the schedule specified within this UR.

3.2. SOLAS Reg.XII/5 (Structural strength of bulk carriers) addresses the


capability to withstand
the flooding of any cargo hold in all loading and ballast conditions.
This regulation was adopted at the SOLAS Conference of November 1997
and was initially
applicable to bulk carriers constructed on or after 1 July 1999. Bulk carriers
constructed
before 1 July 1999 have normally not been designed to comply and do not
normally comply
with the requirements of SOLAS Reg.XII/5.1. Our experience shows that a
significant increase
in hull scantling and consequently a significant additional amount of steel is
necessary to
meet the requirements of reg.XII/5.1 for such ships.
It is not likely that Owners/Managers will proceed in such a way.

3.3. Compliance with the requirements of SOLAS Reg.XII/14 may however be


met by revised
loading conditions such as reducing the deadweight when sailing with
alternate loading.
Compliance with the requirements of reg.XII/5.1 (and MSC.168(79)) are to be
reviewed by
the Local Plan Office in due course.
The revised loading conditions should also be approved by the Local Plan
Office and a new
freeboard corresponding to the revised full load conditions originating from
the revised
loading conditions could subsequently be assigned.

3.4. Alternatively, Owners/Managers may request that the prohibited loading


conditions are
either crossed out or deleted from the loading booklet.

WHAT IS BV EXPECTED TO DO ?

4. BULK CARRIERS SUBJECTED TO SOLAS REG.XII/14 : CLASSIFICATION


NOTATIONS

4.1. The provisions of SOLAS Reg.XII/14 apply to bulk carriers :


- of single side skin construction, and
- of 150 m in length and above and,
- carrying cargoes having a density of 1,780 kg/m3 and above in alternate
hold loading
conditions and,
- contracted for construction before 1 July 1998 or constructed (i.e., keel laid)
before
1 July 1999 and,
- when they reach 10 years of age (i.e., 10 years after the delivery date).

4.2. Such bulk carriers in class with BV are normally assigned :


- The service notation Bulk carrier ESP (or combination carrier/OBO ESP), and
- The additional service feature nonhomload, and, possibly,
- The additional service feature/memoranda "holds (a, b, ...) may be empty".

5. BV SURVEY AND MARINE CENTRES

At the opportunity of the first occasional, periodical, annual, intermediate,


renewal
classification/statutory survey completed after 1 July 2006 or at owners
request, any Survey
Centre will get in touch with the ship's Marine Centre to know the status of the
bulk carrier
against SOLAS Reg.XII/14.

5.1. The loading booklet need not be endorsed and the ship’s sides need not
be permanently
marked with a triangle when:

5.1.1. the loading booklet does not show any reference to loading conditions
addressing the
carriage of any bulk cargoes having a density of 1,780 Kg/m 3 and above,
5.1.2. the loading booklet does not show any alternate hold loading
conditions of cargoes
having a density of 1,780 Kg/m3 and above,

5.1.3. compliance with the requirements of SOLAS Reg.XII/14 is met by revised


loading
conditions as described in paragraph 3.3 above (Decrease of deadweight
leading to
increase of freeboard),

5.1.4. where the Owners/Managers have requested that the prohibited


loading conditions
are either crossed out or deleted from the loading booklet (See above 3.4)an
a revised
loading booklet has therefore been submitted.

5.2. The loading booklet will be endorsed with a statement specifying the
relevant operating
restriction(s) and the ship’s sides are to be permanently marked with a
triangle when:

5.2.1. the loading booklet shows alternate hold loading conditions and when
compliance
with the requirements of SOLAS Reg.XII/14 has not been ascertained (This will
normally be
the majority of cases) or when a study has shown that compliance is not met.

5.2.2. compliance with the requirements of SOLAS Reg.XII/14 is met by


operational conditions
prescribing arrangements such as reducing the deadweight when sailing in
alternate
loading hold conditions, without modification to the summer freeboard.
These operational conditions are to be validated by the Local Plan Office
and endorsed
accordingly on the loading booklet.

5.3. On board Survey

5.3.1. Where endorsement and marking are required, the Survey Centre takes
arrangements
with the ship's Master for painting of the Triangle on both the ship's sides.

5.3.2. The loading booklet is then endorsed and the additional service
feature(nonhomload)
/possible memoranda ("holds (a, b, c, ...) may be empty" ) are deleted from
the Certificate
of Classification and a new Certificate of Classification is issued.
Note : Where alternate hold loading conditions also refer to cargoes having a
density of less
than 1,780 Kg/m3, the additional service feature/memoranda is kept.
The prohibited alternate hold loading conditions are crossed out of the
loading booklet.
Where a loading instrument allowing stability calculation is provided, a letter
drawing
the attention of the crew to the fact that the alternate hold loading cases
shall not be used
will be given to the Master.

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