Section 32 - Dredgers D 32 - 1

Section 32
Dredgers
A. General
1. For the purposes of this Section, "dredgers" means
hopper dredgers, barges, hopper barges and similar vessels
which may be self-propelled and non-self-propelled and
which are designed for all common dredging methods (e.g.
bucket dredgers, suction dredgers, grab dredgers etc.)
Dredgers intended for unusual dredging methods and ships
of unusual form will be specially considered.
2. The requirements given in Sections 1 - 22 apply
to dredgers covered by this Section unless otherwise
mentioned hereinafter.
3. Dredgers built in accordance with the requirements
of this Section, will have the notation "DREDGER" or
"HOPPER BARGE", affixed to the character of
classification.
4. Where the entire dredging equipment and dredging
machinery is also built in accordance with the Society's
Rules and under its supervision, the notation "DREDGER
(EC)" will be affixed to the character of classification.
5. Dredgers engaged in international service are to
comply with the requirements of the LLC 66.
6. Dredgers with a restricted service range operating
exclusively in national waters shall comply, as far as
possible, with the requirements of the LLC 66. The height
of companionway coamings above deck is not to be less
than 300 mm.
Note
For dredgers with a restricted service range as per
Section 1, B.l . operating exclusively in national waters,
a special "Dredger Freeboard" is assigned by some
Administrations.
7. Dredgers intended to work in conjunction with other
vessels are to be fitted with strong fenders.
8. The thickness of main structural members which
are particularly exposed to abrasion by a mixture of spoil
and water, e.g. where special loading and discharge methods
are employed, are to be adequately strengthened. Upon
approval by BKI such members may alternatively be
constructed of special abrasion resistant materials.
9. On dredgers with closed hopper spaces suitable
structural measures are to be taken in order to prevent
accumulation of inflammable gas-air mixture in the hopper
vapour space. The requirements of Rules for Electrical
Installations, Volume IV, are to be observed.
B. Documents for Approval
To ensure conformity with the Rules, the following
drawings and documents are to be submitted in triplicate
1)
in addition to those stipulated in Section 1, G.
1. General arrangement plan, showing also the
arrangement of the dredging equipment.
2. Longitudinal and transverse hopper bulkheads, with
information regarding density of the spoil and height of
overflow.
3. Arrangement and scantlings of substructures
attached to or integrated into main structural members,
such as gantries, gallows etc. or their seats, seats of
dredging machinery and pumps, hopper doors and their
gear with seats, positioning equipment and other dredging
equipment and devices and their seats.
4. Longitudinal strength calculations of the most
unfavourable loading conditions for ships of 100 m
in length and more. Calculations with respect to torsion
may be required.
For ships of less than 100 m in length of unusual design
and with unusual load distribution, longitudinal strength
calculations may be required.
C. Principal Dimensions
1. Local structures and deviations from the principal
design dimensions associated with the attachment of the
dredging gear, are to be ignored when determining the
principal dimensions in accordance with Section 1, H.
2. Where a "Dredger Freeboard" is assigned in
accordance with A.5., the length L, draught T and block
coefficient C
B
as per Section 1, H.4. are to be determined
for this freeboard.
D. Longitudinal Strength
1. For dredgers, the longitudinal strength requirements
as per Section 5 apply in general.
1)
For Indonesian flagship in quadruplicate (one for
Indonesian government).
Section 32 - Dredgers G 32 - 2
For dredgers classed for particular service areas,
dispensations may be approved.
2. For hopper dredgers and hopper barges of less than
100 m in length, longitudinal strength calculations may
be required in special instances.
3. When calculating the midship section moduli in
accordance with Section 5, C.4., the net cross sectional
area of all continuous longitudinal strength members of
a longitudinal through box keel fitted between the port and
starboard side hopper doors may be taken into account.
4. At the ends of the hopper, the longitudinal strength
members are to be carefully scarphed into the adjacent
compartments (see also H.1.3).
E. Shell Plating
1. The thickness of the bottom shell plating of dredgers
intended or expected to operate while aground, is to be
increased by 20% above the value required in Section 6.
2. Where hopper doors are fitted on the vessel's
centreline or where there is a centreline well for dredging
gear (bucket ladder, suction tube etc.), a plate strake is to
be fitted on each side of the well or door opening the width
of which is not less than 50% of the rule width of the flat
keel and the thickness not less than that of the rule flat keel.
The same applies where the centreline box keel is located
above the base line at such a distance that it cannot serve
as a docking keel.
In this case, the bottom plating of the box keel need not
be thicker than the rule bottom shell plating.
3. On non-self-propelled dredgers and on self propelled
dredgers with the restricted service range notation "L" or
"T" affixed to their character of classification, strengthening
of the bottom forward in accordance with Section 6, E. is
not required.
4. The flat bottom plating of raked ends which deviate
from common ship forms, is to have a thickness not less
than that of the rule bottom shell plating within 0,4 L
amidships, up to 500 mm above the maximum load
waterline. The shell plating above that is to have a thickness
not less than the rule side shell plating.
The reinforcements required in 1. are also to be observed.
5. The corners of hopper door openings and of dredging
gear wells generally are, to comply with Section 7, A.3.
The design of structural details and welded connections
in this area is to be carried out with particular care.
F. Deck
1. The deck thickness is to be determined in accordance
with Section 7.
On vessels of less than 100 m in length, the rule deck
plating is to be fitted at least in the following areas: Above
engine and boiler rooms, in way of engine and boiler
casings, adjacent to all deck openings exceeding 0,4 B
in breadth and in way of the supporting structure for
dredging gear, dredging machinery and bucket ladders,
etc.
Where wood sheathing is fitted, the deck plating thickness
required in Section 7, A.7. is sufficient unless greater
thicknesses are required on account of strength calculations.
2. At the ends of the hopper space continuity of
strength is to be maintained by fitting strengthened corner
plates. The corners are to be carried out in accordance with
the requirements of Section 7, A.3.
G. Bottom Structure
1. Single bottom transversely framed
1.1 Abreast of hoppers and centreline dredging wells,
the floors are to be dimensioned in accordance with Section
8, A.1.2.1 where
min
is not to be taken less than 0,4 B.
The depth of floor is not to be less than
h = [mm] 45 B 45
h
min
= 180 [mm]
1.2 Floors, longitudinal girders etc. below dredging
machinery and pump seats are to be adequately designed
for the additional loads.
1.3 Where floors are additionally stressed by the
reactions of the pressure required for closing the hopper
doors, their section modulus and their depth are to be
increased accordingly.
1.4 Where the unsupported span of floors exceeds 3 m,
one side girder in accordance with Section 8, A.2.2.2 is
to be fitted.
1.5 Floors in line with the hopper lower cross members
fitted between hopper doors are to be connected with the
hopper side wall by brackets of approx. equal legs. The
brackets are to be flanged or fitted with face bars and are
to extend to the upper edge of the cross members.
1.6 Floors of dredgers intended or expected to operate
while aground are to be stiffened by vertical buckling
stiffeners the spacing of which is such as to guarantee that
the reference degree of slenderness for the plate field
is less than 1,0. For see Section 3, F.1.
Section 32 - Dredgers H 32 - 3
2. Single bottom longitudinally framed
2.1 The spacing of bottom transverses generally is not
to exceed 3,6 m. Section modulus and web cross sectional
area are not to be less than:
W = [cm
3
] k c e
2
p
A
W
= [cm
2
] k 0,061 e p
k = material factor according to Section 2, B.2.
c = 0,9 S 0,002 L for L 100 m <

= 0,7 for L > 100 m

e = spacing of bottom transverses between each
other or from bulkheads in [m]
= unsupported span in [m], any longitudinal girders
not considered
p = load p
B
or p
l
as per Section 4, B.1 ~ B.3. or
D.1.; the greater value to be taken.
The web depth is not to be less than the depth of floors
according to 1.1.
2.2 The bottom longitudinals are to be determined in
accordance with Section 9, B.
2.3 Where the centreline box keel cannot serve as a
docking keel, brackets are to be fitted on either side of the
centre girder or at the longitudinal bulkheads of dredging
wells and of hopper spaces. The brackets are to extend to
the adjacent longitudinals and longitudinal stiffeners. Where
the spacing of bottom transverses is less than 2,5 m, one
bracket is to be fitted, for greater spacings, two brackets
are to be fitted.
The thickness of the brackets is at least to be equal to the
web thickness of the adjacent bottom transverses. They
are to be flanged or fitted with face bars.
2.4 Where longitudinal bulkheads and the side shell
are framed transversely, the brackets as per 2.3 are to be
fitted at every frame and are to extend to the bilge.
2.5 The bottom transverses are to be stiffened by means
of flatbar stiffeners at every longitudinal.
The depth shall approximately be equal to the depth of
the bottom longitudinals, however, it need not exceed 150
mm.
2.6 The bottom structure of dredgers intended or
expected to operate with aground is to be dimensioned as
follows:
2.6.1 The spacing of the bottom transverses as per 2.1
is not to exceed 1,8 m. The webs are to be stiffened as
per 1.6.
2.6.2 The Section modulus of the bottom longitudinals
as per 2.2 is to be increased by 50%.
2.7 The requirements of 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 are to be
applied analogously.
3. Double bottom
3.1 Double bottoms need not be fitted adjacent to the
hopper spaces.
3.2 In addition to the requirements of Section 8, B.6.,
plate floors are to be fitted in way of hopper spaces intended
to be unloaded by means of grabs.
3.3 Where brackets are fitted in accordance with
Section.8, B.7.4, the requirements as per 2.3 and 2.4 are
to be observed where applicable.
3.4 The bottom structure of dredgers intended or
expected to operate while aground is to be strengthened
in accordance with Section 8, B.1.7. Where applicable,
2.6 is to be applied analogously.
H. Hopper and Well Construction
1. The scantlings of the boundaries of hopper spaces
and wells are to be determined as follows:
l.1 Plating
t = [mm] 1,21 a p k t
k
t
min
as per Section 24, A.13.
k see G.2.1
a, a = spacing of stiffeners in [m]
p = [kN/m
2
] 10 h 1 a
v
h = distance of lower edge of plating or of the load
centre of the respective member to the upper
edge of overflow in [m]
a
v
see Section 4,C1.1
= density of the spoil in [t/m
3
]

min
= 1,2 t/m
3
t
k
= corrosion allowance according to Section 3,
K..
1.2 Stiffeners
.1 transverse stiffeners of longitudinal bulkheads and
stiffeners of transverse bulkheads:
W
y
= [cm
3
] k 0,6 a
2
p
.2 longitudinal stiffeners:
W
x
= W [cm
3
]
Section 32 - Dredgers K 32 - 4
W see Section 9, B.3,
but not less than W
y
.
1.3 The strength is not to be less than that of the ship's
sides. Particular attention is to be paid to adequate scarphing
at the ends of longitudinal bulkheads of hopper spaces and
wells.
The top and bottom strakes of the longitudinal bulkheads
are to be extended through the end bulkheads, or else
scarphing brackets are to be fitted in line with the walls
in conjunction with strengthenings at deck and bottom.
Where the length of wells does not exceed 0,1 L and where
the wells and/or ends of hopper spaces are located beyond
0,6 L amidships, special scarphing is, in general, not
required.
2. In hoppers fitted with hopper doors, transverse
girders are to be fitted between the doors the spacing of
which shall normally not exceed 3,6 m.
3. The depth of the transverse girders spaced in
accordance with 2. shall not be less than 2,5 times the depth
of floors as per Section 8, A.1.2.1. The web plate thickness
is not to be less than the thickness of the side shell plating.
The top and bottom edges of the transverse girders are to
be fitted with face plates. The thickness of the face plates
is to be at least 50% greater than the rules web thickness.
Where the transverse girders are constructed as watertight
box girders, the scantlings are not to be less than required
in accordance with 1. At the upper edge, a plate strengthened
by at least 50% is to be fitted.
4. Vertical stiffeners spaced not more than 900 mm
apart are to be fitted at the transverse girders.
5. The transverse bulkheads at the ends of the hoppers
are to extend from board to board.
6. Regardless of whether the longitudinal or the
transverse framing system is adopted, web frames in
accordance with Section 12, B.3. are to be fitted in line
with the transverse girders as per 2.
The density of the spoil is to be considered when
determining the scantlings.
7. Strong beams are to be fitted transversely at deck
level in line with the web frames as per 6. The scantlings
are to be determined, for the actual loads complying with
an equivalent stress v =150/k ( N/mm
2
). The maximum
reactions of hydraulically operated rams for hopper door
operation are, for instance, to be taken as actual load, in
accordance with the formulae for hatch beams as per
Section 17, C.4.
The strong beams are to be supported by means of pillars
as per Section 10, C. at the box keel, if fitted.
8. On bucket dredgers, the ladder wells are to be
isolated by transverse and longitudinal cofferdams at the
bottom, of such size as to prevent the adjacent
compartments from being flooded in case of any damage
to the shell by dredging equipment and dredged objects.
The cofferdams are to be accessible.
J. Box Keel
1. The scantlings are to be determined as follows :
1.1 Plates
1.1.1. Bottom plating
S where the box keel can serve as a docking keel,
the requirements for flat plate keels as per
Section 6, B.5. apply,
S where the box keel cannot serve as a docking
keel (see also E.2.), the requirements for bottom
plating as per Section 6, B.1. 3. apply.
1.1.2. Remaining plating
S outside the hopper space, the requirements for
bottom plating as per Section 6, B.1. 3. apply,
S within the hopper space the requirements for
hopper space plating as per H.1.1 apply. The
thickness of the upper portion particularly
subjected to damage is to be increased by not
less than 50 %.
1.2 Floors
The requirements as per G.1. and G.2. respectively apply.
1.3 Stiffeners
The requirements for hopper stiffeners as per H.1.2. apply.
2. Strong webs of plate floors are to be fitted within
the box keel in line with the web frames as per H.6. to
ensure continuity of strength across the vessel.
3. With regard to adequate scarphing at the ends of
a box keel, H.1.3 is to be observed.
K. Stern Frame and Rudder
1. Where dredgers with stern wells for bucket ladders
and suction tubes are fitted with two rudders, the stern
frame scantlings are to be determined in accordance with
Section 13, C.1.
2. Where dredgers are fitted with auxiliary propulsion
and their speed does not exceed 5 kn at maximum draught,
the value v
0
= 7 kn is to be taken for determining the rudder
stock diameter.
Section 32 - Dredgers L 32 - 5
L. Bulwark, Overflow Arrangements
1. Bulwarks are not to be fitted in way of hoppers where
the hopper weirs discharge onto the deck instead of into
enclosed overflow trunks.
Even where overflow trunks are provided, it is
recommended not to fit bulwarks.
Where, however, bulwarks are fitted, freeing ports are to
be provided throughout their length which should be of
sufficient width to permit undisturbed overboard discharge
of any spoil spilling out of the hopper in the event of rolling.
2. Dredgers without restricted service range notation
are to be fitted with overflow trunks on either side suitably
arranged and of sufficient size to permit safe overboard
discharge of excess water during dredging operations.
The construction is to be such as not to require cutouts at
the upper edge of the sheer strake. Where overflow trunks
are carried through the wing compartments, they are to be
arranged such as to pierce the sheer strake at an adequate
distance from the deck.
3. Dredgers with restricted service range notation may
have overflow arrangements which permit discharge of
excess water during dredging operations into the deck.
M. Self-Unloading Barges
1. Self-unloading barges covered by this SubSection
are split hopper barges the port and starboard portions of
which are hinged at the hopper end bulkheads to facilitate
rotation around the longitudinal axis when the bottom is
to be opened.
2. Longitudinal strength calculations are to be carried
out for self-unloading barges, irrespective of their length,
for the unloading condition. The bending moments and
the stresses related to the inertia axis y' S y' and z' S z' are
to be determined according to the following formula:
=
M
y
e
z

I
y

M
z
e
y

I
z

M
y
, M
z
= bending moment related to the inertia axis
y'-y' and z'-z' respectively.
I
y
, I
z
= moments of inertia of the cross section
shown in Fig. 32.1 related to the respective
inertia axis.
e
y
, e
z
= the greater distance from the neutral axis
y'Sy' and z'Sz' respectively.
The still water bending moments are to be determined for
the most unfavourable distribution of cargo and
consumables. The vertical still water and wave bending
moments are to be determined in accordance with
Section 5, A. and B.
The horizontal still water bending moment within the hold
length is to be calculated on the basis or the horizontal
pressure difference between external hydrostatic pressure
and cargo pressure in still water.
The following portion of the dynamic moment is to be
added to the horizontal still water moment :
M
z
= [kN/m
2
]
2
24
10 T
2
S
10 T S p
0
2
10 T p
0
T
p
0
see Section 4, A.2., with f = 1
= spacing between hinges in [m]
The stresses are not to exceed the following values:
S in still water:

SW
= , max [N/mm
2
] 15
L
k
150
k
S in the seaway:

p
= [N/mm
2
]
175
k
BKI may approve reduced vertical wave bending moments
if the vessel is intended for dumping within specified
service ranges or in sheltered waters only.
3. The bearing seating and all other members of the
hinge are to be so designed as not to exceed the following
permissible stress values when loading as per Fig. 32.1.:

b
= [N/mm
2
]
90
k
= [N/mm
2
]
55
k
Fig. 32.1 Static loads on a self-unloading barge,
loaded
p'
s
and p'
B
= water pressure in [kN/m
2
] at the
draught T
Section 32 - Dredgers L 32 - 6
p'
L
= cargo pressure in [kN/m
2
] as per the
following formula:
p'
L
= 10 h
and h see H.1.1.
N. Equipment
1. The equipment of anchors, chain cables,wires and
recommended ropes for dredgers for unrestricted service
range having normal ship shape of the underwater part of
the hull is to be determined in accordance with Section 18.
When calculating the Equipment Number according to
Section 18, B. bucket ladders and gallows need not to be
included. For dredgers of unusual design of the underwater
part of the hull, the determination of the equipment requires
special consideration.
The equipment for dredgers for restricted range of service
is to be determined as for vessels with the notations L
(Coastal Service).
2. For dredgers in shallow water service T, see
Section 30, E.
3. The equipment of non-selfSpropelled dredgers is
to be determined as for barges, in accordance with
Section31, G.
4. Considering rapid wear and tear, it is recommended
to strengthen the anchor chain cables which are also
employed for positioning of the vessel during dredging
operations.
5. Anchor equipment fitted in addition to the
requirements as per 1. to 3. (e.g. for positioning purposes)
are a part of classification only where the class notation
is assigned in accordance with A.4.