Strengthening for Navigation in Ice(Adopted From DNV GL)

The ice belt is the zone of the shell plating which is to be strengthened. The ice belt is divided into
regions as follows

Side scuttles are not to be situated in the ice belt. If the weather deck in any part of the ship is
situated below the upper limit of the ice beltbe.g. in way of the well of a raised quarter deck, the
bulwark is to have at least the same strength as is required for the shell in the ice belt. Special
consideration has to be given to the design of the freeing ports

According to various Ice class notation the forefoot region according to A.4.1.1.4 shall have at least
the thickness of the midbody region or the upper bow ice belt region shall have at least the
thickness of the midbody region. A similar strengthening of the bow region is also advisable for a
ship with a lower service speed when it is evident that the ship will have a high bow wave, e.g. on
the basis of model tests

Within the ice-strengthened area, all frames are to be effectively attached to the supporting
structures. Longitudinal frames are generally to be attached to supporting web frames and
bulkheads by brackets. Brackets may be omitted with an appropriate increase in the section
modulus of the frame and with the addition of heel stiffeners (heel stiffeners may be omitted on the
basis of direct calculations, subject to approval by GL). Brackets and heel stiffeners are to have at
least the same thickness as the web plate of the frame and the free edge has to be appropriately
stiffened against buckling. When a transverse frame terminates at a stringer or deck, a bracket or
similar construction is to be fitted. When a frame is running through the supporting structure, both
sides of the web are to be connected to the structure by direct welding, collar plate or lug.

Frames which are unsymmetrical, or having webs which are not perpendicular to the shell plating, or
having an unsupported span A greater than 4,0 m, are to be supported against tripping by brackets,
intercostal plates, stringers or similar at a distance not exceeding 1300 mm. The frames are to be
attached to the shell by double continuous welds. No scalloping is allowed except when crossing
shell plate butt welds.
The upper end of the ice-strengthened part of all frames is to be attached to a deck, tanktop (or tank
bottom) or an ice stringer.

Where a frame terminates above a deck or stringer, which is situated at or above the upper limit of
the ice belt the part above the deck or stringer need not be ice-strengthened. In such cases, the
upper part of the intermediate frames may be connected to the adjacent main or 'tweendeck frames
by a horizontal member of the same scantlings as the main and 'tweendeck frames, respectively.

The lower end of the ice-strengthened part of all frames is to be attached to a deck, inner bottom,
tanktop (or tank bottom) or ice stringer Where an intermediate frame terminates below a deck,
tanktop (or tank bottom) or ice stringer which is situated at or below the lower limit of the ice belt
its lower end may be connected to the adjacent main or 'tween deck frames by a horizontal member
of the same scantlings as the main and 'tweendeck frames, respectively.

Additional Ice stringers to be included within the ice belt and some are included outside the icebelt
too.

The stem is to be made of rolled, cast or forged steel, or of shaped steel plates

Due consideration is to be given to this increased ice loading in the design and dimensioning of the
stern region and aft structure.

On twin and triple screw ships, the icestrengthening of the shell and framing shall be extended to
the double bottom to an extent of 1,5 m forward and aft of the side propellers.

Shafting and stern tubes of side propellers are generally to be enclosed within plated bossings. If
detached struts are used, their design, strength and attachment to the hull are to be duly
considered. For ships sailing in low temperature areas, small gaps between the rudder and ship's hull
may cause the rudder to become fixed to the hull through freezing. It is therefore recommended to
avoid gaps less than 1/20 of the rudder body width or 50 mm, whichever is less, or to install suitable
means such as heating arrangements.