CLASSIFICATION

SOCIETIES
By
Dr. Oladokun Sulaiman
Olanrewaju

What is CLASS ?

The term Classification comes from the

fact that we sort out ships categories
according to the level of confidence we
assign them, further to the results of the
assessment carried out thereon.
The class is granted generally for a term
of 5 years during which its validity is
subject to compulsory periodical
surveys

What is CLASS ?
It

defines technical and safety

standards of a ship, which
reflects the risk of insuring a
ship

 Determination
of Fitness a ship
Reason
to CLASS

Meet Requirement of jurisdictions

Possible lower insurance premiums
Indicates due negligence
Indicates proper maintenance in
performed
Assures that capital investment is
protected
Owner satisfaction

The insurers to assess the premium relative to the

ship (hull insurance) and that relative to the cargo
(cargo insurance)
Hence, the owner to find an insurer who accepts to
cover the risk incurred by the ship
Then, the owner to charter his ship
The charterer to select advisedly the ship whom he
will entrust with his cargo
A future owner to assess the quality of the ship prior
to the purchase
The flag authorities to trust the ship and, therefore,
to register her into their fleet

Classification of the ship

enables :

What is CLASSIFICATION
SOCIETY
A

body that ensures that class of a

ship, however, with increasing
demands from all quarters of the
industry and the continuous
development of ship technology,
the societies have changed in form
as a consequences of accepting
the additional responsibilities

 To assign aRole
Development of
Class
Present
of
notation
computer software
Maintenance of class Societies
Classification
Set up worldwide

Relevant research
work
Statutory surveys
(marine
administration)
Charter surveys
Profitability advice (to
owner)

networks
Carry out surveys
Certification
Emergency
technical services

Classification Responsibilities
To ensure that merchant ships and
marine structure presented to it comply
with rules that the society had
established for design, construction
and periodic survey
Trough it classification survey
procedure it is the intent of the society
to prevent vessel from falling into a
substandard condition.

Lloyd's Register (LR)

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Bureau Veritas (BV)
Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Registro Italiano Navale (RINA)
Class NK Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK)
Germanischer Lloyd (GL)
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS)
China Classification Society (CCS)
Trk Loydu Turkish Register of Shipping (TL)
Indian Register of Shipping (IRS)
Polski Rejestr Statkw (PRS)
Korean Register of Shipping (KR)
Hellenic Register of Shipping (HRS)

Major Classification
Societies in the world

Surveys Areas for

Container Ships

Large distortion of
hatch opening for
hatch cover design

Bow flare impact

pressure

LWL

High stress at hatch

corners forward of
machinery room

Transverse strength & fatigue

of longitudinal frame

Pillar
bulkhead

Watertight
bulkheads

Cross deck structure

Connection of cross
deck beam to
longitudinal girder

Connection of cross
deck beam to upper
deck

Bottom slamming
impact pressure

Hatch brackets

High stress at
hatch corners in
forward hold

One year survey after

construction

Deck features and

integrity
Overboard discharge
arrangement
Vent piping
Bilge level detection
(UMS)
Anchoring / mooring
equipment
Water-tight doors and
bulkhead penetrations

Steering test
Emergency escape
routes
Bilge pumping system
General conditions
hull and machinery
Satutory surveys
Surveys of continuous
survey items

Ten years survey after

construction
Testing of tanks (FO,
LO, FW & DB tank)
- Pressure test
- Internal condition
- Stagger (tankers)
- Transverse webs
(cargo tank)
* Can be done in a float
condition

Annual surveys
Statutory surveys
Continuous
surveys
Hull gauging
where necessary