Issue Summary

Intercargo continues to monitor the development common structural rules for bulk carriers and rule amendments on an ongoing basis. Goal Based Standards are being developed by the IMO and are essentially 'rules for rules' that will have an impact upon the current system of technical regulation.

Intercargo Policy

Common Structural Rules (CSR) - Intercargo supports the principle of CSR on the grounds that it helps to remove competition between Classification Societies on the optimisation of scantlings. Intercargo monitors the development and maintenance of the rules with the aim of ensuring the members’ feedback is appropriately incorporated into the development process.

Goal Based Standards (GBS) - The International Goal-based Ship Construction Standards for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers describe the goals and establish the functional requirements that the rules for ship design shall meet. The GBS also require that such rules shall be verified as meeting the goals and functional requirements. In this sense the GBS can be considered ‘rules for rules’. Intercargo supports the principle of transparent goals and criteria and is considering issues of verification further as they develop.

Summary of Recent Developments

CSR - At CASTEC 21(Oct 2009) it was decided to be more active in the rule development process.  In addition to raising concerns at the annual meeting between Industry and IACS Council on 9^th December in London, we have also submitted comments on the latest rule change proposal and a substantial paper concerning double bottom structures in relation to minimum height criteria, please see the PDFs below for further detail.

GBS - MSC 86 approved the SOLAS amendments to make GBS mandatory for ships contracted from 1 January 2015, this will now be subject to final adoption at MSC 87 (May 2010).It is anticipated that the verification guidelines will be approved at MSC 87. Intercargo is continuing to work with an industry group considering the content of the Ship Construction File with a view to submitting a proposal to MSC 87.

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