scope:

Introduction

General

The structural strength criteria in the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Marine Vessels (Marine Vessel Rules) are the basis to establish the required scantlings for vessels classed by ABS. For vessels carrying ore cargoes, Part 5C, Chapter 3 of the Marine Vessel Rules is applicable to the vessel configurations for ore carriers and ore/oil carriers. The hull structure is required to be evaluated against the failure modes of yielding, buckling, and fatigue under the design loads in the Marine Vessel Rules.

The hull structure constructed to the Marine Vessel Rules is to be properly maintained throughout the vessel's service life and the vessel is to be operated within the loading envelope curves in the approved Loading Manual and Loading Program.

The high loading rates at many ore cargo terminals may lead to the exceedance of a vessel's loading envelopes, wherein the hull-structure is stressed close to or beyond its strength limits. Vessels carrying ore cargoes can be more explicitly designed to tolerate onerous loading processes. This Guide defines the design parameters for such loading tolerance and provides the evaluation procedure and technical requirements for the optional notations LDCARE1 (Loading Care 1) and LDCARE2 (Loading Care 2).

In addition, iron ore fines having a moisture content in excess of the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) are only to be carried in specially constructed, or in specially fitted, cargo ships according to Paragraph 7.3.1.1 of IMSBC Code. Due to the lack of specific requirements in IMO regulations and ABS Rules for vessels capable of carrying iron ore fines with moisture content in excess of the TML, this Guide provides both stability and hull strength requirements for this purpose with the optional notation TML.

Application

To be eligible for the optional notations LDCARE1 (Loading Care 1) and LDCARE2 (Loading Care 2) and/or TML, vessels for carrying ore cargoes are to comply with Part 5C, Chapter 3 and Part 5C, Appendix 1 of the Marine Vessel Rules and recognized with the notations SH, SHCM.

Notations

Vessels carrying ore cargoes that comply with the requirements in Subsection 2/1 of this Guide may be distinguished in the ABS Record with the optional notation:

LDCARE1 (ore loading/unloading rate xx MT/hour, yy minutes overshooting)

Vessels carrying ore cargoes that comply with the requirements in Subsection 2/3 of this Guide which are fitted with automatic draft reading sensors, as well as an automatic level-gauging system for all ballast tanks linked to the onboard loading program, may be distinguished in the ABS Record with the optional notation:

LDCARE2 (ore loading/unloading rate xx MT/hour, yy minutes overshooting)

Vessels carrying iron ore fines that comply with the requirements in Section 3 of this Guide and Section 5C-3-A3 of the Marine Vessel Rules, may be distinguished in the ABS Record with the optional notation:

TML