ABS Launches Guide for Container Shippers

Class Society builds on long history of developing tools to drive optimization, compliance and safety in the containership sector.

ABS released two new tools specifically focused on assisting the containership sector with pressing operational challenges. The Guide for Certification of Container Securing Systems (Container Securing Guide), along with its companion software, and the Guide for Fire-Fighting Systems for On-Deck Cargo Areas of Container Carriers (FOC Guide) each represent significant contributions to safety for the sector.

“In today’s operating environment, containership owners must improve performance while maintaining reliability and safety,” said ABS Vice President for Container Ships Matt Tremblay. “These cutting-edge tools provide industry leading guidance that optimizes operational capacity and enhances safety for containerships.”

As containerships become larger, stack weights increase, and new lashing systems are designed, container ship owners and operators are facing increased challenges to optimize the cargo securing systems on their vessels. To help address this concern ABS has updated the Container Securing Guide to address new procedures for twist lock testing. By year’s end, the guide will introduce significant changes in on-deck container stack load analysis and lashing bridge design load calculations, introducing extensive and dynamic, non-linear methodology to on-deck container stack load analysis to more accurately determine container carrying capabilities.

To facilitate efficient application of the significant updates to the Container Securing Guide, ABS has developed a software tool known as C-LASH. The tool provides full non-linear direct calculations for load analysis of on-deck container stacks. This proprietary software will allow operators and designers to better understand the impact of twist lock clearance and lashings to help optimize cargo capacity safely and efficiently.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements for additional container deck firefighting capabilities went into effect in January of this year. Based on experience gained in applying the FOC Guide released in 2013 along with various fire modeling efforts carried out since that time, ABS has updated its FOC Guide to provide arrangements that comply with the new regulations as well as enhancements and clarifications to the basic IMO regulations. The enhanced FOC notation provides additional arrangements that substantially improve capabilities for fighting fires on deck in cargo areas of container carriers.