Steel Thickness Requirements News

DNV GL’s latest Container Ship Forum and Bulk Carrier Forum looked at a broad spectrum of topics including environmental regulations, trends in ship design as well as the new DNV GL rule set. Some 150 representatives from the container and bulk industry met with DNV GL experts at the forums in Hamburg to hear the presentations and participate in informal discussions. As economy of scale is reducing transportation costs per box, the demand for ever bigger vessels is continuing.

French ship classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) was to make three tanker safety proposals to the French government at a meeting last Thursday, proposals are designed to help improve tanker surveys and provide early warning of potential structural and safety problems for ships, BV said. The French government has already pledged to stiffen tanker safety standards when it takes over the European Union presidency in the second half of this year. Bureau Veritas said all ships over 15 years old should be required to undergo surveys which allow access to all cargo tanks and inspection of ballast tanks. Extra steel thickness requirements would be made.

French ship classification society Bureau Veritas will make a number of tanker safety proposals to the French government at a meeting this week. The proposals will help improve tanker surveys and provide early warning of potential structural and safety problems for ships, officials said. Bureau Veritas officials said the group will make three main proposals at the meeting on Feb. 10. The first of these is that all ships over 15 years old should be required to undergo surveys that allow access to all cargo tanks and inspection of ballast tanks. Extra steel thickness requirements would be made. Port inspection reports should also be forwarded to classification societies and a computerized database of vessels' entire structural and repair histories collated, Bureau Veritas will recommend.