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A
harmonised approach to the hull
survey of double hulled tankers has
been agreed between members of the
International Association of
Classification Societies.
Measures
set out in its latest unified
requirements, recently adopted by
the IACS council, provide guidance
for surveyors on the special, annual
and intermediate surveys of double
hulled tankers and sets out a
methodology on preparatory work,
documentation, thickness
measurement, the preparation of a
survey report and its evaluation.
The
new provisions will be considered by
the IMO sub-committee on ship design
and equipment when it meets in
March.
IACS
members now operate to unified
requirements on the hull survey of
all oil tankers, bulk carriers and
chemical tankers.
IACS
permanent secretary Robin Bradley
said the principal difference
between surveying single and double
hulled ships was the significant
increase in work represented by the
latter ship type, where the scope of
thickness measurements and close-up
surveys had been expanded.
There
are, he points out, important new
issues raised by the large-scale
introduction of double-hulled ships,
with single hulled vessels being
phased out.
The
more complex structures, the
corrosion issues and safety concerns
relating to the work within the
space between the hulls have all
been considered.
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