ClassNK releases draft containership rule amendments

The amendments were approved on 19 November in Tokyo by the ClassNK Technical Committee, which is made up of representatives from the shipping and shipbuilding industries, as well as scholars and experts.

ClassNK established the Investigative Panel on Large Container Ship Safety following a large casualty in June 2013. The panel investigates the possibility of casualty occurrence and the structural safety of large containerships.

The results from this investigation were released in a report in 2014 and were used to help with the draft amendments to containership rules.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourist (MLIT) Committee on Large Container Ship Safety released recommendation of requirements for large containerships in its Final Report in March 2015.

Alongside this, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) adopted the new Longitudinal Strength Standard for Container Ships (S11A) and Functional Requirements on Load Cases for Strength Assessment of Container Ships by Finite Element Analysis (S34).

Using ICAS’ S11A and S34 with the reports published by ClassNK and MLIT, ClassNK drafted amendments to its rules and guidance for containerships.

The amendments will come into effect after receiving approval from ClassNK’s board of directors, this is scheduled to take place by 1 April 2016.