SUBDIVISION OF RO-RO SHIPS FOR ENHANCED SAFETY IN THE DAMAGED CONDITION

Abstract

The paper shows that ro-ro ships can be as sate in the damaged condition as other ship types without restricting their design features, i.e. with no transverse and/or horizontal subdivision within the cargo space liable to damage, if there are provisions for reserve buoyancy above the vehicle deck - the first deck above the deepest waterline. For this purpose these ships should embody a double hull over the entire length of the cargo region of the ship, terminated at the second deck above the waterline and, in addition, double decks - at least the first deck above the waterline - preferably inclined upwards in the longitudinal direction. The double hull and double decks should be sufficiently densely subdivided by watertight bulkheads into watertight compartments. They should be preferably cross-connected and of a breadth less than B/5. Cargo spaces below the double decks should be provided with efficient air escapes for removing air cushions from the undersides of the decks. A deck (or decks), if any, below the first deck above the waterline and also this deck should be designed as open to the passage of flooding water, i.e. incorporating efficient down-flooding arrangements.