Goal based standards

Agenda Item 5 Goal based Ship Construction Standards

The Working group on Goal Based Standards was chaired by Mr J.Sirkar (United States) and attended
by 30 member states, 1 Intergovernmental organization and 7 Non GovernmentalOrganizations.
India was represented by Mr N.Girish.

Initial discussions at Plenary identified the need for wider understanding and participation of the
member states in the area of Goal based standards as it was felt by many member states that only
few privileged member states have capability now to work in this area especially on the Safety level
approach.

The Committee instructed the Working Group with the following main terms of reference:

i. discuss and consider the overall objective in respect to safety level approach,
including the implementation and the consequences, and recommend a way forward;

ii. consider the amendments to the Generic Guidelines for developing IMO goal-based standards
(MSC.1/Circ.1394) and advise the Committee accordingly;

iii. further consider the draft Interim guidelines for the application of the goal-based
standards safety level approach (SLA) to the IMO rule-making process

The International Register of Shipping has submitted goal-based new ship construction standards for
verification audit by the International Maritime Organisation.

IRS is the only Recognised Organisation outside the International Association of Classification
Societies (IACS) to have developed and submitted MSC 296(87)-compliant structural rules for bulk
carriers and oil tankers in time to meet the IMO December 2013 deadline.

Speaking on behalf of IRS Management, Group Vice President Panos Kirnidis said: “IRS has overcome
considerable technical and commercial challenges to meet the deadline, but our substantial
investment in the research and development of new goal-based rules and standards will enable us to
capture a significant share of the 30% of vessels outside the purview of IACS.“
In total, thirteen classification societies submitted GBS verification requests. The outcome of the
audits will be submitted to the MSC in May 2016 and, if approved, those construction rules will be
applied to bulk carriers and oil tankers built on or after 1 July 2016, limiting the survey and
certification of these ship types to this group of 13 societies.
In addition to the development of Goal-Based Standards, IRS has invested heavily in new information
technology platforms, including the latest in Enterprise Resource Planning software and a bespoke
system called E-Ships.
IRS Technical Director Jay Karumathi said: “E-Ships will catapult IRS into the big league. It’s a unique
customised software solution that enables our in-house teams and external users, such as
shipowners, flag states and port authorities, to access data in order to monitor and manage
workflows in real time. The software also meets the stringent transparency requirements set by IMO
in its RO Code.“
Primary benefactors of the IRS Goal Based Standards and its investment in the latest information
systems software will be the owners and managers of the 1500 vessels under IRS Class.
WHAT ARE “GOAL-BASED” STANDARDS?

A process of evolution has guided the design of merchant ships down through the centuries. It has
devised a system of practical compromises which is reached between the various criteria that have
to be fulfilled, such as the capacity of the ship, speed and fuel consumption, the draught and
dimensions. And over the years rules have been developed to ensure that the ship is safe, strong,
stable and seaworthy, altered in the light of experience or extrapolated to suit larger vessels. In
modern times, mathematical models, empirical research and test tanks have all been used to “test”
these standards.

The rules that were gradually developed have necessarily been prescriptive. Thus a component of
the ship has been required to be so many millimetres thick, or a certain specified height, so that the
designer has been forced to work around these inelastic requirements. Strength, thicknesses and
dimensions, details of welding, preparations of steelwork and finishing have all been provided for
the guidance of those designing ships. Both classification societies and regulators have worked in
such a fashion.

A serious disadvantage of prescriptive rules is the problem it gives designers wishing to vary them.
Innovation becomes that much harder, with designers trying to “bend” or vary the rules to
accommodate their innovative ideas. Those who are trying to develop radically different design
concepts, perhaps using entirely new hullforms or new materials, find the dead hand of prescription
a serious handicap. Moreover, there has been a tendency for those wishing to build much bigger
ships to merely “stretch” or extrapolate parameters for smaller vessels, rather than look at really
original designs, which are just too hard to accommodate within the rules.

The new and exciting concept of “goal-based” standards is changing this stultifying problem of
prescription. This concept, rather than relying on the constraints of the original rules, considers what
the ultimate safety objective of the designer might be, and will consider a range of different design
approaches that will reach this desired goal; thus, the designer will be given choice and with this the
opportunity to innovate.
The “goal” may be safe operation during a desired design life, the ability to stay afloat in the event of
water ingress, or specifying the ability to extinguish of contain a fire within a definite period, rather
than merely demanding certain number of fire appliances.

A naval architect, who believes that a new technique or construction material is advantageous will
now to ensure that its use fits in with the ultimate objective of producing a safe, structurally sound
and environmentally-friendly design. It is already encouraging the use of new materials and building
techniques, less conservatism in design and is providing many more opportunities and incentives for
original thought in ship design. The spread of goal-based concepts throughout the regulatory and
rule-making process is surely beneficial.

GOAL BASED SHIP CONSTRUCTION:----

Goal based ship design and structure was first presented in 2002 in MSC 76 after a proposal was
given by BAHAMAS and GREECE in 89th session of council. They suggested that IMO should play a
larger role in determining the standard to which new ships are built, traditionally the responsibility
of classification society and shipyards.
         It was adopted in 2010 at MSC 87. It will be applied to oil tankers and bulk carriers starting in
2016. It means whose building contract is placed on/after 1st July 2016. In the absence of building
contract keel laid on/after 1st July 2017. And whose delivery is on/after 1st July 2020.
IMO Goal based standards are:-
1) Broad, overarching safety, environmental and/or security standards that ships are required to
meet during their lifecycle.
2) The required level to be achieved by the requirements applied by classification societies, other
RO, administration and IMO.
3) Clear, demonstrable, verifiable, long standing, implementable and achievable, irrespective of ship
design and technology.
4) Specific enough in order not to be open to differing interpretation.
              These basic principles were developed to be applicable to all goal based new ship
construction standard. In the near future IMO may develop goal based standards for other areas e.g.
machinery, equipment, fire protection etc.
    The committee agreed in principle on a five tier system.
           
                           Tier 1           GOALS                                               ----- IMO
                        Tier 2           FUNCTIONAL
                                           REQUIREMENT
                  Tier 3          VERIFICATION AND
                                    ACCEPTANCE   CRITERIA
          Tier 4        IACS CSR FOR OIL TANKER AND
                                BULK CARRIER                                          ------    IACS
Tier 5                  PROCEDURE AND QUALITY SYSTEM               ------       INDUSTRY

TIER 1 :- GOALS –
Ships are to designed and constructed for a specified design life to be safe and environmentally
friendly when properly operated and maintained under the specified operating and environmental
condition, in intact and specified damage condition, throughout their life.
               Here safety also includes the ship structure being arranged to provide safe access, escape,
inspection and proper maintenance.
TIER 2:- FUNCTIONAL REQUIRMENT ----
A set of requirements relevant to the functions of the ship structure is to be complied with in order
to meet the above mentioned goals. It consists of:-
a)DESIGN:--
 1) Design life :- 25 years design life
2) Environmental condition:- North Atlantic environment
3) Structural strength:-  Suitable safety margin at net scantling
4) Fatigue life:- 25 years fatigue life in north Atlantic
5) Residual strength:- Sufficient
6) Protection against corrosion:- Coating design life specified.
7) Structural redundancy
8) Water tight and weather tight integrity
9) Human element consideration
10) Design transparency
  b) CONSTRUCTION:-
   11) Construction quality procedures
   12) Survey
  c) IN SERVICE CONSIDERATION:-
    13) Survey and maintenance
    14) Structural accessibility
  d) RECYCLING CONSIDERATION:-
    15) Recycling
 TIER 3:- VERIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE
             It provides the instruments necessary for demonstrating that the detailed requirement in
TIER 4 and TIER 5 comply with TIER 1 goals and TIER 2 functional requirements. Verification process
is:-
1) RO or administration submits request for verification of its rule.
2) IMO appointed audit teams review.
3) Report of audit team goes to MSC
4) MSC takes decision on conformity with GBS
  TIER 4:- Technical procedures and guidelines, including national and international guidelines.
  TIER 5:- Industry standard, codes of practices and safety and quality systems for ship building,
operation, maintenance, training etc.

SHIP CONSTRUCTION FILE:- it will contain the specific information on how the functional
requirements of the GBS have been applied in ship design and construction. It shall be provided
upon delivery of a new ship, and kept on board a ship and/or ashore. It should be updated as
appropriate throughout ship’s life. Contents of SCF shall at least conform to the guidelines.