Grain Cargoes

Carriage & handling

of grain cargoes,
including the
International Grain
Rules.

1
 MS (Carriage of Cargoes) Reg. 1999

• A ship carrying a grain cargo is to comply with

the requirements of the International Grain
Code.

• The ship must have a

Document of Authorisation
 International Code for the Safe
Carriage of Grain in Bulk.
(International Grain Code)
• The International Grain Code is published by
the IMO to ensure mandatory compliance
with the 1974 SOLAS Convention
amendments that came into force on 1st.
January 1994.
• The amendments to SOLAS Chapter VI are
reproduced in the Appendix to the
International Grain Code.
Amendments to SOLAS Chapter VI

 Regulation 9 states;

 That a ship must have a

Document of Authorisation

 Or;
Amendments to SOLAS Chapter VI
• Loading is not to commence unless the
Master demonstrates to the Port State
Authority that in the proposed loading
condition, the ship would comply with the
International Grain Code and a signed
document is issued by the Certifying
Authority Surveyor.
•500 tph loading arm
•Swivelling upper
structure
•Boom has planetary
movement for
position of loading
head to provide good
trimming of grain
•Fitted with dust
suppression head,
filters and noise
reducing devices
 Grain includes any one of the
following:-
Wheat
• Any of these can
•
• Maize
• Oats cause self
• Rye combustion due
• Barley
Rice
to the gases
•
• Pulses given off
• Seeds
 Grain Loading Feeder
Note it discharges low down to reduce dust
 Can I carry 20,000 tonnes of
grain on my vessel?
• Check you have a current Document of
Authorisation
• Refer to the vessel's stability book to see
what weight the vessel can carry in each
hold
• Check out the grain loading plans on
board - check the volume for each
compartment
• Obtain stowage factor from the shipper
• Find out what type of grain you are
loading and check if it gives off
dangerous gases
 Can I carry 20,000 tonnes of
grain on my vessel? continued

• Calculate stability/freeboard/draught
before loading, during and after
loading

• Make sure the grain cannot shift by using

boards transversely and athwart-ships to
minimize F.S.E. – we will cover this later
Preventing FSE & cargo shift
18
19
 Stability Requirements
• The basic requirement of the rules are
• It must be demonstrated by calculation that
the ship will have sufficient intact stability at
all times during the voyage.
• The stability shall be sufficient to provide
adequate residual dynamic stability to take
into account the effect of heeling moments
due to an assumed shift of grain.
23
 Assumed Grain Shift
• The grain shift assumptions are contained
in Part B of the Code
• They are based on the way the grain
cargo is trimmed in cargo compartments
• The assumed heeling moments resulting
from the grain shifting in compartments in
various conditions of loading & trimming
Stability Requirements – Grain Shift

• The angle of heel due to the shift of grain

shall not be greater than 120

• Or in the case of ships constructed on or

after 1st. January 1994, the angle at which
the deck edge is immersed, whichever is
the greater.
Stability Requirements – Grain Shift
Parallel to heeling arm curv
e

Righting arm curve Max diff

between the GM
ordinates of
Angle of the curve
Residual
GZ (m)

heel due to
assumed dynamic
grain shift
stability Heeling arm curve
A due to grain shift
B
l0 l40

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Angle of heel
Deep hatch coaming

Trimming holes

Note Hopper bulkhead

 Statical stability Requirements
• In the statical stability diagram, the net or
residual area between the heeling arm
curve and the righting arm curve up to the
angle of heel of maximum difference
between the ordinates of the two curves,
or 400 or the angle of flooding, whichever
is the least, shall in all conditions be not
less than 0.075 metre radians.
Statical stability Requirements
Parallel to heeling arm curv
e

Max diff between

the ordinatesGM
of
the curve

Residual
GZ (m)

dynamic Not less than

stability 0.075mr
A
B
l0 l40
Heeling arm curve

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Angle of heel
Result of a Cargo Shift
Statical Stability Requirements continued
• The initial metacentric height after
correction for free surface effects of
liquids in tanks (i.e. GM Fluid) shall be NOT
LESS than 0.30m.

• The ship should be upright before

proceeding to sea.
Discharging with vacuum
discharger
 Document of Authorisation.
• This document shall be issued for every
ship loaded in accordance with the
regulations of the International Grain Code.
• It is issued by the Administration, an
Organisation recognised by it, or a
contracting government.
• The document is accepted as evidence that
the ship is capable of complying with the
regulations, and should be incorporated into
the ship’s grain loading manual.
 Grain Loading Manual to include:-
Page 78

• Ship’s particulars
• Lightship displacement & KG
• Table of liquid FSE corrections
• Various curves or tables including angle of
flooding, hydrostatic properties, stability &
heeling moments.
• Loading instructions in the form of notes
summarising the requirements of the Code.
• A worked example for guidance
• Typical loaded departure and arrival conditions
and intermediate worst service conditions.
Shovelling grain for final discharge
Ship without Document of Authorisation
Page 79

Can load grain provided that

1. The total weight of the bulk grain shall not
exceed 1/3rd of the deadweight of the ship.
2. All filled compartments, trimmed, shall be
fitted with centreline divisions to a depth of
2.4 m or 1/8 of beam – which ever greater.
3. Saucers may be accepted in lieu of a
centreline division in and beneath a
hatchway except in the case of linseed and
other seeds having similar properties.
Ship without Document of Authorisation
4. All hatches to filled compartments, trimmed,
shall be closed & covers secured in place.
5. All free grain Surfaces in partly filled cargo
spaces shall be trimmed level and secured
in accordance with regulations
A16 Over stowing with bags
A17 Strapping or lashing
A18 Secured with wire mesh
6. Throughout the voyage the metacentric
height i.e. GM(fluid) shall be 0.30m, or that
given by the formula in the Code, whichever
is the greater.
38
39
40
41
 Longitudinal Division
Ships without Document of Authorisation shall use
longitudinal divisions to comply with the stability
requirements of the code:-
• The divisions shall be Hatch Square B/8
on the centreline, or 2.4m
extend the full length of
the compartment(s), Shifting Board
Free Surface
downwards from the
underside of the deck or
hatch cover to a
distance below the deck
line of at least 1/8 of Grain
the maximum breadth Cargo
of the compartment, or
2.4m, whichever is the
greater.
 Longitudinal Division
B = Breadth of the hold
For Ships without
Document of Authorisation B/8
Hatch Square
or 2.4m

• Shifting boards will Free Surface Shifting Board

usually have “slots”
in the Centre &/or
Intercostal Girders
where they can be
slotted into place. Grain
Cargo
• Longitudinal divisions can be used in any ship
as a device to reduce the adverse heeling effect
of a grain shift, provided;
• The division is grain-tight.
• The construction meets the requirements of the
Code as regards materials, construction, and
scantlings.
• In tween-decks the division extends from deck
to deck.
• In other cargo spaces the division extends
downwards from the underside of the deck or
hatch covers as required by the Code, which is
a minimum of 0.6m below the grain surface
after an assumed shift of 150.
45
46
• Operating vacuum
discharger
• 1 x Officer
• 1 x Berth supervisor
• 2 x Stevedores to
shovel grain into
discharger (speeds
up the discharge)
 Saucering Page 82
• In a partly filled “Saucering” means precisely what it
hold it is says and can be used as an
necessary to alternative to longitudinal divisions.
saucer out the
grain into the Bagged
hatch square Grain Please see
• Overlay it with a the handout
heavy tarpaulin Heavy Tarpaulin
Envelope
• Then fill the
“saucer” with
bagged grain, up
into the hatch
square as can be Grain cargo
seen.
 Bundling
“Bundling” means precisely what it
• In a partly filled says and can be used as an
hold it is necessary alternative to longitudinal divisions.
to saucer out the
grain into the hatch
square Bundle of Grain
• Overlay it with a Please see
the handout
heavy tarpaulin
• Then fill the Heavy Tarpaulin Envelope
“saucer” with a
bundle of bulk
grain:-

Grain cargo
 Saucering & Bundling
• The depth of the saucer, measured from
the bottom of the saucer to the deck line,
shall be as follows:
• For ships with a moulded breadth of up to
9.1 m, not less than 1.2 m.
• For ships with a moulded breadth of 18.3 m
or more, not less than 1.8 m.
• For ships with a moulded breadth between
9.1 m and 18.3 m, the minimum depth of
the saucer shall be calculated by
interpolation.
 Saucering & Bundling
• The top of the saucer shall be formed by the
under deck structure in way of the hatchway
and be completely filled with bagged grain or
other suitable cargo laid down on a separation
cloth or its equivalent and stowed tightly against
adjacent structure.
• If hull structure to provide such bearing surface
is not available, the saucer shall be fixed in
position by steel wire rope, chain, or double
steel strapping spaced not more than 2.4m
apart.
 Overstowing & Lashing
• This may be achieved by over stowing, strapping or
lashing, or securing with wire mesh, for which the Code
gives full details of the materials to be used, and
methods of securing. The following is a summary
Overstowing:
• The grain surface shall be level and shall be covered
with a separation cloth or equivalent or by a suitable
platform.
• The platform or separation cloth shall be topped off with
bagged grain tightly stowed and extending to a height
of not less than one sixteenth of the max breadth of the
free grain surface or 1.2 m, whichever is the greater.
• Instead of bagged grain, other suitable cargo tightly
stowed and exerting at least the same pressure may be
used.
 1. Partly filled & levelled hold
2. Overlay with tarpaulin or suitable
platform
3. Top of with tightly stowed bagged grain
4. To a height of not less than:-

B/16 or 1.2m,
whichever is greater

Hold partly Overstowing

filled with bulk Page 83
grain
 Strapping or Lashing
1. The grain shall be trimmed and levelled to
the extent that it is very slightly crowned and
covered with burlap separation cloths,
tarpaulins or the equivalent.
2. The separation cloths and/or tarpaulins shall
overlay by at least 1.8 m.
3. Two solid floors of lumber shall be laid with
the top floor running longitudinally and nailed
to an athwart ships bottom floor.
Alternatively, one solid floor running
longitudinally and nailed over the top of a
bottom bearer may be used.
4. Steel wire rope, double steel, or chain, may
be used for lashings.
5. Prior to the completion of loading the lashing
shall be positively attached to the framing at
a point approximately 450 mm below the
anticipated final grain surface by means of a
shackle or beam clamp.
6. The lashings shall be not more than 2.4 m
apart and each shall be supported by a
bearer nailed over the top of the fore and aft
floor.
7. During the voyage the strapping shall be
regularly inspected.
Check for grab &
bulldozer damage
• Partly filled hold trimmed,
levelled & slightly
crowned.
Strapping Page 84

• Overlaid with tarpaulins.

• Athwarthships solid
dunnage floor
• Longitudinal solid
dunnage floor.
• Secured with wires,
double steel or chain
lashings.
• Lashings tightened with Hold partly
bottlescrews or similar, filled with bulk
• Lashings spaced not more grain
than 2.4m apart.
• Lashings fixed to side
framing 450mm below the
level of the grain surface
During the voyage the strapping shall be checked
regularly & tightened as necessary
 Securing with 


Overlaid with tarpaulins.
Two layers of wire
Wire Mesh reinforced mesh laid on top,
overlapped by at least
Trimmed, levelled & 75mm. First layer
slightly crowned. athwarthships, second is
longitudinally.
 Mesh retained by wooden
planks (150mm x 50mm) at
port & starboard sides.
 Wire, double steel or chain
Hold lashings fixed not more than
partly 2.4m apart over the wire
filled with mesh
bulk grain  Lashings to be laid over two
layers of planks (150mm x
50mm) extending the full
Last page breadth of the hold.