EXACT COLLEGES OF ASIA

Suclayin, Arayat, Pampanga

I. NAME OF PROGRAM Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation

II. COURSE DESCRIPTIVE Cargo Handling & COURSE CODE
TITLE/ CODE Stowage (Non-DG) Seam 3
III. PRE-REQUISITE/ CO- Seamanship 1 COURSE CREDIT
REQUISITE/ CREDIT UNIT UNIT
3
IV. COURSE DESCRIPTION The course deals with the study of Bulk Cargo
Operation regarding a) cargo condition, b) –
ship stability condition and c) monitoring
system
V. MODULE TITLE/NUMBER Bulk Cargo Operation MODULE
NUMBER
4
VI. INCLUSIVE WEEK Week Number 5
VII. COURSE OUTCOME
A. LEARNING OUTCOME: At the end of the modules, students should be
able to:
1. Describe & explain Bulk Cargo Operation regarding a) cargo condition, b) –
ship stability condition and c) monitoring
system
B. STCW Competence Addressed by the Course Module:
1. Monitor the loading, stowage, securing, care during the voyage and the
unloading of cargoes
C. STCW KUP Addressed by the Course Module:
1. Knowledge & ability to describe cargo handling, stowage and securing
VIII. MODULE RESOURCES
http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Cargoes/CargoesInBulk/Pages/default.aspx
https://imdgsupport.existec.com/Free%20IMDG%20Code%20introduction%2037-14.pdf
https://marinegyaan.com/what-is-imsbc-code-what-are-its-contents/
https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia/term/stability#:~:text=Ship%20stability%20is%20the
%20ability,external%20force%20has%20ceased%20acting.
https://www.marineinsight.com/naval-architecture/intact-stability-of-surface-ships/

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TOPIC 4 LO 1.7 Methodologies/Activities Schedule

Bulk Cargo Discuss the - Interactive Discussion
Operation following cargo on:
- Cargo condition and its  Angle of Repose
condition effects with respect  Cargoes which may liquefy
- Stability to the – flow moisture point
condition seaworthiness and  Flow State
of the ship stability of the ship  Transportable Moisture
- Monitoring in terms of: Limit
system - Angle of Repose  Stability condition of the
- Cargoes which ship
may liquefy – flow
moisture point - Students shall make a case
- Flow State study in reference to the case of
- Transportable M/V Stellar Daisy and M/V
Moisture Limit Bulk Jupiter
- Temperature,
toxic gases, oxygen Written Assessment
depletion and Output presentation of Case
humidity monitoring study with rubrics about the
- Ventilation M/V Stellar Daisy and M/V
- List and heel Bulk Jupiter in related to cargo
- Trim condition and its effects with
respect to the seaworthiness and
stability of the ship
INTRODUCTION:
The ship is responsible for loading the cargo at all times. The safety of the ship
and those onboard is paramount. In preparing for any cargo loading operation,
commercial understanding and cooperation with the loading terminal is essential
to ensure maximum efficiency. The loading of the ship must be done in accordance
with the ship's instructions, not those of the terminal. In the event of any
unresolved differences involving safe loading or the safety of the ship after
loading, in addition to advising owners agent or operating office it is recommended
that the situation is discussed with the port safety services or the coastguard.

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When the cargo loading plan is agreed, the master and terminal
representative should confirm the method of cargo operations so as to ensure
no excessive stresses on the hull, tank top and associated structures, and
exchange information to avoid any structural damage to the ship by cargo
handling handling equipment.

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The terminal representative should alert the master, when the cargo is heavy,
or when the individual grab loads are large, that there may be high, localized
impact loads on the ship's structure until the tank top is completely covered by
cargo, especially when high free-fall drops are permitted. As such impacts have
the potential for causing structural damage, special care should be taken at the start
of the loading operation in each cargo hold.

 CARGO CONDITION

Solid bulk cargoes are defined as any cargoes that are transported in a loose form

without any packaging. ... Bulk cargoes commonly transported on ships include
fertilisers, coal, grains, sugar, ores, minerals etc.

Generally, to prevent cargo shift, bulk cargoes with an angle of repose less than 35°
should be trimmed level to fill spaces within the cargo hold. This is not such a
problem in bulk carriers with wing tanks designed to fill the top spaces within the
hold.

Another advantage of trimming cargoes is that it reduces their surface area,

reducing the possibility of spontaneous combustion by cargoes such as concentrates.

Most modern ports now use flexible extending grain chutes capable of rotation to
reach all parts of a hold. At the final stages of loading, bulldozers can be used to trim
the cargo.

In most cases, the angle of repose is provided by the shipper before loading. If there
is any doubt, the IMSBC code provides detailed procedures for its calculation.

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Group A: cargoes which may liquefy, if shipped at a moisture content in excess of

their transportable moisture limit. Group B: cargoes which possess a chemical
hazard which could give rise to a dangerous situation on a ship.

Before commencement of loading of a solid bulk cargo, the shipper must provide
the master with the characteristics and properties of the cargo, including:

 Stowage factor, angle of repose, trimming procedures, and likelihood of

shifting.
 The transportable moisture limit and average moisture content
where (Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes - BLU code) applies.

 Flammability, toxicity, corrosiveness, chemical, oxygen

depletion and any other hazards of the cargo, as applicable.

 STABILITY CONDITION OF THE SHIP

The load density of the tank top should never be exceeded. Tank top

strength is provided in the ship's stability booklet. Exceeding the maximum
permissible cargo load in any of the holds of a ship will lead to over
stressing of local structure

The safe ocean transport of bulk cargoes on large bulk ships is vitally dependent
on the stability of the cargo under the influence of the rolling, pitching and
yawing motion of the ship and the transmission of vibration from the ship’s
engine and propulsion machinery as well as wave motion induced whipping.
Safety standards for ship transport are set by such bodies as the International
Maritime Organisation with recommended tests for the assessment of bulk ores
deemed suitable for safe ship transport. These test procedures are somewhat
empirical and take no account of the well established and proven flow property
tests, analysis and design methodologies widely accepted in field of bulk solids
handling. These matters are discussed in this article. The stress states in loaded
bulk cargoes are examined with respect to the establishment of maximum limits for
surface rill angles as a function of a ship’s roll angles

 MONITORING SYSTEM

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A test to determine the
transportable moisture limit of
a solid bulk cargo should be
conducted in the six months
before the date of loading. ... The
flow moisture point of
any cargo is deemed to be the
percentage of moisture content at
which the cargo behaves like a
fluid and develops a flow state.
(https://safety4sea.com/best-practice-for-can-tests/) video link for can
test for your viewing

The interval between sampling / testing and loading shall never be more than

seven days. 4.5. 3 Samples of frozen cargo shall be tested for the TML or
the moisture content after the free moisture has completely thawed.

The interval between sampling/testing and loading shall never be more than

seven days. 4.5. 3 Samples of frozen cargo shall be tested for the TML or
the moisture content after the free moisture has completely thawed.

Passing the test means the sample shows no sign of free moisture on the surface. It
looks dry and crumbles easily, and does not move when you tip or shake
the can. ... This cargo will most likely liquefy at sea and you should not load it
without independently verifying its moisture content and transportable moisture
limit.

 ANGLE OF REPOSE
The maximum slope, measured in degrees from the horizontal, at which loose
solid material will remain in place without sliding. When bulk cargo is loaded by
“pouring” on to a flat surface, it forms an angle between the cone slope of
the cargo and a horizontal plane. Low angles of repose indicate that the bulk
cargo is prone to shifting at sea.

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The angle of repose is important for the design of processing, storage, and
conveying systems of particulate materials. When the grains are smooth and
rounded, the angle of repose is low. For very fine and sticky materials the angle of
repose is high.

The equation for calculating the angle of

repose is: tan-1(2h/d). Using your
scientific calculator, multiply height by 2
and divide this value by the distance.
Then, hit the inverse tan key (or tan-1)
and the answer just calculated. This will
give you the angle of repose, & alpha;.

Numerous factors, such as the angle of internal friction, grain size and
shape, density, moisture content, interface friction angle, stratification, roughness
of the base at which the material is heaped, segregation, pull-out velocity of the
hollow cylinder (a measurement instrument for the angle of repose),

There is a relationship between

particle size and angle of
repose. The smaller particles
tend to have a smaller angle and
the larger particles have a
higher angle of repose. ... The
texture of the material might
affect the angle of repose.

 CARGOES WHICH
MAY LIQUEFY –
FLOW MOISTURE
POINT

Group A consists of cargoes which may liquefy if shipped at a moisture content

in excess of their transportable moisture limit. Liquefaction is a phenomenon in
which a soil-like material is abruptly transformed from a solid dry state to an
almost fluid state.

Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which solid bulk cargoes are abruptly

transformed from a solid dry state to an almost fluid state. Many common bulk

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cargoes such as iron ore fines, nickel ore and various mineral concentrates are
examples of materials that may liquefy. Liquefaction occurs as a result of
compaction of the cargo which results from engine vibrations, ship’s motion and
rolling and wave impact that further causes cargo agitation.

Liquefaction results in a flow state to develop. This permits the cargo to slide and
shift in one direction thus creating free surface effect and reducing the GM thereby
reducing stability. Shippers declaration should be thoroughly examined by the
chief officer before loading any bulk cargo. He must make sure that the moisture
content of the cargo to be loaded should not exceed the transportable moisture limit
to avoid liquefaction during the voyage. Often shippers declaration turn out to be
faulty. Spot checks can also be carried on board ships to check the moisture
content.

Nickel ore liquefaction has a direct correlation between the parameters of moisture

content (MC) within the cargo and the response motion of the ship steering through
its encountering weather condition at seas. The focus parameter of the potential
onset of liquefaction is the amount of moisture content within the cargo. Therefore,
having a moisture content below the transportable moisture limit (TML) before
loading is the suggested mandatory standard of IMSBC1 code for the transport of
solid bulk cargoes which may liquefy. When cargo with an unsuitable/unsafe
moisture content exceeding the threshold of its transportable moisture limit is
loaded on board, ship's vibration and motion at sea may result in liquefaction
taking place. In the worst case, the ship may develop a severe list due to cargo shift
and capsize. Understanding that there is an inadequacy of scientific research works
on the subject of remediation effort in liquefaction at seas and availability of closed
form solution in this discipline. A response plan developed for a handymax bulk
carrier liquefaction incident, with the objective to reduce the risk of capsizing and
reclaim its stability by redistributing her homogeneous stowage loading on board
into alternate loading is presented herein for information.

Flow Moisture Point - The percentage moisture content (wet mass basis) at which
a flow state develops under the prescribed method of test in a representative
sample of the material.

 FLOW STATE

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A state occurring when a mass of granular material is saturated with liquid to an
extent that, under the influence of prevailing external forces such as vibration,
impaction or ship's motion, it loses its internal shear strength and behaves as a
liquid.

 TRANSPORTABLE MOISTURE LIMIT

The Transportable Moisture Limit of cargo is the maximum gross water content

by weight that liquefiable solid bulk cargo may contain during transport without
risk of liquefaction.

ALS determines a safe Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) for bulk cargoes by
taking representative samples of cargo and determining the Flow Moisture Point
(FMP). ... The FMP is the point at which a granular bulk material becomes fluid.

The transportable moisture limit (TML) = 90% of FMP. If the FMP and the MC is
known, the TML can be calculated by the ship command. The IMSBC Code
requires that the shipper shall provide the master with a certification to confirm
the TML and the actual moisture content of the cargo prior loading.

 TEMPERATURE, TOXIC GASES, OXYGEN DEPLETION AND

HUMIDITY MONITORING

Poisoning, corrosive and asphyxiation hazards

3.2.1 Some solid bulk cargoes are susceptible to oxidation, which may result in
oxygen depletion, emission of toxic gases or fumes and self-heating. Some cargoes
are not liable to oxidize but may emit toxic fumes, particularly when wet. There
are also cargoes which, when wetted, are corrosive to skin, eyes and mucous
membranes or to the ship's structure. When these cargoes are carried particular
attention shall be paid to protection of personnel and the need for special
precautions to be taken prior to loading and after unloading.

3.2.2 Appropriate attention shall be paid that cargo spaces and adjacent spaces may
be depleted in oxygen or may contain toxic or asphyxiating gases, and that an

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empty cargo space or tank which has remained closed for some time may have
insufficient oxygen to support life.

3.2.3 Many solid bulk cargoes are liable to cause oxygen depletion in a cargo space
or tank. These include, but are not limited to, most vegetable products and forest
products, ferrous metals, metal sulphide concentrates and coal cargoes.

3.2.4 Prior to entry into an enclosed space aboard a ship, appropriate procedures

shall be followed taking into account the recommendations developed by the
Organization.* It is to be noted that, after a cargo space or tank has been tested and
generally found to be safe for entry, small areas may exist where oxygen is
deficient or toxic fumes are still present.

3.2.5 When carrying a solid bulk cargo that is liable to emit a toxic or flammable
gas, and/or cause oxygen depletion in the cargo space, the appropriate
instrument(s) for measuring the concentration of gas and oxygen in the cargo space
shall be provided.

3.2.6 Emergency entry into a cargo space shall be undertaken only by trained

personnel wearing self-contained breathing apparatus and protective clothing and
always under the supervision of a responsible officer.

 VENTILATION

Cargo sweat example

Many cargo claims arise

due to lack of ventilation of
the cargo, particularly
agricultural products. A
common procedure for
ventilating hatches at sea is
to `crack' them open.

Considerable care must be

taken during this procedure
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as the ships hatch tops are not designed to be opened during any rolling motion.
When such hatches are opened they must not be left in the jacked up position, but
should be lowered onto the compression bars and locked into position.

 Cargo sweat

Condensation occurs on the surface of the cargo as warm, moist air enters
the cargo hold containing a cold cargo. For example, if a cargo of steel is
loaded in winter in the UK for discharge in Singapore, the temperature of the
cargo will be low. If warm moist air is later introduced in the cargo hold,
condensation takes place as soon as it comes into contact with cold cargo.
To avoid the possibility of cargo sweat, all ventilators should be closed and
no ventilation carried out. However, if the moisture content of the cargo is
high, extraction of the moist air from within the cargo holds may be
required.

Fig: Ship sweat example

Ship sweat

This results when

condensation occurs on the
ship's structure as the ship
becomes colder moving from
a hot to a cold climate. The
warm moist air within the
cargo compartment condenses
as it comes into contact with
the cold structure of the
vessel. For ship sweat to occur, the dew point in the cargo hold must exceed the
temperature of the ship's structure. To eliminate ship sweat the cargo should be
ventilated if the vessel is moving from a warm to a cold climate. Cargoes can be:

Hygroscopic : mainly agricultural products containing natural moisture. They may

absorb, retain or release moisture, depending upon the surrounding atmosphere.

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Examples include grains. On a voyage from cold to hot region these type of cargo
need no ventilation and from hot to cold region surface ventilation needed.

 LIST & HEEL

A heel is a "temporary"
inclination of a ship, caused by
outside forces such as winds,
waves, or during a ship's turn. Whenever the center of gravity of a ship is moved
off centerline, the ship will create an inclining moment. If no external forces are
present, the ship will assume a list.

The angle of list is the degree to which a vessel heels (leans or tilts) to either port
or starboard at equilibrium—with no external forces acting upon it. Listing is
caused by the off-centerline distribution of weight aboard due to uneven loading or
to flooding.

When a list is corrected by increasing the displacement mass, the additional weight
should be placed as low as possible in the vessel. A vessel is said to be heeled
when it is inclined by an external force, e.g. from waves or the wind.

GM = Metacentric Height (FT) LIST IN

STABILITY. HEEL - A heel is a
"temporary" inclination of a ship, caused by
outside forces such as winds, waves, or
during a ship's turn.

List : A ship is said to be in a condition

of list when the upsetting moments are
caused by internal shift of weight that can be caused due to the following actions:
Shift of cargo within the ship. Free surface effects. Crowding of passengers on one
side of the ship.Jan 9, 2019

Concept of Heel, List, and Loll:

 List : A ship is said to be in a condition
of list when the upsetting moments are caused
by internal shift of weight that can be caused
due to the following actions:

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 Heel: A vessel is said to be heeling when the upsetting moments are caused by
external agents, for example:

 TRIM

Bulk Cargo Trimming is levelling off cargo in a ship's holds. Bulk Cargo

Trimming is shortened as trimming, (not to be confused with trimming in
connection with the ship's draft).

For trimming purposes, solid bulk cargoes can be categorized as cohesive or non

cohesive. The angle of repose is a characteristic of non-cohesive bulk
cargoes which is indicative of cargo stability and has been included in the
individual schedules for non cohesive cargoes.

The partial or total levelling of the cargo within the holds by means of loading

spouts or chutes, portable machinery or manually.

Trimming procedure as per IMSBC code -

1. Trimming a cargo reduces the likelihood of the cargo shifting and minimizes the
air entering the cargo. ...
2. Cargo spaces shall be as full as practicable without resulting in excessive loading
on the bottom structure or 'tween-deck to prevent sliding of a solid bulk cargo.

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