Container Cargo

Container:-

It is a box used to transport cargo conveniently & efficiently by loading cargo in

package form, bulk form, bundle form, in bag form or individually

Container cargo:-

Cargo carrying in container after stuffing goods into container

Container vessel:-

Is a vessel specially designed to carry containers

One of the most important ship types to come into existence after world war 2 was the
container ship. The cargo in the container can be transported from door to door and this
has reduced warehousing costs and increased security in transit. Time in port was
minimized and the port labour costs were also reduced due to the lower numbers of
people required for loading and unloading a cellular container ship. The main
disadvantages are the increased capital costs in building specialized IT systems to track
and locate containers.

Ship sizes have increased substantially in the past few years and ships of
more than 8000 TEUs are increasingly common. It has been predicted that by 2010
several ships with a capacity of 15,000 TEUs will be in operation. With the ship size
increasing there has been a corresponding increase in incidents of cargo losses due to
containers being swept overboard in bad weather. The wide variety of container types
can also a create problem as the biggest container ship can carry more refrigerated
cargoes than a conventional reefer ship and more chemical and dangerous cargoes than
a small chemical tanker.

Container size have been standardized since the 1960’s and, except for
a few specialized types of containers, the majority of containers are of either
20’x 8’x 8’6” or 40’x 8’x 8’6”. The majority of container ships in existence are
cellular ships. This means that the containers fit in slots under deck and do not
need additional lashing or securing if carried under deck. A few conventional
ships are also able to carry containers but they need to be secured under deck
using chains or wire

Definitions associated with containers & container cargo

1. stuffing – is the process of loading container with cargo

2. destuffing – the opposite of stuffing (process of discharging cargo from the
container)
3. FCL – Full Container Load (this could be either volume wise or weight wise)
4. LCL – Less Container Load
5. FCL/ LCL – term assign for a container with full of cargo for more than one
consignee
6. LCL/ FCL – term assign for a container when several shipper have loaded
one container with full or cargo for one consignee
 7. ISO – International Standard Organization
8. ISO Container – a container approved by ISO in respect or construction &
attachment method of lifting, handling, slinging of the container
9. Spreader/ shifter – an equipment in the form of a frame having twist locks
at four corners for lifting containers, it is pneumatically operated by crane
or manual operated.
10.stacker – a vehicle with an attachment of a spreader which used to stack
containers one above the other in the yard & bring to quayside of loading
on the vessel
11.stack weight – is the maximum weight a stack could be loaded safely
12.transshipment container – is a container discharge at a certain port to
reload on a another vessel for the onward carriage
13.CSC 1972 – International convention for safe carriage of containers (it is a
convention held to deal with general acceptation test procedures & related
strength requirement)
14.TEU – Twenty foot Equivalent Unit
15.FEU – Forty foot Equivalent Unit
16.tare – the weight of an empty container including the weight of
permanently fit equipment
17.maximum operating gross weight (rating) – the maximum permissible
combine weight of the container & its cargo
18.maximum permissible pay load – the difference between maximum
operating gross weight & the rate

Container identification

Each container is identified by a series of 5-7 digits having four letters. Prefix
which identifies its owner.

MOLU 210017 8

Company unit

Name
Container markings on the door

1. maximum gross weight in kg & pounds

2. tare weight in kg & pounds
3. net weight in kg & pounds
4. capacity in m3 & ft3

Container safety approval plate

A plate attached to the container to indicate that the container has been tested
& approved it indicates following information.

1. Safety approval number.

2. Date of manufacture

3. ID number

4. Maximum gross weight

Requirement of an ISO container

1. should be suitable for repeated use

2. be capable of been used in one or more of transportation
3. height to be or an standard height
4. length to be of standard length
5. width to be 8 feet
6. must be able to fill & empty easily
 7. be fitted with devices ready for handling
8. be fitted with external securing devices

Advantages of containers, container cargo & container vessel

1. faster loading and discharging

2. faster turn around of vessel
3. higher resistant for pilferage
4. ability to discharge directly from the vessel to the container carrier & take to
the ware house
5. ability to staff at the shippers ware house & bring directly to the vessel for
loading
6. less damage to cargo compare to conventional system
7. relatively higher protection for the cargo
8. they are on recycling basis from port to port

Disadvantages of the container system

1. require trained & experience people to handle

2. require specialized equipment for handling
3. when carry on deck water is hazardous for the cargo
4. cargo shifting in the container is hazardous

Categorizing of container vessel

1. container feeders (general carrying capacity about 100-1200) & fitted with
gantries or cranes
2. semi container ship (fitted with equipment to load on deck or under deck,
container or bulk)
3. second generation container vessels (carrying capacity 1000-2000 TEU)
4. third generation container vessel(carrying capacity 2000-3000 TEU)
5. fourth generation container vessel(carrying capacity 3000-4000 TEU)

International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972 (CSC)

In the 1960s, there was a rapid increase in the use of freight containers for the
consignment of goods by sea and the development of specialized container ships.
In 1967, IMO undertook to study the safety of containerization in marine transport.
The container itself emerged as the most important aspect to be considered.

IMO, in co-operation with the Economic Commission for Europe, developed a draft
convention and in 1972 the finalized Convention was adopted at a conference jointly
convened by the United Nations and IMO.
CSC Plate

It is the certificate engraved on a plate, attached to the container mentioning the

specifications, Serial numbers and the fitness of the box for transportation of cargo
as per the convention

The stowage position of a container on a vessel

The position of a container is identified or name as follows.

1. Bay
2. Row
3. Tier
Always container reference onboard is made in bay, row, and tier. They are given
in numbering system. The first two digits refer to bay number, second two digits
refer to the row and third one refers to tier number.

Bay

A bay is one container length when looking at the ship from side & counting from
forward. Odd numbers are allowed to 20 footers (e.g.01, 03, 05…..) even
numbers to 40 footers (e.g.02, 04, 06…..) but numbers divisible by four (04, 08,
12) are normally. Therefore 40 footer base are marked as 02, 06, 10. 02
becomes the first bay after collision bulkhead.

Row

A row is the width of a container when looking down the hole from top. 00 is
allocated to the row on center line. The odd number inclusive to STBD & even
numbers to PORT. E.g. 01 is the first row on the STBD side.

Tier

A tier is one container higher when looking at the ship from the side & increasing
vertically tiers of container stowed under deck are numbered from the bottom
e.g.02 tiers of container stowed on deck are numbered from 82, 84, 86.
Therefore as an example container is identified as follows e.g.01, 03, and 05.

010304 (bay no 01, row no 03 and tier no is 04)

1.4.2 Container loading and discharging procedure

Container loading onboard can be expected from 3 places.

1. directly from shippers ware house

2. from container depo
3. from container stack in port

Information required by the masters & OOW & precautions to be taken

during carriage containers.
 1. loading and discharging plan
2. Loading/ discharging containers & re-stowing containers should be marked
on the plan with proper color coding.
3. position of IMDG container should be clearly marked
4. ensure to obtain total no of IMDG container to be loaded or discharged
Watch officer/ master should be thoroughly familiarized with IMDG cargo
procedure Duties of the OOW Be ware of special requirements for
containers containing dangerous goods, including their stowage,
segregation and marking.

5. Ensure to maintain close coordination with shore planners. Any change of

the plan should be informed to the C/O immediately before change is
make
6. check the condition of the container for visible damages
7. check that the doors are properly close lock & secured with seal
8. Position containers with door facing aft.
9. ensure all containers secured/ lased for any weather
10.ensure that the container on deck complies with merchant shipping deck
cargo regulation
11.Reefer containers are to be placed in their correct slots and their
temperature monitored as per the manifest.
12.Check that any over-height or over width cargoes are properly stowed.
13.Check lashing for break bulk cargo stowed on container.
14.Check that stack limits not exceeded.
15.Note any physical damage to the containers.
16.Check that the door seal is intact.
17.Check for leaks or other evidence of cargo damage.
18.Ensure that lashing plan is correctly followed.
19.Attend to ballast to ensure that ship remains upright with a reasonable
trim by the stern.
20.Check all lashing on completion.
21.Keep proper records.

1.4.3 Factors involved during container planning

1. stability of the vessel

2. trim and list during and after loading
3. the stress on the vessel & permissible stack weight

Stability:-

Ensure to maintain positive stability throughout. Therefore heavy containers

should be loaded on bottom tiers & lighter containers on top tiers.

Trim and List:-

Keep the vessel upright at all times the trim should not be excessive. Therefore
considerations should be given of every container.
The stress & stack weight:-

The stress of the vessel should always be at permissible limit the permissible
stack weight should never exceed.

Stresses that can cause container damages

1. racking
2. toppling
3. sliding
4. collapsing
5. structural failure

Racking:-

It is the deformation of the container ends or side frame as a result of transverse

components of the static & dynamic forces. (Cross lashing reduces some racking
stresses)

Toppling:-

It the tendency for a container to pivot on the edge due to transverse forces such
as rolling & wind (toppling is prevented by vertical securing arrangements such
as cross lashings & horizontal lashings using bridge fittings)

Sliding:-

Is the horizontal moment of a container on the bearing surface (sliding is

prevented by using bottom fitting like twist locks, base locks)

Collapsing:-
 Is the failure of the corner post due to excessive load. (Prevented by avoiding
excessive stack weight)

Structural failure:-

Is the separation or permanent deformation of the structural components of the

containers. (Preventing avoiding over loading containers & securing of loose
cargo within the container)

CONTAINER STOWAGE

Containers are mainly stowed lengthwise as the loading capacity of the side walls
is greater than the ends. Also, in a sea way the stresses are usually greater
athwart ship than in a fore and aft direction. On some conventional ships
containers may be stowed athwart ships. Care must be taken to ensure access
between container for checking, lashing and unloading. Containers, when stowed
on deck, are exposed to the stresses caused by the vessel moving in a sea way
and are also exposed to wind stresses. The main principle in container stowage is
ensuring a compact stow in all cases.

Semi automatic twistlocks a spring_loaded mechanism automatically

locks the twistlocks in place. Other containers in the same tier have intermediate
twistlocks fitted that lock them onto the container immediately below. The
containers are then held together over the entire width of the ship or the hatch_
cover using cross lashing tighten by turnbuckles.
 To complete the stow bridgefittings may be fitted on the top row. These are
attached to adjoining containers and serve the purpose of compacting the stow.
Any lashing system in place must be approved by the flag state or designated
classification society. All approved lashing system will be found in the cargo
securing manual along with the maintenance procedures.

For under deck stowage on cellular ships cell guides are constructed from the
tank top to the top of the hold. These guides are the width of a standard container
and the boxes are slotted in place. Usually no other lashing is required, perhaps
with the exception of stacking cones between container tiers.

For conventional ships that are adopted to carry containers, a number of different
systems are in existence. Since the holds are not adopted to carry containers they
have to be lashed using bridge fittings and cross lashed using chains. The
following diagram illustrate the underdeck lashing of containers on a conventional
ship using bridge fittings, stacking cones, twistlocks and chain lashings for the
bottom two tiers.

Container Stowage Planning

It is important to be able to locate the position of each individual container onboard a ship in
order to effectively plan the loading and discharging. To enable this containers are usually
stowed following the Bay-Row-Tier method. The ships divided lengthwise into bays which are
numbered from fore towards aft in the following manner.

Odd number bays are for 20 foot containers while even numbered bays are for 40 foot
containers. One 40’ bay can be divided into two 20’ bays.

To plan athwartships stowage the containers are divided into Rows and Tiers. The rows of
containers on a ship are numbered with even numbers from the centre towards the port side and
odd numbers from the centre towards the stbd side. In case of an odd numbers of rows the
centre row is numbered “00”.

Tiers are numbered in the following manner:

On deck: the bottom tier is numbered “82”, the one above is tier 84 and so on.

Under deck: the bottom tier is tier “02” the one above tier 04 and so on as illustrated in the
following diagram.
The containers are always referred to in the “bay-row-tier” format. To illustrate the containers on
a cargo plan Bay-plans are used. Each bat plan shows the cell and tier number for each
container space and provides space for container codes and weight information.
On deck

Under deck

Type of containers
 1. general purpose container
2. open top container
3. flat rack with poles or with out poles
4. reefer container
5. half high container
6. dry bulk container
7. liquid container (tanktrailer)
8. open sides container

Conventional units ( general purpose )

also known as a dry container are made from steel and fully enclosed with the timber floor.
Cargo securing lashing points are located at floor level at the base of the side paneling.
Access for stuffing and de-stuffing is through full height twin locking doors at one end.

Open top containers – covered by tarpaulin and permits top loading/discharging fro
awkward sized loads which can not be easily handled through the doorways of general
purpose containers. These may be fitted with a removable top rail over and above the door
aperture.
Half height container – an open type container which is 4’3” in height, i.e. half the
standard height of a general purpose container. They were designed for the carriage of
dense cargoes such as steel ingots or heavy steel cargoes or stone.

Flat rack container – this is a flat bed w2ith fixed or collapsible ends and no roof. They are
used to accommodate cargoes of non compatible dimensions or special cargoes that require
additional ventilation.

Bulk container – are containers designed to carry free flowing cargoes like grain, sugar or
cement. Loading and discharging taking place via three circular access hatches situated in
the roof of the unit. They also incorporate a small hatch at the base which allows free flow
when tipping the unit. Such containers are usually fitted with the steel floors to facilitate
cleaning.

Tank container – are framed tank unit designed for the carriage of liquids. The cylindrical
tank usually made of stainless steel is secured in the frame work which is of standard
dimensions to be accommodated in loading and discharging as a normal general purpose
container unit. The tanks can carry hazardous and non-hazardous cargo and are often used
for whisky or liquid chemicals.

Ventilated containers – generally designed as a general purpose container but with added
full length ventilation grills at the top and bottom of the side walls of the unit. They were
primarily designed for the coffee trade but are equally suitable for other cargoes, which
require a high degree of ventilation during shipping.

Opened sided containers – these units are constructed with removable steel grates sides
which are covered by poly vinyl chloride (PVC) sheeting. The side grates allow adequate
ventilation when it is used to carry perishable goods and / or live stocks. Such containers
permit unrestricted loading and discharging with grates removed.

Refrigerated containers – more generally known as the reefer container, they

are totally insulated and fitted with their own refrigeration plant. They must be
connected to the ships mains and require closed stowage to a situated power
point. They are usually employed for holding food stuffs, meats and dairy
products being prime examples. These units have become prolific and has
caused a major reduction in the numbers of dedicated reefer ships, although
reefer ships still operate they tend to be limited to specific trades like “bananas”
method of safe stowage and securing of containers on deck on vessels not
specially designed for the carriage of containers

i. Should be stowed in the fore-and-aft direction

ii. Should not extend over the ship’s sides. Adequate support should be
provided when containers overhang hatches or deck structures
iii. Should be stowed and secured so as to permit safe access for
personnel
iv. Should at no time overstress the deck or hatches on which they are
stowed
v. Bottom-tier containers should be stowed on timber of sufficient
thickness to transfer the stack load evenly on to the structure of area
vi. Use locking devices or cones between containers when stacking
vii. Take into consideration of position and strength of securing points

Securing of container on non-container ships

i. Secure to protect them from sliding and tipping. Hatch covers

carrying containers should be secured to the ship
ii. Lashing consist of wire ropes or chains with enough strength and
elongation ability
iii. Timber shoring should not exceed 2 m in length
iv. Wire clips should be adequately greased and tightened
v. Lashing should be kept under equal tension