Seam reviewer

DAMAGE STABILITY The theory of probability solves this problem.

With the help of probability, we find
This type of stability concerns with stability of
the ship when it is damaged, usually hull is How ships are damaged?
breached. It includes of flooding of ship
How often is a part damaged?
compartments when hull is damaged leading
to sinkage of the ship below margin line or What is the chance of survival if that part of
even total sinkage or capsize of the ship. ship is damaged?
The following causes or sometimes their The study of damaged stability of a surface
combination: ship comes of use when the ship’s watertight
hull is affected in a way that allows water to
Collision, Grounding, Structural problems, and
flood any compartment within the ship’s hull.
Environmental Vagaries
Since this changes the stability parameters of
CLASSIFYING DAMAGE STABILITY the ship, the extent of which depends on the
extent of damage and flooding, it is studied
1. Deterministic Damage Stability
separately from intact stability.
2. Probabilistic Damage Stability
A damage stability criterion varies from ship to
Deterministic Damage Stability ship and the requirement for the same is given
in SOLAS chapter II-1. It may be single
This is the traditional old-school technique for compartment flooding, multi compartment
assessing stability of the ship when it is flooding, engine room flooding etc.
flooded. In this process the ship is divided into
several subdivisions along its length with the Under all the criteria as applicable, vessel
help of transverse watertight bulkheads. Now margin line should not be submerged after the
the stability of the ship is calculated when one damage. Margin line is an imaginary line
or more compartments gets flooded due to drawn 76mm (3inches) below the free board
breach of hull. deck.

Probabilistic Damage Stability The More subdivisions of the ship, safer it

would be. But the ship owners cannot divide
In deterministic approach we had subdivision the cargo spaces in 20 or 50 compartments.
to restrict flooding and the sinkage of the ship This would mean the use of more steel, more
if one or more compartments are flooded can money to build the ship and lesser cargo space
be retrieved from floodable length curve. But to use. Shipowner cannot build a ship with just
in reality, we don’t know whether a ship will one compartment either. That is too unsafe.
be damaged in a voyage or not. If it’s damaged
how many compartments will be flooded? Will
it be damaged by aft or forward? Will it plunge
or capsize or founder? There is a lot of
uncertainty involved.
Seam reviewer

Approaches to building a ship that can

withstand damage to its compartments.

Floodable length and factor of subdivision

In this approach, the number of subdivisions

required is calculated by knowing the
floodable length along the ship. Floodable UNSAFE AMOUNT OF COMPARTMENTS
length is the length of the compartment which
SOLAS
if flooded will cause the ship to sink up to the
margin line. In 2006, Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
adopted comprehensive amendments to
A vessel can survive damage of some extent if
SOLAS chapter II-1 in relation to subdivision
the hull is subdivided into watertight
and damage stability requirements in order to
compartments by means of watertight
harmonize the provisions for passenger and
bulkheads. The subdivision should be designed
cargo ships. The revision of SOLAS chapter II-1
to make sure that after the flooding of some
was intensively debated over the past decade
compartments the ship can float and be stable
by the Sub-Committee, based on the
under moderate environmental conditions.
"probabilistic" method of determining damage
Then, passengers and crew can be saved.
stability, which is different from the previously
Floodable curve used "deterministic" method.

Floodable length curve represents the damage control plan and damage control
maximum floodable length of the ship along booklet, which are required by SOLAS
the ship’s length. This curve is obtained by regulation II 1/19, are intended to provide
vertically plotting the floodable length along ships’ officers with clear information on the
the ship’s length. ship’s watertight subdivision and equipment
related to maintaining the boundaries and
effectiveness of the subdivision so that, in the
event of damage to the ship causing flooding,
proper precautions can be taken to prevent
progressive flooding through openings therein
and effective action can be taken quickly to
The damage stability rules for the ships would
mitigate and, where possible, recover the
be something like… The ship should be able to
ship’s loss of stability.
survive the breach (flooding) of any one (two
or three) compartment. To check if the ship Damage Control Plan – A plan showing clearly
would comply with this damage stability for each deck and hold and boundaries of the
requirement, the floodable length curve is watertight compartments, the openings
superimposed on the ship’s plan. therein with the means of closure and position
of any control thereof, and the arrangements
for the correction of any list due to flooding.

SAFE AMOUNT OF COMPARTMENTS

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This booklet gives the information to the

master about how to control the effect of
damage. Damage control booklet is also
required as per SOLAS chapter II-1/Regulation
19.

• Information repeated in damage

control booklet.

• General instruction for controlling the

effect of damage.

• Pump capacities and piping diagrams.

• Instruction of opening cross flooding

systems.

• Locations of non water tight openings

with non automatic closing devices
through which progressive flooding
might occurs are indicated.

This booklet gives the information to the

master about how to control the effect of INTACT STABILITY
damage. Damage control booklet is also
required as per SOLAS chapter II-1/Regulation What is satisfactory stability or in simpler
19. terms, how much stable the ship must be?

Placement onboard Analyzing the data of the of the vessels that

behaved well, and especially the data of
Passenger ships, damage control plan should vessels that did not survive storms or other
be permanently exhibited on the navigation adverse conditions, various researches and
bridge, as well as the ships control room and regulatory bodies prescribed criteria for
equivalent. deciding if the stability is satisfactory.
For cargo ships, the damage control plan Stability Regulations prescribe criteria for
should be permanently exhibited or readily approving ship’s designs, accepting new
available on the navigation bridge. Also, it buildings, or allowing ships to sail out of
should be permanently exhibited or readily harbor.
available in the cargo control room.
If a certain ship fulfills the requirements of
given regulations, it does not mean that the
ship can survive all challenges, but her chances
of survival are good. Conversely, if a certain
ship does not fulfill certain regulations , she
must not necessarily capsize, only the risks are
higher and the authority has the right to
prevent ship from sailing out of harbor.
Seam reviewer

The IMO Code on Intact Stability 2008 For General Cargo, Tankers and Passenger
Ships
 The Intact Stability Code 2008 was
adopted on 4 December 2008. Res.  Initial GM – not to be less than 0.15m
MSC. 267(85)
 Righting Lever (GZ) – At least 0.2m for
 Entered into force on 1 July 2010 ϴ of heel ≥ 30̊ .

 Purpose: To present mandatory and  Maximum righting lever should occur

recommendatory stability criteria and at heel >30̊ ° preferably but not less
other measures for ensuring safe than 25̊ °.
operation of ships, to minimize the risk
 The Area of the GZ curve should be at
to such ships, to the person on-board
least:
and to the environment.
 a) 0.055 m radian up to Ѳ = 30̊

 b) 0.090 m radian up to Ѳ = 40̊

 c) 0.03 m radian between 30̊

The Code apply to ‘ships and other marine and 40̊ or between 30̊ and
vehicles of 24 m in length and above’ angle of down flooding.

IS Code 2008 include Fundamental principles

such as:

 General precautions against capsizing

 Criteria regarding Metacentric
Height(GM) and Righting lever(GZ)
 Weather criterion
 Severe wind and rolling criterion
 Effect of free surfaces and Icing
 Watertight integrity

9 Types of ships and other marine vessel

Cargo ships

Passenger Ships

Cargo ships carrying timber deck cargo

Fishing vessels

Special purpose ship

Offshore supply

Mobile offshore drilling unit

Pontoons container on deck

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Downflooding means the entry of Reserve buoyancy – is the volume of

seawater through any opening into the intact spaces remaining above the
hull or superstructure of an waterline.
undamaged vessel due to heel, trim, or
Bulkhead deck –The uppermost
submergence of the vessel.
watertight deck to which all main and
downflooding angle (f) — the smallest transverse watertight bulkheads are
angle of heel at which downflooding extended.
will occur, if all weathertight closing
Margin line – imaginary line drawn
appliances are properly secured
3’(76mm) below the bulkhead deck.

Floodable length - At any point of the

ship, the length of the space which
can be flooded without causing the
vessel to sink past the margin line.

Effects to the Ship’s Stability of the Different

Conditions

UNSTABLE EQUILIBRIUM - If the center of

gravity (G) of a vessel is above the metacenter
(M) the vessel is said to have a negative GM or
a negative initial stability. A vessel in this state
has a loll, i.e. it floats at an angle from the
Permeability – Percentage of the upright to one side or the other and there is a
volume of the compartment that can danger that it may capsize.
be occupied by water if flooded

Compartment standard - the number

of compartments in any location that
can be flooded without causing the
vessel to sink past margin line.

Permissible length – Maximum legal

distance permitted between
bulkheads.
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Upsetting arms instead of righting arms ANGLE OF LOLL - is the state of a ship that is
develop for the first few degrees of heel. The unstable when upright (i.e. has a negative
ship cannot remain upright, and must either metacentric height(-GM)) and therefore takes
capsize or list to some angle where positive on an angle of heel to either port or starboard.
righting arms again develop.
ANGLE OF LOLL

- When a vessel has negative

metacentric height i.e., is in unstable
equilibrium, any external force applied
to the vessel will cause it to start
heeling.

- It is often caused by the influence of a

LIST CAUSED BY NEGATIVE GM: large free surface or the loss of
stability due to damaged
1. Removal of low weights compartments.
2. Addition of high weights ANGLE OF LOLL
3. Moving weights upward The angle of heel at which this occurs is called
4. Free surface the Angle of loll.

(Can be expected on freight vessels near the It will be noticed that at the angle of loll, the
end of a voyage when excessive F.O. and water GZ is zero. G remains on the centre line.
has been used out of double bottoms)

How to recognize

1. Vessel will not remain upright and will

assume a list either to port or starboard

2. Vessel "flops" to port or starboard (The

angle a vessel flops is due to a negative GM
known as the ANGLE OF LOLL. It is the angle to
which a vessel with negative GM will lie at rest
in still water)

3. A very long slow rolling period about the

angle of permanent list

4. If a small GM was known plus any of the

above.
If the ship is heeled beyond the angle of loll
from θ1 to θ2, the center of buoyancy will move
out still further to the low side, and there will
be a moment to return her to the angle of loll.
Seam reviewer

From this it can be seen that the ship will

oscillate about the angle of loll instead of
When a ship is rolling at sea with slack tanks,
about the vertical
several effects on stability can occur:
If the center of buoyancy does not move out
 Free surface effect: Liquid sloshing
far enough to get vertically under G, the ship
inside the tanks can cause a free
will capsize
surface effect, shifting the ship's center
There is always the danger that G will rise of gravity unpredictably and reducing
above M and create a situation of unstable stability.
equilibrium. This will cause capsizing of the
 Increased rolling: Slack tanks can
ship.
exacerbate rolling motion due to the
shifting of liquid cargo within the
tanks, which affects the ship's
metacentric height.

 Loss of stability: If the liquid cargo

shifts to one side due to rolling, it can
lead to a significant loss of stability,
potentially causing the ship to capsize.

EFFECT OF SLACK TANKS

Slack tanks on a ship refer to tanks that are not
completely filled with liquid cargo, resulting in When the tank is completely filled with a
free surface effects. These effects can liquid, the liquid cannot move within the tank
significantly impact ship stability, potentially when the ship heels. For this reason, as far as
causing problems such as reduced stability, stability is concerned, the liquid may be
increased rolling motion, and even potential considered as a static weight having its center
capsizing in extreme cases. of gravity at the center of gravity of the liquid
within the tank.
 Free Surface Effect is a mechanism
which can cause a watercraft to Now consider the same ship floating at the
become unstable and capsize. same draft and having the same KG, but
increase the depth of the tank so that liquid
 It refers to the tendency of liquids and
now only partially fills as show on the figure.
of unbound aggregates of small solid
objects, like seeds, gravel, or crushed
ore, whose behavior approximates
that of liquids to move in response to
changes in the attitude of a craft's
cargo holds, decks, or liquid tanks in
reaction to operator induced motions.

 When referring to the free

surface effect, the condition of a tank
that is not full is described as a "slack
tank", while a full tank is "pressed up".
Seam reviewer

When the ship heels, as shown, the liquid

flows to the low side of the tank such that its
EFFECT OF SLACK TANKS
center of gravity shifts from g to g1. This will
cause the ship’s center of gravity to shift from If free surface be created in a ship with a small
G to G1, parallel to gg1. initial metacentric height, the virtual loss of
GM due to the free surface may result in a
negative metacentric height.

This would cause the ship to take up an angle

of loll which may be dangerous and in any case
is undesirable.

The increase in KG is affected mainly by the

breadth of the free surface and is not
dependent upon the mass of liquid in the tank.

In tankers the tanks are often constructed with

a longitudinal subdivision to reduce the
breadth of free surface.
This indicates that the effect of the free surface
is to reduce the effective metacentric height
from GM to GvM.

GGv is therefore the virtual loss of GM due to

the free surface.

Any loss in GM is a loss in stability.

Seam reviewer

Change in Stability: The metacentric height of

the ship changes due to flooding. This can be
The study of damaged stability of a surface
explained by the general expression of
ship comes of use when the ship’s watertight
metacentric height:
hull is affected in a way that allows water to
flood any compartment within the ship’s hull.

Flooding results in entry of water into the

ship’s damaged compartment.

Effects of flooding on a ship:

When a ship is flooded, it results in a change of
Change of Draft: Flooding will cause a change KB and BM values. The KB rises due to
in draft to the point where the displacement of flooding, and it may rise further due to change
the undamaged (intact) part of the ship will be in the ship’s trim. However, there is a
equal to the displacement before damage less significant reduction in BM, which is a function
the weight of the water that entered the ship of the area moment of the ship’s water plane.
after flooding. To express it:
Effects of flooding on a ship:
DAMAGE DISPLACEMENT =
• Change in Freeboard: The increase in
INTACT Displacement – Weight of seawater in draft of the flooded ship results in
damage compartment reduction of freeboard, which poses a
Effects of flooding on a ship: great threat to the residual buoyancy
of the ship. Even though the
• Heeling: The ship will heel if the metacentric height may be positive
damaged compartment is after flooding, reduction in freeboard
unsymmetrically positioned about the to a point where the deck is immersed,
centerline of the ship. If the decreases the ship’s range of stability.
metacentric height of the ship in the This means that the ship could now
flooded condition is negative, the capsize due to external forces of wind
damaged ship is rendered unstable. In or waves.
such a case, the ship would capsize if
the flooded compartment is
unsymmetrical about the centerline,
and is prone to capsize by action of any
external heeling moment if the
compartment is symmetrical about the
centerline.
Seam reviewer

• Loss of the ship: One of the most  The stability information required by
common terms that is used in law to be supplied to a vessel must
damaged condition of a ship, is Margin include information on the effect of
Line. If a ship is damaged, it is free surface of liquid in the tanks and
considered to be safe only if the also how to correct the GM for this
margin line is not immersed. Once the effect.
waterline reaches the margin line at
 Information is usually supplied for each
any point along the length of the ship,
tank in the form of "Free Surface
the ship is considered to be unsafe,
Moments".
and evacuation becomes mandatory.
 FSC = Free Surface Constant or Free
Surface Moment

 GGo = Free surface corr./effect or FSE

= Vitual rise of G
Free Surface Effect
= Loss of GM
If a perpendicular line is drawn upwards
= Reduction to GM
through G1 to the centreline of the vessel, the
GZ can be redrawn between the centreline and = Gain of KG
the BM line.

This gives G2Z2 which is equal to G1Z1.

The distance along the centreline measured

between G and G2 is the “virtual loss of GM”.

This is also known as the Free Surface Effect

(FSE).

M
θ°
E)

G2 Z2
(FS
M
fG
so
os
lL
tua
V ir

G Z
G1 Z1
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