Section 11 - Piping Systems, Valves and Pumps 11-39

1.1.4 For the height above deck of air and overflow 1.1.15 For the connection to a common line of air
pipes and the necessity of fitting brackets on air pipes, and overflow pipes on ships with the character of
see Rules for Hull Construction, Volume II, Section classification mark a or a see D.9.
21.E.
1.1.16 For the cross-sectional area of air pipes and
The wall thickness of air pipes on the exposed deck air/overflow pipes, see Table 11.18.
shall be in accordance with Tables 11.20a and 20b.
1.2 Number of air and overflow pipes
1.1.5 Air pipes from unheated leakage oil tanks and
lubricating oil tanks may terminate at clearly visible 1.2.1 The number and arrangement of the air pipes
positions in the engine room. Where these tanks from is to be so performed that the tanks can be aerated and
part of the ships hull, the air pipes are to terminate deaerated without exceeding the tank design pressure
above the free board deck, on passenger ships above by over- or under pressure.
the bulkhead decks. It must be ensured that no leaking 1.2.2 Tanks which extend from side to side of the
oil can spread onto heated surfaces where it may ship must be fitted with an air/overflow pipe at each
ignite. side. At the narrow ends of double bottom tanks in the
1.1.6 Air pipes from lubricating oil tanks and forward and after parts of the ship, only one
leakage oil tanks which terminate in the engine room air/overflow pipe is sufficient.
are to be provided with funnels and pipes for safe 1.3 Air pipe closing devices
drainage in the event of possible overflow.
Air/overflow pipes terminating above the open deck
1.1.7 On cargo ships of 500 gross tons or above and are to be fitted with approved pipe heads.
on all passenger ships air pipes of lubricating oil tanks
which terminate on open deck are to be arranged such To prevent blocking of the air pipe head openings by
that in the event of a broken air pipe this shall not their floats during tank discharge the maximum
directly lead to the risk of ingress of sea or rain water. allowable air velocity determinated by the
manufacturer is to be observed.
1.1.8 Wherever possible, the air pipes of feedwater
and distillate tanks should not extend into the open 1.4 Overflow systems
deck. Where these tanks form part of the ships shell
l.4.1 Ballast water tanks
the air pipes are to terminate within the engine room
casing above the freeboard deck, in passenger ships Proof by calculation is to be provided for the system
above the bulkhead deck. concerned that under the specified operating
conditions the design pressures of all the tanks
1.1.9 Air pipes for cofferdams and void spaces with
connected to the overflow system cannot be exceeded.
bilge connections are to be extended above the open
deck respectively on passenger vessels above the
bulkhead deck.
1.4.2 Fuel oil tanks
1.1.10 On cargo ships of 500 gross tons or above and
on all passenger ships air pipes of fuel service and The requirements to be met by overflow systems of
settling tanks which terminate an open deck are to be heavy oil tanks are specified in BKI "Regulation for
arranged such that in the event of a broken air pipe this the Construction, Equipment and Testing of Closed
shall not directly lead to the risk of ingress of se aor Fuel Overflow Systems".
rain water, see also Section 10, B.5.2. Table 11.18 Cross-sectional areas of air and
1.1.11 Where fuel service tanks are fitted with overflow pipes
change-over overflow pipes, the change-over devices
Cross-sectional areas of air
are to be so arranged that the overflow is led to one of Tank filling and overflow pipes
the storage tanks. systems
AP AOP
1.1.12 The overflow pipes of changeable tanks must
be capable of being separated from the fuel overflow by 1/3 f per tank -
system. filling gravity
1.1.13 Where the air and overflow pipes of several mode by - 1,25 f per
tanks situated at the ship's shell lead to a common line, pumping tank 1)
the connections to this line are to be above the
freeboard deck if possible but at least so high above
the deepest load waterline that should a leakage occur
in one tank due to damage to the hull or listing of the
ship, fuel or water cannot flow into another tank.
1.1.14 The air and overflow pipes of lubricating oil
and fuel tanks shall not be led to a common line.
11-40 Section 11 - Piping Systems, Valves and Pumps

Explanatory note : 2.1.3 As far as possible, sounding pipes are to be

AP = air pipe
laid straight and are to extend as near as possible to the
bottom.
AOP = air/overflow pipe
f = cross-sectional area of tank filling pipe 2.1.4 Sounding pipes which terminate below the
1
deepest load waterline are to be fitted with self-closing
) 1,25 f as the total cross-sectional area is sufficient if it
shut-off devices. Such sounding pipes are only
can be proved that the resistance to flow of the air and
overflow pipes including the air pipe closing devices permissible in spaces which are accessible at all times.
at the proposed flow rate cannot cause unacceptably
high pressure in the tanks in the event of overflow All other sounding pipes are to be extended to the open
deck. The sounding pipe openings must always be
1.4.3 The overflow collecting manifolds of fuel accessible and fitted with watertight closures.
tanks are to be led at a sufficient gradient to an over- 2.1.5 Sounding pipes of tanks are to be provided
flow tank of sufficient capacity. close to the top of the tank with holes for equalizing
The overflow tank is to be fitted with a level alarm the pressure.
which operates when the tank is about 1/3 full. 2.1.6 In cargo holds, a sounding pipe is to be fitted
1.4.4 For the side of the air and overflow pipes, see to each bilge well.
Table 11.19. 2.1.7 Where level alarms are arranged in each bilge
1.4.5 The use of a fuel storage tank as overflow well of cargo holds, the sounding pipes may be
tank is permissible but requires the installation of a dispensed with. The level alarms are to be
high level alarm and an air pipe with 1,25 times the independent from each other and are to be type
cross-sectional area of the main bunkering line. approved by BKI. 8)

1.5 Determination of the pipe cross-sectional 2.1.8 In cargo holds, fitted with non weather tight
areas. hatch covers, 2 level alarms are to be provided in each
cargo hold, irrespective if sounding pipes are fitted.
1.5.1 For the cross-sectional areas of air and The level alarms are to be independent from each other
overflow pipes, see Tables 11.18 and 11.19. and are to be type approved by BKI.
Air and overflow pipes shall have an outside diameter 2.1.9 Sounding pipes passing through cargo holds
of at least 60,3 mm. are to be laid in protected spaces or they are to be
protected against damage.
On ships > 80 m in length in the forward quarter only
air/overflow pipes with and outer diameter $ 76,1 mm 2.2 Sounding pipes for fuel, lubricating oil and
may be used, see also Rules for Hull, Section 21. thermal oil tanks
1.5.2 The clear cross-sectional area of air pipes on 2.2.1 Sounding pipes which terminate below the
passenger ships with cross-flooding arrangement must open deck are to be provided with self-closing devices
be so large that the water can pass from one side of the as well as with self-closing test valves, see also
ship to the other within 15 minutes, see also P.3. Section 10, B.3.3.7.
1.6 The minimum wall thicknesses of air and 2.2.2 Sounding pipes shall not to be located in the
overflow pipes are to be in accordance with Table vicinity of firing plants, machine components with
11.20a and 11.20b, whereby A, B and C are the groups high surface temperatures or electrical equipment.
for the minimum wall thicknesses.
2.2.3 Sounding pipes must not terminate in
1.7 The pipe material are to be selected according accommodation or service spaces.
to B.
2.2.4 Sounding pipes are not to be used as filling
2. Sounding pipes pipes.
2.1 General 2.3 Cross-sections of pipes
2.1.1 Sounding pipes are to be provided for tanks, 2.3.1 Sounding pipes shall have an inside diameter
cofferdams and void spaces with bilge connections and of at least 32 mm.
for bilges and bilge wells in spaces which are not
accessible at all times. 2.3.2 The diameters of sounding pipes which pass
through refrigerated holds at temperatures below 0 EC
On application, the provision of sounding pipes for are to be increased to an inside diameter of 50 mm.
bilge wells in permanently accessible spaces may be
dispensed with. 2.3.3 The minimum wall thicknesses of sounding

2.1.2 Where tanks are fitted with remote level

indicators which are type-approved by BKI the 8
) National Regulations, where existing, are to be
arrangement of sounding pipes can be dispensed with. considered