National Standard For Commercial Vessels
National Standard For Commercial Vessels
National Standard For Commercial Vessels
for
Commercial Vessels
PART C
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
SECTION 3
CONSTRUCTION
National Standard for Commercial Vessels Part C, Section 3 – Construction
Edition 1
Draft for comment issued — 6 December 2006
Endorsed by the Australian Transport Council — 29 February 2008
First Published — April 2008
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act
1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission of the
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Published by Australian Maritime Safety Authority, GPO Box 2181 Canberra, ACT
2601. All inquiries to be addressed to the General Manager, Domestic Vessels,
Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
FOREWORD
This Section of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels was prepared as part of
the review of the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code. It replaces Section 5A, 5B, 5G,
5H, 5K, 5L of the USL Code. It also replaces the elements of Section 5M that cover
vessels built from plywood.
In drafting this Section, consideration was given to a number of factors including the
following:
a) Technological developments that have occurred in the performance of vessels
engaged in domestic operations in Australia.
b) Problems of application or interpretation of the USL Code and AS 4132 as
referenced in the USL Code.
c) The introduction of performance-based standards as an alternative to prescriptive
standards.
d) The possible adoption of existing international standards as part of this standard.
e) The development of the IMO Code of Safety for High Speed Craft applicable to
vessels engaged in international operations.
This Section of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels shall be read in
conjunction with Part B—General Requirements of the National Standard for
Commercial Vessels (NSCV).
The NMSC Secretariat drafted this Section with the assistance of a reference group
comprising representatives from State Marine Safety Authorities, and the Australian
Marine Safety Authority (AMSA). Prior to issue for public comment, workshops on this
standard were hosted by the NMSC in November 2004 and September 2006 with the
purpose of reviewing safety issues to be addressed by the standard.
A draft of this Section, along with a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) was released
for public comment on 6 December 2006. A further series of workshops were then held
and a reference group formed with representatives from industry and the marine safety
authorities. The reference group met on 18 April 2007 to review and assess the public
comment and to provide recommendations on the document to the NMSC.
The NMSC accepted the recommendations of the reference group and the draft
subsection and RIS were revised accordingly. The Office of Best Practice Regulation
approved the Final RIS on 8 August 2007.
Edition 1 was later subject to a correction amendment. Amendment 1 to Table 1 was
endorsed by NMSC on 5 October 2010 and published in October 2010.
Edition 1.1 was later subject to a correction amendment. Amendment 2 to Clause 1.1
and Table B.1 was endorsed by NMSC on 22 March 2011 and published in April 2011.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................... 3
CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY .................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Scope................................................................................................................ 6
1.2 Application ........................................................................................................ 6
1.3 Objective ........................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Definitions ......................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Referenced documents ..................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2 REQUIRED OUTCOMES.................................................................................. 9
2.1 Sufficient strength to withstand static loading .................................................... 9
2.2 Sufficient strength to withstand dynamic loading ............................................... 9
2.3 Suitability for operating environment ................................................................. 9
2.4 Concentrated loading ........................................................................................ 9
2.5 Deformation ...................................................................................................... 9
2.6 Redundancy ...................................................................................................... 9
2.7 Impact resistance .............................................................................................. 9
2.8 Fatigue .............................................................................................................. 9
2.9 Avoidance of causes of high stress concentration ........................................... 10
CHAPTER 3 DEEMED-TO-SATISFY SOLUTIONS FOR DETERMINATION OF
SCANTLINGS ................................................................................................. 11
3.1 Vessels of measured length 35 m or more ...................................................... 11
3.2 Vessels of measured length less than 35 m .................................................... 11
3.2.1 General ........................................................................................... 11
3.2.2 Deemed-to-satisfy alternatives to class ........................................... 11
3.3 Lloyd’s Rules................................................................................................... 11
3.3.1 General ........................................................................................... 11
3.3.2 Application ...................................................................................... 12
3.3.3 Definitions ....................................................................................... 12
3.3.4 Relationship between NSCV operational area categoriesand
Lloyd's service area restrictions ...................................................................... 12
3.4 ISO Standards ................................................................................................ 13
3.4.1 General ........................................................................................... 13
3.4.2 Application ...................................................................................... 13
3.4.3 Definitions ....................................................................................... 14
3.4.4 Relationship between NSCV operational area categories and ISO
design categories ............................................................................................ 14
3.5 Australian standards ....................................................................................... 15
3.5.1 General ........................................................................................... 15
3.5.2 Application ...................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY
1.1 SCOPE
This Section specifies requirements for the construction of vessels, including the hull,
decks, superstructures, deckhouses and bulkheads.
A2 This Section shall be read in conjunction with Part B—General Requirements.
1.2 APPLICATION
This section applies to all vessels, other than vessels that fall within the application of
Part F—Special Vessels, unless specified otherwise in Part F.
NOTES:
1. Special vessels include Fast Craft and Novel Vessels.
2. Part F Section 2 permits the application of this section to hire and drive vessels.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
The objective of Part C Section 3 of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels
(NSCV) is to specify minimum safety standards required for the construction of vessels
to—
a) Withstand the loads that arise in normal operations; and
b) Survive the loads that may be encountered in abnormal conditions of operation.
NOTES:
1. Hazards relevant to the construction of a vessel include wave loads, hydrostatic heads, dynamic
pressures, slamming, impact with objects (e.g. contact with cargo handling gear, wharves and
other vessels), heavy loads (e.g. cargo), point loads (e.g. vehicles), rolling accelerations,
collision accelerations, sloshing in tanks, causes of high stress concentration (e.g.
discontinuities, misalignments, holes, securing points for rigging and mooring fittings), cyclic
loading, material degradation (including corrosion), collisions and groundings.
2. Consequences that may arise from structural failure include overstressing of structural
components resulting in yield or ultimate failure (including tensile, compressive, bending, shear,
torsional and buckling failures), hazardous failure modes (e.g. brittle failure), excessive elastic
deformation, permanent deformation, cracking, fatigue failure, loss of watertight or weather tight
integrity, large-scale structural collapse, injury and death,
1.4 DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Part of the NSCV–
a) The definitions provided in Part B of the NSCV, in addition to the definitions in this
clause, shall apply; and
b) The following definitions provided in Part B—General Requirements of the NSCV
shall apply: classed vessel, Classification Certificate, commercial vessel, fast
craft, fishing vessel, hazard, hire and drive vessel, length, measured length,
National Regulator, novel vessel, operational area, owner, passenger vessel,
recognised organisation, risk, service category, superstructure, tanker, vessel,
vessel use category (Class 1, Class 2, etc), operational area category
(Operational Area A, Operational Area B, etc) and service category (Class 1A,
Class 2A, etc); and
c) Where there is any conflict between the terms defined in this Clause and Part B,
the definitions in this Clause shall apply.
robust operations—
operations of a vessel that in normal circumstances may be exposed to loading arising
from—
a) heavy seas (for example all Class A and Class B vessels and seagoing patrol
vessels);
b) heavy loads from cargo, machinery, deck machinery or rigging (for example cargo
vessels, ro-ro vessels, trawlers, crane barges, dredgers, tankers, etc.);
c) heavy or frequent impacts (for example tugs, ferries, barges, tugs);
d) frequent grounding (for example landing craft and large houseboats); or
e) large accelerations and slamming (for example vessels used for skiing and wake
boarding, thrill ride vessels, and dive vessels).
light operations—
operations of a vessel that are characterised by relatively light loading in normal
circumstances; i.e., operations that are not robust operations.
NOTES:
1. Light operations would be applicable to most hire and drive vessels (Class 4) and vessels
intended primarily for sport and recreation.
2. A vessel designed for light operations may be limited as to its suitability for other purposes.
2.5 DEFORMATION
The structure of a vessel must be designed and constructed to—
a) avoid permanent deformation in normal operations unless specifically designed to
do so; and
b) limit the extent of deformation in normal or abnormal conditions of operation
where such deformations would compromise the safety of the vessel or damage
to adjacent structure.
NOTE: The serviceability of machinery, structure, essential systems, watertight and weather tight
integrity, securing devices, and other components can be seriously reduced if deformation is
excessive.
2.6 REDUNDANCY
A vessel must be designed and constructed to incorporate a measure of redundancy to
maintain serviceability in the event of structural degradation that might be expected
over a period of time in normal operation.
NOTE: Such degradation includes corrosion, erosion, rot, deformation and delamination.
2.8 FATIGUE
Structure subject to cyclical loadings or repeated stress fluctuations must be designed
and constructed to avoid or control the risks of fatigue failure.
3.3.2 Application
The particular set of Lloyd's rules applied shall be only that intended by those rules for
direct application to a vessel of the specified type, size, operation and construction
material.
Rules and Part 3 and Part 4 Barges; bulk carriers; container ships; oil tankers;
Regulations for dredgers; ferries; roll-on roll-off ships; fire fighting
the Classification ships; fishing vessels; general cargo ships;
of Ships offshore supply ships; ore carriers; passenger
vessels; pontoons; reclamation craft; trawlers;
tugs
Rules and Part 5, Part 6, High speed craft (fast craft); amphibious air-
Regulations for Part 7, Part 8 cushion vehicle; catamaran; foil-assisted craft;
the Classification hydrofoil; ribs; service craft; wooden craft; yachts
of Special Service
Craft
Rules and Part 3, Part 4 General cargo ships; bulk carriers; container
Regulations for ships; ferries and roll-on roll-off ships; pontoons;
the Classification tugs; pusher tugs and launches; passenger
of Inland vessels; ships intended for the carriage of liquids
Waterways Ships in bulk; oil and chemical tankers; oil tankers;
chemical tankers; liquefied gas carriers; water
tankers, wine tankers, edible oil tankers
Rules and Traditional planked wooden vessels engaged in
Regulations for light operations
the Construction
of Wooden Yachts
3.3.3 Definitions
For the purposes of applying the Lloyd’s rules, including calculation and interpretation
of clauses, the definitions and meanings contained within the Lloyd's rules apply except
as follows:
society—
the National Regulator or a recognised organisation.
3.3.4 Relationship between NSCV operational area categories and Lloyd's service area
restrictions
The relationships specified in Table 3 shall apply for the purposes of applying the
Lloyd's Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Special Service Craft to vessels
within the application of this national standard.
The application of equivalent Lloyd's service area restrictions are subject to the
additional conditions in Table 3.
NOTE: Operational area categories are defined in NSCV Part B.
ISO 12215-1 Small craft - Hull construction and FRP craft 13 m or less in measured
scantlings - Part 1: Materials: length engaged in light operations.
Thermosetting resins, glass-fibre
reinforcement, reference laminate
ISO 12215-2 Small craft - Hull construction and FRP craft 13 m or less in measured
scantlings - Part 2: Materials: Core length engaged in light operations.
materials for sandwich
construction, embedded materials
ISO 12215-3 Small craft - Hull construction and Steel, aluminium, plywood and
scantlings - Part 3: Materials: Steel, composite FRP/wood craft 13 m or
aluminium alloys, wood, other less in measured length engaged in
KEY:
At the time of development of this standard, Parts 5 and 6 of ISO 12215 were still in draft
form. Only the final published versions of Parts 5 and 6 of ISO 12215 are deemed-to-satisfy
solutions for the standard, not the draft versions.
3.4.3 Definitions
For the purposes of applying the ISO Standards, including calculation and
interpretation of clauses, the definitions and meanings contained within these
standards and other referenced ISO standards apply.
3.4.4 Relationship between NSCV operational area categories and ISO design
categories
The relationships specified in Table 5 shall apply for the purposes of applying the ISO
standards to vessels within the application of this Section of the NSCV.
The application of equivalent ISO design categories are subject to the additional
conditions in Table 5.
NOTE: Operational area categories are defined in NSCV Part B.
A: Ocean None
AS/NZS 3678
Steel
AS/NZS 3679.1
AS/NZS 1734
Aluminium
AS/NZS 1866
FRP AS 3572.7
AS 1720.1
Wood
AS 5604
Plywood AS/NZS 2272
A suitable standard for welding aluminium vessels is AS/NZS 1665. A suitable standard
for welding steel vessels is AS/NZS 1554.1.
5.3.4 Contamination of aluminium work places
Aluminium fabrication areas shall be separated from those for steel to the extent
necessary to prevent contamination. Tools and/or equipment used for steel fabrication,
such as grinding wheels and wire brushes, shall not be brought into aluminium
fabrication areas.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Total Lamination Time:
Total Resin Used: Polyester Iso Ortho Vinylester Epoxy
Percentage Catalyst: Resin/Fibre Ratio:
Weight of Reinforcement Per Metre2 at the end of day:
Application: GUN INFUSION HAND Average Gel Time:
Table B.1 Type and size of welds for various structural connections
Millimetres
Minimum thickness of members ≤5 >5 ≤6.5 >6.5 ≤8 >8 ≤9.5
Single bottom:
Centre keelson to keel plate DC DC DC DC
Floors to centre keelson DC DC DC DC
Intercostals to bar keel DC DC DC DC
Intercostals to floors DC DC DC DC
Rider bar to centre keelson on intercostals (tee joint) 260‡ 260‡ 280‡ 300‡
Rider bar to floors (tee joint) adjacent to engines and propellers DC DC DC DC
Rider bars to floors elsewhere (tee joint) 260‡ 260‡ 280‡ 300‡
Rider bar to floors (corner joint) DC DC DC DC
Floors to bottom adjacent to propeller DC DC DC DC
Floors to bottom adjacent to engine DC DC DC DC
Floors to bottom forward of 025 L 225 225 250 225
Floors to bottom in tanks 225‡ 225‡ 250 225
….Floor to bottom elsewhere 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Frames:
Transverse frames to side shell forward of 0.25 L 225‡║ 225‡║ 250║ 225║
Transverse frames to side shell in tanks 225‡║ 225‡║ 250║ 225║
Transverse frames to side shell elsewhere 300‡║ 300‡║ 300║ 275║
Longitudinal frames to side shell forward of 0.25 L 225‡║ 225‡║ 250║ 225║
Longitudinal frames to side shell in tanks 225‡║ 225‡║ 250║ 225║
Longitudinal frames to side shell elsewhere 300‡║ 300‡║ 300║ 275║
Frame brackets to frames, floors and deck beams DC DC DC DC
Riders bars to frames (tee joint) 260 260 280 300
Rider bars to frames (corner joint) DC DC DC DC
Decks:
Peripheries of strength decks, exposed decks and all watertight or oiltight decks DC DC DC DC
Beams (transverse or longitudinal) to decks adjacent to tanks 225‡ 225‡ 250 225
Beams (transverse or longitudinal) to decks elsewhere 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Beam knees to beams, frames and other end attachments DC DC DC DC
Hatch coamings to exposed decks DC DC DC DC
Transverse or deep beam to decks adjacent to tanks 200 200 225 200
Transverse or deep beams to decks elsewhere 225 225 250 225
(Continued)
Table B1 (continued)
Bulkheads:
Peripheries of swash bulkheads 200 200 225 200
Peripheries of non-tight structural bulkheads 200 225 250 225
Peripheries of watertight or oiltight bulkheads DC DC DC DC
Stiffeners to deep tank bulkheads 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Stiffeners to watertight bulkheads (except in tanks) and deckhouse fronts § 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Stiffeners to non-tight structural bulkheads, deckhouse sides and afterends § 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Stiffener brackets to beams and decks DC DC DC DC
Machinery seatings:
Machinery seatings to floors and shells DC DC DC DC
Double bottoms:
Floors to shell forward of 0.25 L 225 225 250 225
Floors to shell adjacent to engines DC DC DC DC
Floors to shell elsewhere 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Floors to centre vertical keel plate DC DC DC DC
Floors to margin plate DC DC DC DC
Floors to inner bottom forward of 0.25 L 275‡ 275‡ 275 250
Floors to inner bottom adjacent to engines DC DC DC DC
Floors to inner bottom elsewhere 300‡ 300‡ 300 275
Wide-spaced floors with longitudinal framing to shell and inner bottom DC DC DC DC
Non-watertight centre girder to inner bottom or plate keel adjacent to engines and to
shell or bar keel DC DC DC DC
Non-tight centre girder to inner bottom or plate keel elsewhere 150 150 150 125
Watertight or oiltight centre girder to inner bottom, rider plate, shell or bar keel DC DC DC DC
Intercostals and continuous longitudinal girders to shell and to inner bottom adjacent
to engines DC DC DC DC
Intercostals and continuous longitudinal girders to shell elsewhere and to floors 275‡ 275‡ 275 250
Watertight and oiltight periphery connections of longitudinal girders in double bottom.
DC DC DC DC
Deckhouses and superstructures:
The boundaries of deckhouses and superstructures to deck plate DC DC DC DC
NOTES:
* All members that are crossed by or carry the ends of structural members shall have a pair of
matched intermittent welds on each side of each such intersection.
† Where double continuous welds are required for connections of plating greater than 4.8 mm in
thickness or where double continuous welds are adopted for connections of plating greater than 4.8
mm in thickness, the nominal leg length of the welds may be reduced by 1.6 mm.
‡ Fillet welds shall be staggered.
§ Unbracketed stiffeners of shell, watertight and oiltight bulkheads and deckhouse fronts shall have
double continuous welds for one tenth of their length at each end. Unbracketed stiffeners of non-
watertight structural bulkheads, deckhouse sides and after ends shall have a pair of matched
intermittent welds at each end.
║ Frames shall have double continuous welds adjacent to brackets.
LEGEND:
DC = double continuous fillet weld
L = waterline length of vessel
5052- Sheet, ≤50 213 158 145 131 269 90 414 70 327
H32 plate
5052- Sheet, ≤25 234 179 165 138 303 103 448 70 327
H34 plate
5052- Sheet ≤4 255 199 179 152 317 117 483 70 327
H36
5052- Sheet ≤3.25 268 220 207 152 338 124 510 70 327
H38
5052- Sheet ≤2 290 241 227 159 358 138 524 70 327
H391
5083- Extrusions ≤125 275 165 145 159 262 97 538 71 705
H111
5083- Plate >5 ≤40 303 213 179 179 365 124 59 71 705
H321
5083- Plate >40 ≤75 282 199 165 165 117 538 338 71 705
H321
5083- Sheet ≤6 310 234 221 179 138 607 400 71 705
H323
5083- Sheet ≤6 344 268 255 200 159 655 455 71 705
H343
5086- Sheet, ≤25 303 234 221 179 138 579 400 71 705
H34 plate
(Continued)
Table C1 (continued)
5086- Sheet >4.8 ≤6 248 124 117 152 69 496 214 71 705
H112
5086- Plate >6 ≤25 241 110 110 145 62 483 193 71 705
H112
5251- Sheet, ≤25 231 179 159 131 103 434 303 70 327
H34 plate
5454- Sheet, ≤25 268 199 186 159 117 510 338 71 705
H34 plate
6060- Extrusio ≤25 206 172 172 131 97 434 276 69 637
T5 ns
6061- Sheet, ≤25 289 241 241 186 138 607 400 69 637
T6 plate
6061- Extrusio All 262 241 241 165 138 552 386 69 637
T6 ns
6061- Drawn ≤12 293 241 241 186 138 607 386 69 637
T6 tube
6063- Extrusio ≤12 151 110 110 90 62 317 79 69 637
T6 ns
6063- Extrusio ≤25 206 172 172 131 97 434 276 69 637
T83 ns
6063- Drawn All 275 248 248 165 138 579 393 69 637
T5 tube
6351-5 Extrusio All 262 241 241 164 138 552 386 69 637
ns
6351- Extrusio ≤150 293 255 255 172 145 607 421 69 637
T6 ns
mm MPa
MPa MPa MPa MPa MPa MPa