CAREFULLY TO CARRY

SEPTEMBER 2007 2007

FEBRUARY

Flexitanks
“The carrier shall
properly and
carefully load,
handle, stow,
carry, keep, care
for and discharge
the goods
carried.”
Hague Rules,
Articles iii, Rule 2

Carefully to Carry
Advisory Committee
This report was produced by the Carefully to
Carry Committee – the UK P&I Club’s advisory
committee on cargo matters. The aim of the
Carefully to Carry Committee is to reduce
claims through contemporaneous advice to the
Club’s Members through the most efficient
means available.

Introduction The committee was established in 1961 and

has produced many articles on cargoes that
What is a flexitank? A flexitank is a Annual growth is forecast at between cause claims and other cargo related issues
bladder that is designed to fit inside a 15% and 20%. such as hold washing, cargo securing, and
20ft general freight container and ventilation.
which converts that freight container Of the present trade, it is estimated that
The quality of advice given has established
into a non-hazardous bulk liquid between 15% and 20% of global loads
Carefully to Carry as a key source of guidance
transportation unit. emanate from South America, with the for shipowners and ships’ officers. In addition,
movement of wine and fruit juices being the articles have frequently been the source of
Flexitanks are not an approved form of particularly prominent. expertise in negotiations over the settlement of
packaging for the carriage by sea of claims and have also been relied on in court
hearings.
dangerous goods classified under the The flexitank market is divided between
International Maritime Dangerous equipment suppliers and equipment In 2002 all articles were revised and published
Goods Code. operators. A particularly dominant in book form as well as on disk. All articles are
equipment manufacturer and operator is also available to Members on the Club website.
Flexitanks have been used for the Trans Ocean Distribution Limited which Visit the Carefully to Carry section in the Loss
Prevention area of the Club website
carriage of bulk liquids for over twenty has approximately 45% of the global
www.ukpandi.com for more information, or
years. However, there has been market. Some of the newer entrants contact the Loss Prevention Department.
unprecedented expansion since 2000 include a number of the conventional
with the emergence of single-trip tanks. tanktainer operators, such as Stolt
Nielsen Transportation Group and Hoyer
In the early years, shipments amounted Global.
to around 5,000 per annum. In 2006
the total global market had increased to There are more than 40 manufacturers of
about 120,000 flexitank movements. flexitanks worldwide. There is presently
no agreed standard regarding construction and operation. However, despatch about 40% more cargo per container than a drummed
the Container Owners Association (COA) set up a flexitank working consignment, about 50% more than a bottled consignment
group with the inaugural meeting held in Paris on 28 June 2007. and about 15% additional payload when compared to a
The aims include producing a ‘Standard’ and a ‘Code of Practice’ that container filled with intermediate bulk containers (IBCs);
flexitank manufacturers, operators and container operators can
follow. ● No return loads are required; and

Container operators are concerned that the pressure placed on the ● Loading rates are higher compared to drums and IBCs.
sidewall panels can result in them bulging beyond accepted ISO
external dimensions and tolerances and permanent deformation The disadvantages of flexitanks include:
can occur. Some operators are so concerned that they will not accept
the shipment of flexitanks. Many feel that there should be a limit on ● Products classified as Dangerous Goods under the IMDG Code
how much can be carried in a flexitank. are not permitted;

● Pumps are required for unloading;

● Greater preparation is required than for ISO tank containers,

although ISO tanks require substantial cleaning, especially in
food applications;

● Environmental
issues arise in
connection with the
disposal of used
single-trip
flexitanks;

● The risk of leakage

of the full contents;

● The potential of high costs to clean up spillages; and

● Dependant upon stowage on board, spillage resulting in the

contamination of other cargo.

The International Standard Organisation (ISO) / Institute of

International Container Lessors (IICL) deformation limit for sidewall
panels is a maximum of 10mm beyond the plane of the side surfaces
of the corner casting fittings.

Perceived advantages/disadvantages
In the non-hazardous markets, flexitanks are considered in some
quarters to be effective substitutes for ISO tank containers and
drums.

Reasons put forward to justify single-use flexitanks include:

● Product dedicated and therefore no risk of cross contamination;

● Relatively low positioning costs (in some areas 100 empty

flexitanks can be positioned for the same cost as one tank
container);

● Positioning a flexitank with a capacity of up to 24,000 litres

inside a 20ft general freight container enables shippers to
Types of flexitanks tested to a greater load bearing capability than, say, a 24 mt
container.
The first flexitanks were designed on the basis that they would be for
multi-trip use. This meant that cleaning and repositioning costs were The side wall test requires a general freight container to be subjected
incurred. However, these costs have been eliminated with the single- to an internal loading uniformly distributed and arranged to allow
trip flexitank, the type now most commonly in use. The single-trip free deflection of the side wall and its longitudinal members. The ISO
type now accounts for more than 95% of the global market. Standard requires that, upon completion of the test, the container
exhibits neither permanent deformation which will render it
The typical capacity of a flexitank is in the range of 10,000 to 24,000 unsuitable for use, nor any abnormality which will render it
litres. The weight carried will depend upon the density of the unsuitable for use and that the dimensional requirements governing
commodity. The permitted gross weight of a container should never handling, securing and interchange shall be satisfied. Therefore, for
be exceeded, however, current practice is not to load more than a 30 mt container the test load will be of the order of 16.8 mt.
24,000 kg of liquid in a 30 metric tonne gross weight rated freight However, a flexitank does not place a uniform loading over the full
container, although even this is considered too high by some area of a sidewall and a gross liquid cargo weight of 24,000 kgs is the
container operators. recommended maximum by some flexitank operators. However,
some container operators consider that there should be a lower limit.
A major difference between the designs of the two types of flexitanks Containers are not specifically classified for the carriage of flexitanks.
is that a restraining harness is used in the majority of multi-trip ones.
Harnesses were, and still are, deemed to be dangerous as they create To minimise the stress upon the sidewalls of a freight container it is
concentrated pressure points on the tank surface which can result in recommended that the height of the side of the flexitank in contact
premature material failure. The use of a restraining harness has been with the sidewall panel should be kept to a minimum. An optimum
dispensed with in the case of single-trip flexitanks. height of 1.3 metres has been suggested.

If a flexitank is not filled to near its nominal capacity then a marked It is also recommended by flexitank operators that the sidewall panels
free surface effect and hydraulic surging of the liquid can occur, often are fully corrugated from end-to-end and that a container with
resulting in damage to the container. A flow meter should be used to sidewall decal panels is not acceptable.
ensure that a flexitank has been filled to its correct capacity (+/-500
litres of its nominal capacity). A visual inspection alone is unlikely to One flexitank manufacturer/operator insists that container sidewall
be sufficient. panels should be a minimum of 1.6 mm in thickness increasing to at
least 2 mm at the extreme ends.
Use of flexitanks
A range of products are carried in flexitanks and include wine, fruit
concentrate, animal fat, fish oil, base oil, detergents, non-hazardous
chemicals, drilling mud additives, paint, lubricants, printing ink, latex 2 mm 1.6 mm 2 mm
and potable water.
➤ ➤➤ ➤➤ ➤
Flexitanks are constructed in a number of different ways – single-
layered and multi-layered – and from different materials, but typically
polyethylene. A shipper should discuss with a flexitank operator the
most suitable type of flexitank that will be compatible with the
product to be shipped. This may include giving consideration as to Some flexitank operators recommend that only containers five years
whether a flexitank should incorporate an impermeable barrier to old or less should be used. In the event that older containers have to
prevent any tainting of the product being carried from external be used then they must be in good condition. This means that no
sources. For example, wine has been tainted by naphthalene, the container should be used that already has signs of creasing or
origin of which has not always been clearly identified. deformation to the sidewall panel corrugations and/or has had a
partial replacement of a sidewall panel.
Single-layered flexitanks are constructed from 1mm thick
polyethylene, whereas multi-layered flexitanks are constructed from a The container should be fitted with:
number of layers of plastic of which the inner surface at least should
be polyethylene. Each layer may be about 125 microns thick. The
● Functioning dual locking bars for each door panel;
outer layer of a multi-layered flexitank is normally of a woven type
plastic material With multi-layered flexitanks, the different layers
● Left-hand door handles must have a hole to accept a safety bolt
may, during loading, get caught up and trapped resulting in a layer seal
tearing.
● Door recesses for bulkhead fixings.

Selection of freight container

Inspection of freight container prior to
From discussions with a number of interested parties the general use
consensus is that a minimum 30 metric tonne gross weight rated
container manufactured from Corten steel should be used, Irrespective of whether a single or multi-trip flexitank is being used,
irrespective of the size of the flexitank. The actual sidewall strength is a freight container should be inspected to ensure the following:
a function of a containers’ permitted payload, i.e. 0.6 x payload (ISO
1496-1 Series 1 freight containers – specification and testing). ● The container is structurally undamaged and free of sharp
Therefore, the sidewall panels of a 30 mt container will have been projections on internal side and end wall panels;
● The container is in a clean condition free from the residue of all To prevent a loaded flexitank bulging outwards when the right-hand
previous cargoes; door is open, a false bulkhead is placed in the doorway.

● There are no floor imperfections: In the early years these bulkheads were of a solid timber
construction. Plastic panels are now used, held in place with
- Floorboards and their retaining bolts are flush; horizontal steel bars that fit into the vertical corrugation in the door
pillars.
- There are no nails in the floor (nails/screws/fastenings
should not be hammered into the floor); Sturdier welded steel frame bulkheads such as those below are
designed and constructed to withstand the rigors of rail operation.
- The underside of the container floor should also be
inspected to ensure that no nails are protruding and all
cross-members are in place and firmly affixed to the floor
and the side rails and do not show signs of excessive
deformation and/or cracking;

- Internal weld joints are smooth as rough weld joints can

result in a flexitank being abraded (placing tape over the
weld joints can provide extra protection);

● Cams on both doors position and lock correctly when the doors
are closed;

● Handles position and lock fully in their hatches;

● Door recesses for bulkhead fixings are in good condition (note:

containers are being built without door recess channels and
therefore are unable to accommodate bulkhead fittings);

● Lashing fittings at bottom rails and corner posts should not be

damaged as they could cause punctures; and

● Bolts affixing labels etc to the doors are not protruding through
to inside of panels. If they are, they must be covered with foam or
cardboard.

Some flexitank operators provide a standard practice checklist for

container selection. If the container does not meet the criteria laid To ensure that a flexitank does not bulge through the gaps in a steel
down the flexitank operators’ technical department request that framework bulkhead a sufficiently rigid sheet should be placed on
they be notified. the inside of the bulkhead. This prevents the flexitank chafing
against the steelwork. The photograph below shows horizontal
In order to ensure protection from the flexitank abrading against steel bars used with cardboard sheeting placed between the
bare metal the normal practice is to line the inside of the container. flexitank and the steel bars.
Materials often used include corrugated cardboard, styrofoam
sheets and kraft paper.
Stowage of flexitanks In 2005, only 35 of 31,052 (0.1%) loads were reported as bulging.
Investigation of these incidents determined that either mishandling
The stowage of flexitanks aboard a vessel needs to be considered in of the containers and/or pre-existing damage, weakening the panel,
the context of two factors which may be conflicting. was the root cause.

To reduce forces acting upon the container and the flexitank, For ease of discharge, bottom fittings adjacent to the doorway are
stowage low down in the hold and near to the ship’s centre line is generally preferred. However, this can result in a static head of
preferable. Such forces can be particularly high when the ship is pressure between the flexible body of the tank and the valve
partly loaded and/or has a large meta-centric height, resulting in a construction. Leaks can occur due to the detachment of the double
short rolling period. However, if the nature of the goods is such that patch around the valve opening of either the top or bottom fittings
they could solidify if they leaked (e.g. latex) and which could result in (see photo below).
the ship’s hold bilge lines becoming blocked, then on deck stowage
is preferable.

Ship operators may wish to consider whether, due to the nature of

the goods, a leak could result in tainting of the hold space and/or
other container loads stowed in the same hold.

Accordingly, the information supplied by the shipper should include

full details of the nature of the product and whether it could
‘solidify’, ‘taint’ or ‘damage’ the container in the event of a leakage.

On balance, the optimum stowage for flexitanks is probably the first

tier, on deck.

Labelling of containers
The flexitank market is fragmented with more than 40
The normal practice is to place a warning label on the left-hand door
manufacturers worldwide. Shippers/container operators need to
panel of the freight container. This label advises:
familiarise themselves with the equipment available in their
locations, and its capability.
● Caution bulk liquid;
A damaged container does not automatically mean that a flexitank
● Flexitank container;
will leak. However, if a flexitank does leak and its full load is spilt
then, dependant upon the commodity being carried, the clean-up
● Do not open left-hand door until discharge completed; and
costs may be considerable. Costs of the order of US$ 75,000 have
been incurred for the clean-up of a single flexitank that has leaked
● Do not loose shunt.
on board a vessel.

These warnings are given in a number of languages on the same

A flexitank can sustain severe trauma without leaking. The following
label. However, this single label presupposes that firstly it will be
photographs show a flexitank stowed at the bottom of a flooded
seen by the person handling the container, which may not be the
hold. The product was synthetic latex. There was no leakage and the
case for the operator of the crane loading/discharging the vessel or
product was later sampled, approved and discharged for its
the driver of the transport moving the container to/from the
intended use.
quayside to its storage location on the terminal. Also, it presupposes
that the label is in a language understood by the person handling
the container at any particular time in the transport chain.

A flexitank would be better marked with a suitable placard affixed to

each of the four side panels and the roof panel. Accordingly, it would
be very helpful if an internationally recognised symbol was agreed
that could be seen at a distance by anyone handling the container.

How safe are flexitanks?

Certain types of flexitanks are accepted as providing a quality and
economic containment system for non-hazardous bulk liquid
products. However, no shipping method is without its weaknesses
and accidents do occur. However, how high is the risk?

The flexitank industry is unregulated and is presently not

represented by any central trade organisation. Therefore, incident
statistics for the global market are not available. Trans Ocean
Distribution Limited has advised that only a small percentage of their
loads give rise to incidents.
 Whilst the sidewall and roof panels of the container were damaged
there was no leakage of the wine. This is one reason why relief
valves are not used on some designs. Whilst relief valves are
suitable for the rigid design of tanktainers, there are complex
problems in designing one suitable for a flexitank and there is not
an ideal one on the market. The fitting of relief valves in the early
flexitanks was one of the causes of criticism as there was frequently
leakage of the contents during shipment.

Notwithstanding this example, to put the problem in perspective

the number of similar incidents involving wine, for one flexitank
operator has been three or four out of a total 28,000 carried.

Over the past few years, Trans Ocean Distribution Limited has
undertaken a number of tests to demonstrate that sidewall panel
integrity is not compromised by the fitting of their flexitanks in
freight containers. These tests have included:

● Association of American Railroads (AAR) – Impact Test passed –

February 2006; Field Test passed – June 2006
As with the carriage of any cargo, problems can arise. With wine,
fermentation can occur, which when carried in a flexitank can result ● Vertical Lift and Emergency Stop Test – Houston, – February
in it expanding excessively. The following photographs illustrate
2006
such a case.
● Testing with Railroad Academy of Science, Transportation and
Economics Institute – Beijing, China, November 2004;

● Freightliner Rail Test, United Kingdom, July 2004

A computer model devised by a flexitank operator has predicted

that sidewall panels in good condition will suffer no permanent
damage from normal handling operations. This result is endorsed
by the tests outlined above.

Trans Ocean Distribution Limited are willing to discuss with

interested parties the findings of these tests on freight containers,
Rhinobulk flexitanks and the steel bulkhead assembly. In an effort
to obtain an acceptable industry standard in this growing market
sector, TOD is a lead player in the formation of a working group on
Flexitanks being co-ordinated by the COA (Container Owners
Association) – www.containerownersassociation.org).

The inaugural Flexitank Working Group meeting was held in Paris

in June 2007. The issues considered included ‘container bulging or
damage to containers’ and a ‘Code of Practice’. The latter covered
guidance under the headings: safe operations, testing, training,
safety and the environment.

Shippers and container operators need to understand the

significant difference between equipment types. Discussions
amongst the various flexitank suppliers and operators and
getting to know the equipment and service being offered can best
achieve this.

Charterparty contracts
In charterparty contracts, owners and charterers should identify
who will be responsible for costs and damages consequent upon a
leakage from a flexitank while on board.

In addition, when bills of lading are issued they should be claused

to identify the party responsible for positioning and loading the
flexitank in the container.
Summary
● Certain flexitank types are widely accepted as providing a quality ● The container is structurally undamaged and free of sharp
and economic containment system for non-hazardous products. projections on internal side and end wall panels.
The entry of tanktainer operators into this market suggests that
flexitanks may now be seen as a more credible form of ● The container is in a clean condition free from the residue of
transportation. all previous cargoes.

● Damage to containers can occur either as a consequence of ● There are no floor imperfections:
improper handling or from pre-existing damage undermining
- Floorboards and their retaining bolts are flush;
the structural integrity of the freight container.
- There are no nails in the floor (nails/screws/fastenings
● During transportation the contents of a flexitank will be subject should not be hammered into the floor);
to dynamic forces that will act upon the structure of the
- The underside of the container floor should also be
container which could cause damage as well as possibly
inspected to ensure that no nails are protruding and all
affecting its stability.
cross-members are in place and firmly affixed to the floor
and the side rails and do not show signs of excessive
● A damaged container does not automatically mean that there
deformation and/or cracking;
has been leakage of the product from the flexitank.
- Internal weld joints are smooth as rough weld joints can
● To minimise the possibility of a flexitank tank being damaged, result in a flexitank being abraded (placing tape over the
careful selection of the appropriate freight container is required. weld joints can provide extra protection).
A detailed inspection should be undertaken by the container
operator before releasing to the flexitank operator, who must in ● Cams on both doors position and lock correctly when the
turn undertake its own inspection before fitting their doors are closed.
equipment.
● Handles position and lock fully in their hatches.
● Flexitank operators should provide clear written advice
regarding container selection and the loading of their flexitanks. ● Door recesses for bulkhead fixings are in good condition
This guidance should be fully understood and followed. (note: containers are being built without door recess
channels and therefore are unable to accommodate
● A container carrying a flexitank should be properly labelled to bulkhead fittings).
indicate that the contents are a bulk liquid and caution should
be exercised in its handling. ● Lashing fittings at bottom rails and corner posts should not
be damaged as they could cause punctures.
● Information should be passed along the transport chain,
including details of the nature of the contents. This should ● Bolts affixing labels etc to the doors are not protruding
include, in the event of a leakage, whether the product will through to inside of panels. If they are, they must be covered
‘solidify’,’taint’ or ‘damage’, the container. with foam or cardboard.

● Freight containers should be checked to ensure: ● There is a warning label on the left-hand door panel of the
freight container, advising:
● The container is fitted with: - Caution bulk liquid;
- Functioning dual locking bars for each door panel; - Flexitank container;
- Left-hand door handles must have a hole to accept a safety - Do not open left-hand door until discharge completed;
bolt seal; and
- Door recesses for bulkhead fixings.
- Do not loose shunt.

This article is a review of current trade practice only. Presently there is no container type
specifically constructed to carry flexitanks, nor any international rules governing their
use. Container operators offering containers for flexitank use should therefore ensure
that shippers are fully aware of the issues surrounding the carriage of flexitanks by sea
in containers, as mentioned in the article, especially their responsibility should the
container, flexitank, contents, or third party property be damaged.

Acknowledgments:
J.Chubb, BMT Marine & Offshore Surveys Ltd
Material courtesy of Trans Ocean Distribution Ltd

For further information please contact: Loss Prevention Department, Thomas Miller P&I Ltd
Tel: +44 20 7204 2307. Fax +44 20 7283 6517. Email: [email protected]