Users Report Vol. 119
Rules & Technology Center
China Classification Society

Interest in the safety of ship is increasing with the coming of the cruising boom
"maritimeEXODUS" secures the safety through design, construction, and test

Rules & Technology Center,
China Classification Society

URL: http://www.ccs.org.cn/ccswz/
Location: Shanghai, China
Services: Technology standards and test service
for ships, sea-based facilities, and related
industrial products. Services such as legal test,
audit, authentication check, and certification
administration according to the international
rules and related regulations.
From left
Mr. Lai Hongyu, manager
Mr. Zhou Jie Min, senior engineer
Mr. Chen Guo Qing, senior engineer
Ms. Li Qiao Yan, engineer

Business of the China Classification Society is to test ship designs before building ships in order to check whether its safety is secured based on the Chinese standards. Maritime companies cannot purchase insurance without the certification. The company is receiving more and more requests about these important reviews from shipbuilders and ship operators year by year. For example, in 2016, the year of the 60's anniversary of the company, it conducted reviews against the total of more than 100 million tons of ships a year.

In China, cruise by passenger ships is becoming a fad along with the economic growth. "How to ensure the safety of ships, especially of passenger ships, is attracting interests. Ninety percent of new ships are built in Asia (Japan, Korea, and China), and the ratio of passenger ship is increasing. Cruise ship business is developing at so astonishing speed that a large cruise ship is planned to be built", says Mr. Zhou Jie Min, the senior engineer of the China Classification Society.


Using "maritimeEXODUS" for ship safe design
from design to review

The China Classification Society recently started to use "maritimeEXODUS", the evacuation simulation software for ship, in order to build safer cruise ships and passenger ships.

"The self-design of large cruise ship has just begun in China. We who are responsible for the review of ships introduced the maritimeEXODUS for the pre analysis to build safe ships according to the law standards through design, building, and test by using this software. I think that we are able to improve the customer satisfaction thanks to it", Mr. Zhou Jie Min explains.

The safety of emergency evacuation at fire etc. is checked by reviewing the ship diagram according to the existing laws and rules, for example movement speed of passengers on each floor, width of floors and stairs, and designs of aisles. The testers allocate number of people to each exit to the deck in order to first confirm if evacuees can gather near the exits within 30 minutes. Then they see if the evacuees can take to the boats in another 30 minutes.

This seems slow compared with the "90 seconds rule" applied for airplanes that all passengers need evacuate the plane within 90 seconds. A senior engineer Chen Guo Qing explains as follows. "Locations of people on the ship differ between day and night, and evacuation situations also differ according to the types of emergency such as fire, collision, or immersion. We prepare multiple refuge routes in case of a panic situation. Especially we are studying the way of an orderly evacuation from the large cruiser with many passengers within the time limit. We are conducting tests, considering how people escape and how ships should be designed to evacuate more people. I think that more intuitive analyses can be realized by creating models via software and simulating predicted situations, than checking drawings".

 
Mr. Lai Hongyu, manager Mr. Zhou Jie Min,
senior engineer
Mr. Chen Guo Qing,
senior engineer

 Checking the safety of evacuation according to drawings of ships

Of course it takes passenger long to evacuate from the immerged and inclined ship. Given the international affairs, it is necessary to consider countermeasures to terrorism as well as fire and collision. The goal of the company is to support designers properly when they use software and create prediction plan, and to rescue as many lives as possible in the event of disaster.

"When I conduct checks by using the maritimeEXODUS developed based on the actual accidents and disasters, I become confident for the safety. Assuming the current safety standard as the philosophy of 60 point, this software can raise the safety of ships to 80 or 90 point. I think that with this software we can solve issues that are difficult to be solved by the current ways and can analyze arrangement of ship structures, safety abilities, and rescue equipment more scientifically", says Mr. Chen.

画像をクリックすると大きな画像が表示されます。 画像をクリックすると大きな画像が表示されます。
In addition to the evacuation analysis for large cargo vessels and high class cruisers, the construction of VR environment that UC-win/Road and maritimeEXODUS are cooperated is considered for the future. It is planned to provide new services such as explanation VR for general passengers and presentation for consultants, design companies, and assurance companies. An engineer of the China
Classification Society using
"maritimeEXODUS/SMARTFIRE"

Also, professor Edwin Galea, the developer of the maritimeEXODUS, Fire Safety Engineering Group, University of Greenwich, is playing an active role in the IMO (International Maritime Organization). Recently, "IMOC1533", the numerical analysis standard for fire simulation, was revised, and the SMARTFIRE immediately started its support.

Mr. Zhou comments, "Though safety standards of ships differs according to countries, results tested by this British software are easy to understand with their international standard quality." Also in this respect, the China Classification Society seems to find significance of the usage of the maritimeEXODUS.

As for the maritimeEXODUS and SMARTFIRE, the fact that it is developed by Prof. Galea who is the world's expert on the safety of ships has a great meaning. It gives users a sense of ease.

The company put questions to Prof. Galea at
the FORUM8 seminar held in Shanghai
on 29th June, 2017.

●The role of CCS
Founded in 1956, China Classification Society (CCS) is headquartered in Beijing and is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).
CCS provides classification services to ships, offshore installations and related industrial products by furnishing world-leading technical rules and standards. CCS also provides statutory surveys, impartial and integral classification, verification, certification and accreditation and other services in accordance with international conventions, regulations and the related rules and regulations of the authorizing flag states or regions.
As authorized by the administrations of the flag states or regions, CCS carries out statutory survey and other services as authorized by the administrations. Up to now, CCS has been authorized by 40 major shipping nations or regions in the world including China to perform statutory surveys for the ships flying their flags.
By committing to the mission of "safety, environmental protection and creating value for clients and society" and based on the 90 offices established across the globe, CCS provides services for a range of industry and fields including shipping, shipbuilding, shipping finance and insurance, marine equipment, ocean resources exploitation, ocean scientific research, industrial supervision, system certification, government policy and rule development, energy saving and emission reduction, risk management and evaluation, and is constantly developing new business areas.
By sticking to the policy of "building first-class international classification society with own characteristics and with technology as the foundation and credibility as the cornerstone", CCS improves continuously its image and value through advanced technology and quality service and is widely and highly recognized by the international industry.

Website of the China Classification Society
2016 business report
(Up&Coming '17 Fall issue)



Previous
  
Index


FORUM8