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ABSTRACT
This paper provides the background leading to what became known as the "Nordic Project", set up in the aftermath of the Estonia disaster with the view to examining fundamental ways of addressing the damage survivability of passenger/RoRo ferries. The main philosophy and key findings deriving from the project are explained and the way ahead highlighted
INTRODUCTION
Following the Estonia disaster, the Nordic countries established the project entitled "Safety of passenger/RoRo vessels" to take a fundamental new look at the stability and safety requirements for new passenger/RoRo vessels. The principal aim of the project was to develop a proposal for a new probabilistic stability framework leading to improved safety for new vessels with particular reference to the damaged and flooded condition. A second aim was the development and application of safety assessment procedures to passenger/RoRo vessels. Participants in this joint R&D project were The Danish Maritime Authority, The Finnish Maritime Authority, The Norwegian Maritime Directorate, The Swedish Maritime Authority, The Danish Shipowners Association, The Finnish & Aland Shipowners Associations, the Norwegian Shipowners Association, The Swedish Shipowners Association, Marine Safety Agency (UK), Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd and Det Norske Veritas (Project Manager). Leading experts from several European countries contributed to the technical work as shown in figure 1.
The work in the project focused on establishing an entirely new risk based stability standard. This included the development of survivability criteria to ensure a near zero probability that future designs will capsize, even after large scale damage. Important aspects such as damage stability modelling methods, watertight integrity, collision damage extent and dynamic effects in waves have been studied in the project. This paper aims to present some of the major findings and the lessons learned during the project.
BACKGROUND
Regulations
Historically, most changes in international regulations for ship design and operation have been introduced as a result of major disasters with a large loss of life. The first notable of such disasters was the well known sinking of the Titanic. The first damage stability requirements were introduced following the 1948 SOLAS Convention. Present damaged stability requirements for RoRo vessels are generally based upon the same deterministic principles with some important improvements involving requirements to residual stability (range, height and area of GZ curve) after damage....