An alternative system for damage stability enhancement

There is an ongoing and continuous initiative to improve the survivability of passenger vessels and in the past increasing safety standards have generally been catered for through the use of design(passive) measures. However, this approach is becoming saturated and any such measures to improve damage stability severly erode ship earning potential and are being resisted by industry. In a change of direction, this paper aims to explore the use of operational(active) measures for damage stability enhancement in line with IMO Circular 1455 on equivalents. An alternative system for damage stability enhancement is intorduced that involves injecting highly expandable foam in the compartment(s) undergoing flooding during the initial post-accident flooding phase thus enhancing damage stability and survivability of RoPax vessels well beyond the design levels in the most cost-effective way currently available. This is a mind-set changing innovation that is likely to revolutionise design and operation of most ship types and RoPax, in particular. A case study has been performed on a large RoPax vessel with impressive results that will challenge the current established practice and open possibilities for novel and innovative design configurations