ABS
Ultrasonic thickness measurement of ships has to be carried out as a manner/means to detect, monitor and hence deal with corrosion.
• There are benefits from it:
1) Ensures local ship strength is retained
2) Ensures global ship strength is retained
3) Identifies areas with corrosion which may require more frequent inspection and assessment
4) Provides data for corrosion trend analysis for various types of ships UTM of ships is carried out with the involvement/
co-operation of three, or may say four parties:
1. Owners’ Representative
2. Class Surveyor
3. TM Company Representative
4. Dockyard or Shipyard Representative(Not always)
• Before commencement of any TMs taken the four or better say three parties shall gather into a meeting,usually on board the vessel and plan/decide the sequence and way that TMs are to be taken.
Each party has certain obligations emanating from its role and position:
Owners’ Rep.
- Arrange the initial meeting with the remaining parties
- Ensure that the TM Company that he has invited on board is approved by the ship’s Classification Society
- As such, first to allow access to the ship, as no one can board the vessel without the Owners’ permission
- Have readily available for the Surveyor all ship documentation that is required (Survey Program, in case of a special survey, existing ESP documentation, all necessary structural plans) for the forthcoming survey in question, and advise
him of any possible damage to the ship after the last survey has been held
- Ensure cleanliness of spaces that have to be surveyed/thickness measured.
- Provide means of access to all spaces /places that have to be close up surveyed and thickness measured
- Ensure safety of access means The means of access to be provided are:
- Staging
- Cherry Picker
- Rafting (IACS Recommendation 39 “Safe Use of rafts or Boats for Survey (1995) last revision Mar 2009”)
- Lifts and Movable Platforms
- Portable Ladders depending on the survey circumstances
