Bulk Grain Cargoes loading

The Hazard of Grain Shifting

• Grain settles by about 2% of its volume. Because of
this settling, small void spaces that exist on the top of
the grain surface in filled compartments increase in
volume. These void spaces permit the grain to shift.
The Shifting of grain is the greatest hazard involved in
the carriage of grain and all regulations contained in
the International Code for the safe carriage of Grain in
Bulk (1991) are directed towards limiting this shift of
grain to within acceptable limits. This Code must
always be referred to when loading grain.
 The Hazard of Grain Shifting
• Grain has a low angle of repose (as low as 15-18 Deg
depending on the type of grain) and this results in it
shifting very easily. As the Ship rolls to about 15 Deg
in mod/rough seas and swells and to larger angles
due to very rough seas and heavy swells, the grain
cargo will definitely shift in these circumstances. If the
grain surface is not trimmed level, it will shift at even
lower angles of heel. When grain shifts it causes a list
(heel as per the Grain code). The heel is the result of
the heeling moment ‘w x d’ which is the wt of cargo
• shifted (w) x distance by which it shifts (d).
These heeling moments in all holds add up, as
cargo in all holds will shift to the same side.
Thus the heeling moments for the ship are to
be kept as small as possible. This is done by
1. Having as many holds as possible completely
filled with grain.
2. Restraining or securing the grain surface to
prevent shifting.
 Loading of Grain Cargoes
The Planning to load a cargo of Grain is to be
carried out as follows,
1. Calculate the max Qtty that can be loaded
taking into account the ship’s deadweight, the
load line zones she will pass through , the wts
on board, draft limitation etc.
2. Distribute the cargo into the holds so as to
have max no. of filled holds but also
considering draft, stability and stresses.
3. Multiply the cargo wt by the stowage factor to
 obtain the Cargo Volume/depth of cargo in each hold.
4. From the heeling moment diagrams in the Grain
loading booklet, find out the Volumetric Heeling
Moments of each hold.
5. Multiply the Volumetric Heeling Moments by the
appropriate factor to compensate for the vertical shift
of “G”. The volumetric heeling moments given in the
grain loading booklet take into account the transverse
shift of G but not vertical shift of G. A vertical shift of G
has an
adverse effect on the stability of the vessel. It
greatly reduces the GM of the vessel. The
compensation for vertical shift of G is carried
out by:
Partly filled compartment: multiplying the VHM
by 1.12,
Filled trimmed compartment: multiplying the
VHM by 1.06,
Filled untrimmed compartment: no change in
VHM.
 Loading of Grain Cargoes
6. Divide the corrected Volumetric Heeling Moments by
Stowage Factor to obtain Heeling Moments which are the
wt Heeling Moments. Add up all the Heeling Moments
for each hold to obtain Total Heeling Moments.
7. Compare the Total Heeling moments with the allowable
Heeling moments obtained from Grain Stability booklet.
8. If the Total Heeling Moment is greater than allowable
heeling moment then re-distribute the cargo. If the Total
Heeling Moment is less than allowable Heeling Moment
then proceed with stability calculations.
 Allowable heeling moments
• The allowable heeling moments are the maximum
permissible heeling moments beyond which it will be
dangerous for the ship to proceed out to sea in that
condition of displacement and KG. The Allowable
heeling moments decrease with an increase in KG
due to reduction in GM. They generally decrease
with increase in displacement due to angle of
flooding reducing with the displacement although
they some times increase because the heel reduces
with increase in displacement.
 Types of Compartments
• The Manner of stowage of grain gives rise to
three types of compartments:
1. Filled Compartment, trimmed- is one in
which the grain after loading, is trimmed so
as to fill all spaces under the decks and hatch
covers to the maximum extent possible, so
that the grain is at its highest possible level.
2. Filled Compartment, untrimmed- is one which
is filled to the maximum extent possible in
way of the hatch opening , but outside the
periphery of the hatch opening the grain will
be at its natural angle of heel.
3. Partly filled Compartment- is one in which
grain is any level but is not filled whether
trimmed or untrimmed.
 Volumetric heeling Moments
• The heeling moments given in the grain
loading booklet are Volumetric Heeling
Moments i.e they are the shift in volume of
cargo under the assumed angle of heel. It is
not possible for the shipyard to provide
Weight heeling Moments as the shift in weight
of cargo will depend on the density/stowage
factor of the cargo which differs for various
types of grain cargoes.
However the shift in volume at any depth for a
particular assumed angle of heel remains
constant. The Volumetric heeling moments for
each hold must be divided by the stowage
factor of the grain in that hold to obtain the
weight heeling moments.
 Grain Loading Booklet
It will have to be noticed that all these calculations
would not be possible without the volumetric
heeling moments being provided to the ship. Thus
information must be provided by the shipyard for all
ships intending to load grain.
The information should include
a. Curves or tables of volumes, vertical centres of
volumes and assumed VHM’s for every
compartment, filled or partly filled, including the
effect of temporary fittings.
b. Curves of tables of max permissible heeling
moments for varying displacements and
varying KG’s of ship.
c. Details of the scantlings of temporary fittings
provided to meet stability requirements.
d. Loading instructions in the form of notes
summarising the requirements of the code.
 Grain Loading Booklet
e. A worked example for the guidance of Master.
f. Typical loaded arrival and departure conditions
and intermediate worst service conditions.

Additionally other normal stability information

provided for all ships should also be provided
which includes,
a. Ship’s particulars,
b. Lightship weight and KG,
c. Tables of liquid free surface correction.
d. Capacities and centre of gravity of all
compartments.
e. Curves or tables of angles of flooding.
f. Hydrostatic data
g. Cross curves of stability to plot the GZ curve.
 Document of Authorization
• Once a ship has been provided with all information it
can apply for the DOA.
• The DOA certifies that the ship has been provided with
the information necessary for it to comply with the
requirements of the International Code for the safe
carriage of Grain in Bulk.
• The DOA is to be in the national language.
• The DOA together with the Grain Loading Booklet must
be kept on board for inspection by the attending
surveyors at the port of loading.
Stability requirements for a ship loading grain
with DOA.
• The angle of heel due to an assumed shift of grain should not exceed
12 deg or for ships constructed after 1 Jan 1994 the angle of heel shall
not exceed 12 deg or the angle of deck edge immersion whichever is
less.
• The residual area between the heeling arm curve and the righting arm
curve up to the angle of maximum separation or 40 deg or angle of
flooding, whichever is the least, shall not be less than 0.075 m-radians.
• The GM after correction for FSE for liquid in tanks shall not be less
than 0.3m,
• The ship shall be upright before proceeding to sea,
• XNoX. The master shall demonstrate compliance with the criteria at
all stages of the voyage.
Stability requirements for a ship loading grain
without a DOA.
• It must be understood that ships without DOA are most likely
those not having Grain loading booklet and heeling moment
information. Hence it is difficult to find out heeling moments for
such ship. In such case the regulations take a safe course which
can be understood as follows,
a. The weight of grain loaded cannot exceed 1/3 the deadweight.
b. All grain surfaces in filled compartments must be restrained by
centreline division extending for the full length of the
compartment from the underside of the deck or hatch covers
to a depth below the deck equal to B/8 or 2.4 m whichever is
greater. Alternatively saucering, bundling may be used, except
for linseed.
Stability requirements for a ship loading grain
without a DOA.
c. All free grain surfaces in partly filled
compartments must be trimmed level and secured
by overstowing, strapping or lashing by wire mesh.
d. All hatch covers to tween decks must be in place
and battened down.
e. The fluid GM throughout the voyage should not be
less than 0.3 mtrs.
f. The Master should demonstrate that the ship
complies with these requirements prior to loading.
 HOLDS CLEANING DEFINITIONS
• Cargo hold cleaning standards:

• Preparation of a cargo hold prior grain loading is not just a

question of sweeping, cleaning or washing down the hold. There
are a number of matters to consider, and failing to adhere to
good practice can result in failure to pass cargo hold inspection. 
In the dry bulk trades, there are essentially five grades of hold
cleanliness:
• 1. hospital clean, or ‘ stringent’
• cleanliness
• 2. grain clean, or high cleanliness
• 3. normal clean
• 4. shovel clean
• 5. load on top
• Hospital clean is the most stringent, requiring the holds
to have 100% intact paint coatings on all surfaces,
including the tank top, all ladder rungs and undersides
of hatches.
• What is Grain clean ?

The most common cleanliness requirement for bulk carriers is that

of grain clean. It means “clean, swept, washed down by fresh
water and free from insects, odour, residue of previous cargo
/loose rust scale/paint flakes etc. dried up and ready to receive
charterers’ intended cargo subject to shippers’/relevant surveyors’
inspection. If the ship fails hold inspection by shipper/relevant
surveyor, the ship to be placed off hire until accepted in all holds,
and any extra costs/ expenses/time included stevedores’ stand-by
and/or cancelling charges, therefrom to be for owners’ account”.
• What is ‘loose scale’?
It is important to differentiate such scale from oxidation rust (i.e. light
atmospheric rusting). Loose scale will break away when struck with a
fist or when light pressure is applied with a knife blade or scraper under
the edge of the scale. Oxidation rust will typically form on bare metal
surfaces but will not flake off when struck or when light pressure from a
knife is applied. Generally, the presence of hard-adhering scale within a
hold is acceptable in a grain clean hold. The scale should not fall during
the voyage or during normal cargo operations.

The industry accepted definition of grain clean is provided by the

National Cargo Bureau (NCB).
• THANK YOU !!!