SOLAS

SOLAS is an agreement based on the security of employees and ships at sea. SOLAS is an abbreviation of ; Safety Of Life At Sea. The SOLAS regulations have existed since the shipwreck of Titanic in 1912. However several changes and improvements have been carried out since then. From the 1st. of July 2016 it is the responsibility of the maritime organisation of each country to ensure that the requirements in the regulations are met.

SOLAS is organised with chapters instructing how the work at sea has to be performed with a security degree as high as possible. This includes fire instructions, radio communication, handling hazardous goods, security measures for different types of ships and how to act in life saving situations . SOLAS is mainly applied for passenger ships and cargo ships with at least 500 tons of cargo in international waters.

Fire protection, fire detection and fire fighting (Solas 74, chapter II-2)
The objective of this regulation is to reduce the risk of human life loss, due to smoke and toxic compounds that may develop during a fire in a room with people present. To meet this goal, the use of combustible materials that emit smoke and toxic compounds shall be limited.

Paints, varnishes and other surface treatment products used for uncovered indoor surfaces shall not emit large amounts of smoke and toxic compounds, as required through the Fire Test Procedure Code (FTP code).

On board bassanger ships built 01. July 2008 or later, paints, varnishes and other surface treatment products used on uncovered cabin balcony surfaces (except deck systems of natural hard wood) shall not emit large amount of smoke and toxic compounds, according to the FTP code.

In living rooms, working rooms and control rooms the bottom deck cladding shall be made of approved materials that do not represent a hazard due to release of smoke or toxic matters, or due to explosions by high temperatures (in accordance with the FTP code). On board passanger skips built 01. of July or later, the bottom deck cladding of cabin balconies shall not represent a hazard due to release of smoke or toxic matters, or due to explosions by high temperatures (in accordance with the FTP code).

Fire division, Class A, are those divisions formed by bulkheads and decks which comply with the following criteria:

• They are to be made of steel or another equivalent material
• They are to be suitably stiffened
• They are to be so constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of smoke and flame up to the end of the one-hour standard fire test

They are to be insulated with approved non-combustible materials such that the average temperature of the unexposed side will not rise more than 140°C above the original temperature, nor will the temperature, at any one point, including any joint, rise more than 180°C above the original temperature, within the time listed below:

Fire division, class B are those divisions formed by bulkheads, decks, ceilings or linings which comply with the following criteria:

• They are constructed of approved non-combustible materials and all materials used in the construction and erection of “B” class divisions are non-combustible, with the exception that combustible veneers may be permitted provided they meet other appropriate requirements of this chapter;
• They are constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of flame to the end of the first half hour of the standard fire test
• They have an insulation value such that the average temperature of the unexposed side will not rise more than 140ºC above the original temperature, nor will the temperature at any one point, including any joint, rise more than 225ºC above the original temperature, within the time listed below:

Thermal insulation of ships is carried out for the same reasons as those for pipes, tanks and equipment at industrial facilities.

• Reduce the energy consumption of process or Heating, water and sanitation equipment
• Personal protection
• Noice reduction
• Reduce the emission amount, and by this reduce the negative impact to the environments.

In addition more ships specific requirements with regard to insulation, as:

• Reduce the energy consumption for room heating and cooling
• Maintain acceptable thermal surroundings for the crew and the passengers
• Prevent condensation on bulkhead, decks and hull
• Prevent spread of heat, smoke and fire
• Protect stored goods and materials

Crew members may occupy or work at several areas on board a ship. Regardless of the type of room (living room, cargo space or working place) they have to meet certain acceptable criteria with regard to human comfort or working conditions. To keep the air temperature within acceptable limits, the heating and cooling systems have to be designed together with the thermal insulation systems. In rooms for storage, the cargo is often protected by keeping the air temperature within predetermined limits. In a ship, a cargo space or a room for mechanical equipment, it may be desirable to keep the temperature different from the temperature of an adjacent room. Insulation of the hull or a structure is hence required for thermal separation.

Surfaces above or below the water level

With regard to temperature, the decks of a ship are in some ways like the outer walls and the roof of a building. They separate the inside temperature and humidity from the surroundings on the outside.

A sailing ship is partly above the water line, partly submerged in the water. The part above the water line is exposed to the air temperature, while the submerged part is exposed to the water temperature. The insulation of the submerged part must be able to reduce the heat loss to the water and prevent humidity to condensate on the steel surface (condensation on the inside due to high inside temperature compared to the outside low water temperature)

A ship may travel in various climates, both due to the season variations and to the climate in the different parts of the world. Therefore it is important to design insulation systems that take the climatic extreme points into consideration.

High temperatures are always a fire risk, and the risk increases on board ships where narrow spaces may accumulate heat and hence increase the thermal challenges. In these narrow spaces personal may be more exposed to hot surfaces than on offshore installations or onshore petrochemical facilities. High temperatures, for instance of exhaust, have caused several severe ship fires. The engine spaces on board ships are further rather small, and the heat generated by the engine contributes to security hazards, from exhaustion due to the heat to severe burn.

The illustrations below shows structure / bulkhead insulation class A.

 

Following photos show bulkhead insulation

 

The thermal insulation materials used on hulls, bulkhead and decks are dominated by different fiber wool with approximately 3% organic binder.

The insulation may be on roll or as panels, fixed by welding pins of glued pins.

The photo below shows insulation fixed by means of pins.

 

The illustration below shows a glued pin for fixing mineral fiber insulation.

 

Marine insulation is an insulation product considered used for marine applications. Marine insulation can be found in walls and in ceilings on board ships, but there are several areas of use. It can be found in boats, yachts, commercial ships and even at oil installations.

The insulation is meant to reduce the heat transport, vibrations and noice at and around the ship or offshore installation. Traditionally used marine insulation is based on cork or mineral wool. However, progress has been experienced within material technology the last years, for instance by the introduction of insulation materials based on fiberglass, polyurethane, aluminium and others.

Modern and advanced materials offer insulation characteristics of high quality combined with convenient weight performance. Modern insulation materials are also designed to meet the requirements and regulations determined of International Maritime Organization (IMO), dealing with thermal insulation, fire insulation and acoustic insulation.

Marine /ship insulation is not equal to the common industrial insulation. One special quality of marine insulation products is the ability to withstand humidity and water. Marine insulation should not be affected by water, especially sea water.

There are several high quality marine insulation products for shipbuilders to chose among. Each insulation product has a unique set of characteristics and advantages. Some of the most popular are:

• Mineral wool insulation
• Micro porous insulation
• Fiberglass insulation
• Elastomeric insulation
• Fiber carpet insulation
• Aluminium based insulation
• Foam insulation