New Rule Note addresses floating harbour equipment

Bureau Veritas is about to release a new Rule Note for the construction and classification of floating harbour equipment. The revision builds on experience gained since the first version was published in November 2015, and harmonizes the provisions with the Rules for classification of inland vessels (NR217).

Introducing NR612 2022

The 2022 edition of the Rule Note NR612 Harbour equipment is about to be published.

The Rule Note covers provisions for the construction and classification of harbour equipment which are operated, such as floating docks, floating bridges, floating doors, or other storage or working units floating in smooth stretches of waters.

It applies to the structural elements of the hull, and for components of the machinery and electrical installations of harbour equipment.

New elements

The main revisions this year include:

• An extension of the Rules to apply to non-steel hull materials, for example aluminium and concrete. This follows an increase in the usage of these materials.
• New additional service features for units operating in ‘non-smooth’ stretches of water: an additional service feature, Hs≤x (where x is the maximum significant wave height in the operating area and Hs is limited to 2 metres) will be assigned if the harbour equipment is intended to be operated in water other than smooth stretches of water.
• New additional class notations for Battery systems and Electric hybrid propulsion have been implemented. Notations have also been added for low flash point liquid or gas fuelled machinery, and machinery fitted with Hydrogen fuel cell power.
• The implementation of a new service notation “Floating plant”, and related additional service features which define the plant type. The floating plants are broken down as follows: Water treatment plant, Drink water production plant, Oxygen generator plant, Acetylene generator plant, and Power production plant. A floating plant intended for power production will have the additional service feature POWERGEN and other complementary BV notations if the plant complies with the applicable requirements of NR656 Power Generation Units.

New provisions

Elsewhere, interesting revisions have been made to Part D of Rule Note NR612.
Requirements applicable to floating docks have been re-written. Meanwhile, provisions for the additional class notation ‘Modular’ have also been extended to aluminium alloys.

Broad experience in the sector

Bureau Veritas has a long experience in the area of floating units. Between 2016 and 2019 it partnered the Suez Canal in a series of 7 floating bridges connecting the east and west sides of the channel.

The largest of these, the Martyr Ahmed El-Mansy bridge, measures 350 metres in length and consists of rotating parts to facilitate opening and closing. More than 2,900 tons of steel was used in its construction.

Bureau Veritas was also involved in the construction and installation of four floating dry docks for the Port of Antwerp which are now used to carry out repair and maintenance work on vessels with a draft of up to 7 metres and width of 23 metres.

Today, we are currently overseeing the construction and installation of a further 14 floating units in France and Belgium, mainly Floating Landing Docks.