Due to the accelerating demand for transporting raw materials around the world over the last century, bulk
carriers are being constantly developed in order to maximise their capacity and efficiency whilst maintaining
safety and durability of the vessels. With regards to safety, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) recurrently issue regulations and technical
standards for the design and construction of ships, in order to safeguard the crew and other people on board. In
light of these regulations, three issues concerning the properties of a bulk carrier are investigated. Firstly, the
floodability of a bulk carrier is researched, to determine the largest possible volumes of compartments which
can be flooded without causing the bulk carrier to capsize. Results were determined both manually and by
means of marine design software, Maxsurf Enterprise; results generated by the two methods are compared.
Additionally, a series of loadcases, each consisting of a different cargo and ballast configuration, are sought to
reveal their effect on both the still water bending moment and the intact stability of the vessel. The results are
analysed in relation to the IMO’s criteria.
