MODERN SHIPPING TECHNOLOGY
When the world seaborne trade started to boom after World War II, it soon became clear that the ge
neral cargo vessels could hardly cope with the increased traffic efficient.
It became evident that the cargo flow could be increased by improving
the performance in port, i. e. by decreasing the time required to load and discharge a vessel.
New cargo handling techniques had to be developed, therefore aiming at quicker cargo handling proc
edures and a reduction in labour.
Unit Load Concept. General or break bulk cargo, which consists of any arrangements of
boxes, crates, bags, drums, cartons. etc., was formerly transported by the so-called general
cargo vessels. The weight and the dimensions of the cargo were limited to the lifting
capacity of the shore-based crane or by the derrick of the ship. Cargo stowage in the holds
was carried out manually. Research to decrease ship's time in port (or turnaround time) has
led to the introduction of the Unit Load Concept (ULC). The pallet and cargo handling
techniques such as pre-strapping, pre-slinging, and machines like the fork lift truck (FLT)
form the basic components of ULC. The basic idea of the ULC is that small, individual
items of cargo could be coupled, stacked, and slung together to bigger units. These can be
handledeasily as they require less time for handling in the port on the quay.
Side loading and the multi-purpose vessel. The application of ULC techniques led to the
new developments of ships, such as the side loader and the multipurpose vessel. The use of
side loading vessels to transport palletised break bulk cargo, reduces the turnround time
considerably. The cargo can be loaded and unloaded quickly, due to the elimination of the
so called lift-on/lift-off procedures and due to the modular shape or the cargo. One possible
disadvantage of this method is the possible loss of space in the holds.
The multipurpose ship is a further perfection of the former general cargo vessel. The basic
features of this type of ship are: wide hatches, more easy operated hatch covers, increased
capacity of the ship's lifting equipment, possibility of carrying heavy lifts on deck, shifting
of the wheelhouse superstructure to aft or three quarters aft to ensure less obstructed cargo
handling in port. The capacities of multipurpose ships range from 10 to 30,000 dwt.
Containerisation. During the First and the Second World War small wooden and iron
boxes, the so-called containers, were used to ship ammunition for the Allies to the various
fronts. In the 1950's the container concept started with the introduction of one type of
container which was loaded on and off the vessels plying between some ports on the coasts.
The first ships to carry containers were the modified general cargo vessels mentioned. Soon
after the transatlantic crossings started, the first fully cellular container vessels were built.
At present the following types may be distinguished: 1st generation of container ships, i.e.
the original ships; 2nd generation, which has a capacity ranging from 800-1500 TEU, and
3rd generation, with a capacity ranging from 1700 to 3000 TEU and over.
Cargo handling equipment has been adjusted to fulfil the requirements of the container
concept. The traditional cargo handling equipment could no longer cope with the bigger and
heavier units, so special equipment had to be designed. This equipment includes portainers,
shiptainers, transtainers, straddle carriers, container fork lift trucks, side loaders, etc.
With the introduction of the container in international transportation, the so-called
door-to-door concept of transportation became a reality. This system involves the loading of
a container at the producer's premises from where it is transported to the consumer without
any transfer of commodities during that transportation. Door-to-door transport is also identified
as Full Container Load (FCL). This is to
distinguish containers which arrive at a terminal loaded with cargo for one consignee or
consumer only. In many cases, however, container loads are less than one FCL and are called Less th
an Container Load (LCL).The Container Freight Station (CFS), or groupage shed, is- the
place where full container loads are assembled ordissembled, including stuffing/stripping of
containers.
Roll-on/roll-off concept. Although in previous centuries more or less similar types of
vessels were in existence, it was only during World War II that the so-called ro-ro concept
was applied fully for the first time. The ro-ro concept could best be described as follows.
Ro-ro stands for the method of cargo handling by which cargo is not lifted on and off board,
as in the case of lift-on/lift-off vessels, but is lifted and moved on and off the ship
horizontally, on its own or on temporary wheels, via the ramp, which is a hinged door
being lowered onto the quay.
Some ferries (ro-ro vessels that carry passengers, private automobiles and wheeled cargo
on the shorter hauls), are equipped with a bow ramp and some even with both bow and
stern ramps. The first types of ro-ro vessels were soon replaced by modern short and
deep-sea ships of a more sophisticated design, equipped with quarter ramps, and more
recently, slewing ramps.
Barge - carrying vessels. A further development of the container my be found in the barge
carrying vessels. In this system the mother ship arrives in the port area, where she loads
and unloads a certain number of barges and leaves the port again. These operations do not
have to be executed alongside a berth, since the barges are floating. The only requirement
for barge handling procedures is a relatively large area of water protected from waves
higher than about one metre. The additional advantage of this system is the relative
independence of port facilities and the relatively easy further transportation from the port to
the consignee in the hinterland and vice versa by means of inland waterways. The major
types of barge-carrying vessels that have been developed are the Lash and the Seabee type
ships.
I QUESTIONS
1. What were the main reasons for introducing new shipping technologies in the world
seaborne trade ?
2. What does ULC stand for? Discuss the main s of this system of transport.
3. Discuss the main characteristics of the modern multipurpose vessel.
4. When and where was containerisation introduced on a professional basis ?
5. What does TEU mean ?
6. What are the three generations of the container vessels ?
7. Explain the door-to-door concept of transport.
8. Explain the abbreviations CFS, LCL, FCL.
9. What is the principal technical feature of ro-ro ships ?
1O. Where do these ships prove most profitable and why ?
11. What is the essence of the barge-carrying system ?
12. What is the meaning of the collocation "intermodal transport" ?
II TRANSLATION
1. Najnovija generacija potpuno kontejnerskih brodova ima kapacitet od 3 do 4OOO
jedinica i više.
2. Za normalan rad terminala potrebne su specijalne obalne kontejnerske dizalice.
3. Nova transportna tehnologija zahtijeva brz obrtaj brodova u luci, i manje troškove za
radnu snagu.
4. Generalni teret obuhvaæa svu robu u sanducima, balama, baèvama, letvaricama,
kartonskim kutijama, kontejnerima, itd.
5. Kod modernih višenamjenskih brodova, kao i kod tankera, te brodova za rasuti teret most
sa kormilarnicom premješten je prema krmi.