Overview
ISO 16155:2006 - Ships and marine technology - Computer applications - Shipboard loading instruments specifies requirements for computer-based shipboard loading instruments used to perform loading, stability and associated ship-safety calculations. It supplements relevant IMO and IACS guidance (for example IMO MSC/Circ. 836, 854, 891 and IACS Rec. No. 48) and is intended to guide equipment manufacturers, shipowners and flag/recognised organisations in selecting, certifying and using shipboard loading software and hardware.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Categories of functions and instruments
- Category A - basic loading/stability functions comparable with a Loading and Stability Manual (e.g., displacement, deadweight, centre of gravity, free-surface moments, draft/trim/list, intact stability curves and compliance checks).
- Category B - advanced functions beyond manuals (e.g., longitudinal strength, damage stability analyses, exact tank content accounting, countermeasure advice).
- Category C - auxiliary utilities (e.g., container/grain loading, RoRo tools, cargo-specific plans).
- Instruments are labelled by the combination of categories they support (e.g., A/B/C) and documentation must state performed functions and categories.
- Minimum calculation and accuracy rules
- Category A: must compute displacement, CG, free-surface effects, draft/list/trim, intact stability curves and provide compliance conclusions. When using precalculated tables, protect the tables and prevent use outside validity regions.
- Table resolution guidance: draft intervals recommended ≤ 0.02 m (never > 0.05 m) and trim intervals ≤ 0.5% of Lpp; intervals must not exceed those in the available Loading and Stability Manual.
- Category B: functions shall be based on direct (first-principles) calculations. Certification/verification requirement: agreement with certified ship-design software or certification of the calculation component by a flag Administration or recognised organisation (per IMO Res. A.739(18) / A.789(19)).
- Software, data and hardware integrity
- Protect executable code and static ship data (encryption, binary protection; not relying solely on OS read-only).
- Use metric units as basic system; support unit conversion but minimize confusion; outputs must be available in metric.
- Back up essential data on independent media (minimum two copies) and provide update/error-reporting procedures.
- Hardware must meet reliability requirements (options include redundant configurations).
- Documentation & training
- Ship-specific data sets supplied with the instrument (main particulars, hydrostatic tables, tank definitions, lightship weights, stability criteria, bending moment limits, etc.).
- User interface, interfaces with other shipboard systems, verification checks and organizational integration are addressed.
Applications
- Used by shipowners, masters, deck officers and cargo planners for safe loading, compliance verification and real-time loading decisions.
- Used by naval architects, software vendors, flag administrations and recognised organisations for certification, validation and acceptance of loading software.
- Supports operations such as intact and damage stability checks, longitudinal strength assessment, cargo stowage planning (containers, grain), tank sounding calculations and damage-management advice.
Related Standards
- IMO MSC/Circ. 836, 854, 891, 920
- IACS Recommendation No. 48
- IMO Res. A.739(18) and A.789(19)
- IEC 61996:2000
Keywords: ISO 16155:2006, shipboard loading instruments, loading software, stability, damage stability, longitudinal strength, marine technology, IMO guidance, IACS.