ABS, a provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, is providing resources that could dramatically improve safety on containerships with the enhanced ABS Guide for Certification of Container Securing Systems (Lashing Guide) and new companion software, ABS C-LASH.
The Guide incorporates a new nonlinear lashing analysis procedure with easy-to-use software that simplifies analysis of container lashing arrangements. “This is a game changer for safety and operational performance in the containership sector,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “Investing in technology that improves safety is a priority at ABS as we continuously improve the ways we support our mission to promote a safer and more reliable shipping industry.”
Larger containerships along with higher stacks and increased weights have introduced new complexities in securing containers. Central to the Lashing Guide is a newly developed analysis procedure that represents a significant improvement over traditional formulas for container securing.
“The innovative methodology used in the container lashing analysis is unique to ABS,” says ABS Executive Vice President for Global Marine Kirsi Tikka. “By applying a smarter approach to lashing systems, owners and operators can make better decisions on container loads and find new efficiencies in their current onboard arrangements.”
Used with the ABS C-LASH software, the Guide helps users evaluate mixed, external and internal lashings at multiple tiers and multiple lashing points, twist-lock gaps in both vertical and horizontal directions and the effect of lashing bridge flexibility. The advanced ability to account for these variables allows owners and operators to make smarter and more informed decisions on cargo distribution and lashing arrangements.
The ABS C-LASH software solution provides a user-friendly experience with a computational engine that solves 26 interrelated nonlinear equations. ABS C-LASH was developed and refined over two years in close cooperation with owners, shipyards and lashing system designers.