Route-Specific Cargo Calculator

Get reduced loads for cargo stowage and securing calculations tailored to the specific route and season of your planned voyage.

Overcome the CSS Code’s limits of acceleration forces

As a ship moves in the waves, its cargo is exposed to acceleration forces that must be factored in when determining where and how each item should be stowed. If improperly secured, cargo can break loose, endangering the crew, other cargo and the ship itself, or be lost at sea.

The IMO’s Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) outlines the methods and equipment for securing cargo. It assumes extreme North Atlantic wave conditions, the calculations for which are conservative for many other routes. This limits the flexibility in stowing cargo and leads to unreasonably high seafastening measures, causing unnecessary costs and delays.

Our solution: route-specific loads for cargo stowage and securing calculations

Developed for dry cargo ships, as e.g. Multi-purpose and General dry cargo ships, as well as Heavy-lift and Ro-Ro vessels, DNV’s Route-Specific Cargo Calculator enables shipping companies to calculate reduced loads for seafastening measures tailored to specific routes and seasons.

Using directly computed ship motions for each vessel, the Calculator adjusts accelerations for unrestricted service according to the IMO's CSS Code (Annex 13). These adjustments are tailored to the intended route, season, wave height limits and other parameters.

Compared to traditional methods, this approach ensures cargo safety while increasing vessels cargo-carrying flexibility and capacity, as well as reducing seafastening costs, resulting in more efficient and flexible transport solutions.

RSCC formula

Your benefits with DNV’s Route-specific Cargo Calculator:

  • Stowage flexibility: More cargo can be carried per vessel thanks to increased options for vessel selection and on-board stowage locations.
  • Cost and time savings: Unnecessary seafastening measures are eliminated, reducing delays and potentially saving up to USD 10,000 per vessel and year.
  • Reduced environmental footprint: Efficient utilization of space on and below deck leads to lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions per tonne of cargo carried.
  • Optimized protection: Cargo is secured based on realistic conditions without increasing the risk of damage or loss at sea.
  • Ease of use: The Calculator is accessible via Veracity and designed for cargo planners without requiring extensive engineering expertise. It allows for quick results and easy adjustments to stowage plans.
Nicola Pacifico

The Route-Specific Cargo Calculator enhances our operations by providing route- and season-specific load data within minutes. It is more efficient than existing services, saving us significant time. The Calculator enables us to optimize cargo stowage and lashing. Additionally, it boosts our clients' confidence in securing their cargo and prevents over-lashing.

  • Nicola Pacifico, Global Head of Engineering at AAL

How to use DNV’s Route-Specific Cargo Calculator:

  • Select the departure and destination ports and, if desired, the season, then
    enter the draught, trim, speed and metacentric height (GM). You can also
    enter cargo items’ centre of gravity at the intended stowage positions.
  • The Calculator provides the applicable route-specific acceleration values at
    different locations of the ship.
  • It lets you easily try out various cargo placement options and recalculate the
    acceleration values on the fly.
  • The results are provided in a report available for downloading and are
    archived for future reference.

You only have to provide the ship-specific data once for each vessel. The same set
of data can also be used for sister ships of a vessel that have identical hull lines.

Route-Specific Cargo Calculator screenshot

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