A significantly expanded Version 2.0 of the Hull Maintenance module of the ABS SafeShip lifecycle integrity management system has been released by ABS. The system is applicable to all vessels designed to ABS SafeHull criteria and is provided free to owners as part of an enhancedclassification service. The refinements to the Ship Product Model used within SafeShip now allow for improved definition of critical areas and condition tracking. The finer detail allows for the incorporation of brackets and stiffeners, both in terms of tracking data and graphical representation within the program.

Whereas the program has always been able to store gauging data, the latest version also allows for the creation of gauging plans and permits the identification and tracking of pits and their condition. The enhanced program can also identify and track the condition of anodes and allows for the documentation of coating condition and the estimation of coating areas when considering maintenance strategies.

The total safety concept embodied within ABS SafeShip starts with the design of the vessel. The application of the rational criteria of ABS SafeHull accurately determines the static and dynamic loads acting on the ship and models the strength of the global and local structures to resist all relevant failure modes. One of the key elements of a SafeHull evaluation is the identification ofcritical areas within the structure that, while meeting all aspects of the relevant Rule criteria, may have a higher probability of failure during the life of the vessel as compared with the surrounding structure.