Bureau Veritas is launching classification rules for naval submarines

Bureau Veritas is launching classification rules for naval submarines. The first version of the rules is available to yards and navies now. The rules for classification of submarines are new in that they cover a new type of vessel. But the aim is the same as all the other rules we produce - to protect the safety of the crew and the environment by setting and verifying minimum standards. Most submarines today are built under competitive tender and have to operate in a world which demands high standards of safety for the crew and environmental compliance. Classing the vessel with a major international classification society delivers a number of benefits to the Navy which orders the vessel.

Firstly, and most importantly, classification means that an independent and respected third party body certifies that the submarine is built to a recognised and published set of standards, and that it complies with international safety and environmental standards.

An additional benefit is that by building to class rules, the designers and yards save time and money, and benefit from the accumulated experience of shipbuilding and operation which are incorporated into the detailed rules. The class rules cover the structure and equipment of the vessel and are detailed in scope, adapted to each vessel type and continuously updated with feedback from vessels in service. The third benefit is that if classification is maintained during the service life of the vessel, then the Navy has independent verification that the vessel is being correctly maintained.

Bureau Veritas has 180 years of experience with classification of surface vessels and has adapted that to the underwater naval world. Classification is a threestep process and its benefits are the same as for surface warships: design approval to check that the plans for structure, propulsion and equipment meet the rules; materials certification at makers' works; and construction surveys to make sure it is built according to the rules. In-service class surveys ensure the vessel is being maintained to standard and provide evidence to the Navy that this is so.

The special problems of submarines include the scantlings of the pressure hull, stability requirements covering diving and surfacing conditions and atmospheric control in the vessel in normal and emergency conditions. Special attention has to be given to propulsion shaft sealing, and also to escape procedures. Class helps protect crews, protect the environment and protect the Navy which orders and operates the submarine.

Bureau Veritas