1 This Code has been assembled to provide,
in a single document, mandatory requirements in the introduction and
in part A and recommended provisions in part B relating to intact
stability, based primarily on existing IMO instruments. Where recommendations
in this Code appear to differ from other IMO Codes, the other Codes
should be taken as the prevailing instrument. For the sake of completeness
and for the convenience of the user, this Code also contains relevant
provisions from mandatory IMO instruments.
2 Criteria included in the Code are
based on the best “state-of-the-art” concepts, available
at the time they were developed, taking into account sound design
and engineering principles and experience gained from operating ships.
Furthermore, design technology for modern ships is rapidly evolving
and the Code should not remain static but should be re-evaluated and
revised, as necessary. To this end, the Organization will periodically
review the Code taking into consideration both experience and further
development.
3 A number of influences such as the
dead ship condition, wind on ships with large windage area, rolling
characteristics, severe seas, etc., were taken into account based
on the state-of-the-art technology and knowledge at the time of the
development of the Code.
4 It was recognized that in view of
a wide variety of types, sizes of ships and their operating and environmental
conditions, problems of safety against accidents related to stability
have generally not yet been solved. In particular, the safety of a
ship in a seaway involves complex hydrodynamic phenomena which up
to now have not been fully investigated and understood. Motion of
ships in a seaway should be treated as a dynamical system and relationships
between ship and environmental conditions like wave and wind excitations
are recognized as extremely important elements. Based on hydrodynamic
aspects and stability analysis of a ship in a seaway, stability criteria
development poses complex problems that require further research.