ABS Awards AiP for SHI Structural Health Monitoring System

June 6, 2023

John McDonald, ABS Executive Vice President and COO, with Jintaek Jung, President and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries (Source: ABS)

The Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Hull Stress Monitoring System has received the ABS SMART Tier 2 approval in principle (AiP) for structural health monitoring (SHM).

Recognized with a certificate presentation at Nor-Shipping 2023, the AiP is part of a larger joint development project (JDP) between SHI and ABS that aims to enhance hull safety with smart ship technology.

The AiP verifies that the design is feasible for the intended application and, in principle, complies with the ABS requirements that include vessel-specific loads and operations monitoring, enhanced with periodic updates on structural conditions and physics-based analysis for a holistic structural health assessment and prediction. Upon final approval, vessels on which SHI’s HSMS system is installed will be eligible to receive the ABS SMART (SHM) optional class notation with vessel records: Global Hull (Tier 2).

The Hull Stress Monitoring System software will be integrated into SHI’s proprietary SVESSEL Smart Platform, designed to expedite the transition from analog-based conventional ship systems into a digital-based lifecycle vessel management approach.

“Smart functions like SHI’s Hull Stress Monitoring System allow for enhanced health and condition awareness, operational optimization and, eventually, classification supported by condition-based programs. As a leader in supporting the adoption of smart technologies at sea, ABS is proud to work with forward-looking companies such as SHI to continue to develop practical applications for these technologies with a focus on safer operations,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

“The JDP started to enhance hull safety with smart ship technology on July 2022. Through this joint development, we expect to provide the enhanced hull structural health monitoring and prediction package in the SVESSEL Smart Platform,” said Hyun Joe Kim, SHI Vice President, Autonomous Ship Research Center.

“Collaboration between the shipbuilder and class society is essential to securing hull safety, and we will continue to work together with ABS to reach the SMART (SHM) Tier 3 to incorporate real-time data from hull sensors for enhanced structural health awareness and decision support, as the JDP progresses. The outcome will be the one of the most beneficial solutions to our clients among the solutions of SVESSEL platform in terms of safer operation and management.”

SHI’s Hull Stress Monitoring System is being developed in accordance with the ABS Guide for Smart Functions for Marine Vessels and Offshore Units.