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Investment in Design ety retained at the start of a project. Engagement as early as the conceptual design phase is currently the exception to the rule, probably applying to less than 10 percent of the projects in which GL is involved. But it would be benefi- cial to all parties concerned, particularly in the light of increasing project or ves- sel complexity and reduced lead times, by better safeguarding against design errors and potentially considerable, knock-on effects. "It also helps to recti- fy concepts that may require costly remedial action at a stage when purchas- ing or construction has already started," said Wittenberg. According the society extended scope of this nature would also ensure closer consideration at the early design stage of maintenance and operational require- ments. "If we help owners to get ships that are designed for ease of mainte- nance, we will enhance the safety of shipping and reduce cargo losses," he contended. By proposing that the indus- try makes greater recourse in this way to the pool of knowledge available in the classification sector, Wittenberg was effectively advocating a broadening of the role of class from ensuring rule com- pliance to becoming a technical partner of owners and yards. While acknowl- edging the vital importance of the rule- enforcing aspects of ship classification, he stated that it was time "to utilize the accumulated know-how in classification societies to become a knowledge- provider for all stages of the life-cycle from design to scrapping of a vessel." Significantly, Wittenberg is not an advocate of increased legislation and controls. "Today, we have reached a point where the cause of maritime safe- ty will be advanced not by more regula- tions and inspections, but by more effi- cient implementation of the existing framework of rules and regulations," he pointedly observed to this writer. Con- troversially, he questioned whether the current system of major and minor sur- veys still adequately covered the survey needs to day of large bulkers, tankers or even containerships. Ways to carry out proper inspections on a more continuous basis need to be defined. Food for thought from Hamburg, indeed. 9,000-TEU On A Single Engine Another milestone in linehaul vessel capacity is set to be reached with a clutch of projects in hand for boxships of the 9,000-TEU size. In a bid to ensure technical readiness in advance of actual shipbuilding contracts, and to assist potential clients in cutting newbuild lead times, Germanischer Lloyd has complet- ed design studies for a 25-knot post- Panamax giant of 9,200-TEU. Most significantly, the concept design lies within the bounds of the largest two- April, 2001 stroke diesels already in production, and reflects containership fleet operators' overwhelming preference for single- engine, single-screw configurations. Key elements of the investigations, carried out using the society's latest information technology (IT) tools, have included the evaluation of global strength, maximum bending movement, hatch corner stresses, and fatigue behav- ior. with the accent on minimized use of high tensile steel. While GL ranks in sixth place global- ly in terms of total tonnage and number of vessels under its class, the society's commanding position in the container vessel sector owes much to a proactive approach to design and technology research and development. Earlier work on strength analysis and dynamic load- ing on an 8,000-TEU design, completed by GL in 1997 as part of a broader research program, has fed into the latest study. 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