ABS classed the first containership and currently classes the largest containership in service.  With extensive practical experience and technical capabilities, ABS offers owners and builders of containerships a comprehensive range of classification and related services.

We augment our classification services with a variety of programs that address crucial issues related to the design, construction and operation of containerships. We pride ourselves on staying at the cutting edge of design and powering requirements and take a leadership role on elements ranging from global strength to parametric roles.

For large containerships, especially the next generation of mega containerships, whipping and springing present design challenges to the hull structural integrity. Understanding both common occurrences can help designers and shipbuilders develop appropriate design measures to address these challenges.

ABS offers two publications to assist the industry in understanding and mitigating these phenomena, the Guidance Notes on Whipping Assessment for Container Carriers and the Guidance Notes on Springing Assessment for Container Carriers.

Optional Notations for Containerships:

Design & Construction

• AT - specified structural components incorporate additional plate thickness than the required scantlings. It will also include a designation and number to indicate the location and magnitude of the additional thickness e.g. AT(DK+0.5)
• CCO-HR(TEMP), CCO-HR(TEMP)+ - the ship has been designed, built and surveyed in accordance with requirements specified in the ABS Guide for Vessels Operating in Low Temperature Environments
• FL(year) - ship has been designed for a fatigue life greater than 20 years, according to the ABS Rules, Part 5C, Appendix I. The actual service life will be denoted in parenthesis, determined according to the ship's operational profile and maintenance.
• Ice Class - ship complies with the requirements in the ABS Rules, Part 6, Chapter 1 that are applicable for the designated ice class
• IRCC - ship is arranged for the carriage of refrigerated containers in compliance with the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels
• PARR-N, PARR-C1, or PARR-C2 - vessel complies with the ABS requirements specified in the ABS Guide for Assessment of Parametric Roll Resonance in the design of Container Carriers
• POT - additional protection is provided for fuel, lubricating, overflow and sludge oil tanks
• R1, R1-S, R2, or R2-S - these notations address redundancy arrangements for propulsion and steering systems
• RES - ship has been built in accordance with the procedure and critera for calculating and evaluating the residual strength of hull contained in the ABS Guide for Assessing Hull-Girder Residual Strength
• RW - assigned for specially considered anchors of proven holding ability for which the mass may be reduced up to a maximum of 25%
• SFA(year) - ship complies with the requirements of enhanced dynamic analysis for the fatigue life identified in parentheses in North Atlantic conditions
• SH-DLA - ship complies with criteria for calculating and evaluating the behavior of hull structures under dynamic loading conditions and built in accordance with plans approved on the basies of the results of such analysis, in addition to full compliance with the other requirements of the Rules

Environmental Protection

• BWE - ship has been designed, constructed, and surveyed in accordance with the ABS Guide for Ballast Water Exchange
• BWT - ship has demonstratded compliance with the treatment systems specified in the ABS Guide for Ballast Water Treatment
• ENVIRO or ENVIRO + - ship complies withthe requirements specified in the ABS Guide for the Environmental Protection Notation for Vessels
• GP - ship details and Part 1 of the Inventory of the Green Passport has been prepared and certified to the requirements in the ABS Guide for the Class Notation Green Passport(GP)

Operational Safety

• ACCU - ship has the means to control and monitor an unmanned propulsion-machinery space in an approved manner from the navigation bridge and from a centralized control and monitoring station installed in, or adjacent to the propulsion machinery space
• CRC - compliance with the requirements for certification of cranes found in the ABS Guide for Certification of Lifting Appliances
• CSC - vessel complies with the ABS requirements specified in ABS Guide for Certification of Ctainer Securing Systems
• DE-ICE - ship occasionally operates in low temperatures subject to ice accretion and complies with the requirements in the ABS Guide for Vessels Operating in Low Temperature Environments
• HAB or HAB+ - ship complies with the ABS Guide for Crew Habitability on Ships
• HM1, HM2, HM3 - Slam Warning, Green Seas Warning, Ship Motion, Hull Girder Stress, Local Load Monitoring, Fatigue Monitor, VDR, Enhanced VDR - ship complies with the requirements of the ABS Guide for Hull Condition Monitoring Systems and will be given the appropriate notation
• MAN, MAN-A - ship complies with the ABS Guide for Vessel Maneuverability
• NBL, NBLES, NIBS - ship complies with the relevant section of the ABS Guide for Navigation Bridge Design and Equipment/Systems
• PORT - ship complies with the ABS Guide for Automatic or Remote Control and Monitoring Systems for Vessels in Port
• PMA+ - permanent means of access for inspection of hull structures are provided in accordance with SOLASII-1/3-6 and the design accounts for ergonomics in conformance with the ABS Guide for Means of Access to Tanks and Holds for Inspection 

Ship Management

• HSQE,SHQ, SHE, HS, SQE, SQ, SE, S - ship complies with the relevant criteria for health, safety, quality and/or environment management systems in the ABS Guide for Marine Health, Safey, Quality and Environmental (HSQE) Management
• RRDA - ship complies iwth requirements in the ABS Guide for Rapid Response Damage Assessment
• SEC - ship complies with the ABS Guide for Ship Security Notation

Maintenance

• HIMP - ship complies with the ABS requirements for the Hull Integrity Management program
• LAID UP - ship complies with the requirements in Appendix 7-A-3, Guide for Lay-Up and for Reactivation of Laid-up Ships of the ABS Rules for Survey After Construction
• PMS - a planned maintenance scheume for machinery is applied
• RCM (CARGO), RCM(FIRE), RCM (PROP) or RCM (MACH) - ship complies with the ABS Guidance Notes on Reliability-Centered Maintenance as it applies to cargo handling, fire extinguishing, propulsion or both firefighting and propulsion, respectively
• TCM - ship complies with the requirements in the ABS Guide for Classification Notation Tailshaft Conditioning Monitoring