Some new insights towards goal-based design of Arctic ships

Abstract

Maritime activity in the Arctic is on the increase, driven by the extraction of Arcticnatural resources, trans-Arctic shipping, and Arctic tourism. To manage related risks to humans and the polar environment, in January 2017 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) enforced the international code for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code). The code is fundamentally goal-based, allowing designers to deviate from established prescriptive rules, facilitating design optimization and innovation. However, for designers to be able to implement goal-based regulations, they need relevant and validated design tools. Toward this end, we discuss new insights of relevance on two related topics, namely (a) the assessment of ice loading on ships, and (b) risk assessment in Arctic shipping.