Rules for Building and Classing Underwater Vehicles, Systems and Hyperbaric Facilities January 2021 RULES FOR BUILDING AND CLASSING UNDERWATER VEHICLES, SYSTEMS AND HYPERBARIC FACILITIES JANUARY 2021 American Bureau of Shipping Incorporated by Act of Legislature of the State of New York 1862 © 2021 American Bureau of Shipping. All rights reserved. ABS Plaza 1701 City Plaza Drive Spring, TX 77389 USA Foreword (2021) The 2021 edition of the Rules for Building and Classing Underwater Vehicles, Systems and Hyperbaric Facilities incorporates all Rule Changes and Corrigenda items since 2020. Requirements for underwater habitats and complexes have been added. ● Sections 1 through 10 provide the general requirements that are applicable to all categories of underwater vehicles, systems and hyperbaric facilities. ● Section 11 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to manned submersibles. ● Section 12 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to lock-out submersibles. ● Section 13 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to ambient pressure submersibles. ● Section 14 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to diving systems. ● Section 15 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to Hyperbaric Facilities. ● Section 16 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to atmospheric diving suits. ● Section 17 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to underwater habitats and complexes. ● Section 18 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to remotely operated vehicles. ● Section 19 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to autonomous underwater vehicles. ● Section20 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to handling systems. ● Section 21 provides the specific requirements that are applicable to dive control stations. ● Section 22 provides the requirements for surveys after construction. ● Appendix 1 provides relevant excerpts from IMO Res. A.831 (19) Code of Safety for Diving Systems regarding diving bell emergency locating devices The effective date of each technical change is shown in parentheses at the end of the subsection/paragraph titles within the text of each Section. Unless a particular date and month are shown, the effective date is 1 January of the year shown. ABS RULES FOR BUILDING AND CLASSING UNDERWATER VEHICLES, SYSTEMS AND HYPERBARIC ii FACILITIES • 2021 RULES FOR BUILDING AND CLASSING UNDERWATER VEHICLES, SYSTEMS AND HYPERBARIC FACILITIES CONTENTS SECTION 1 Scope and Conditions of Classification.......................................... 25 SECTION 2 Definitions (2016)............................................................................... 26 1 Chamber Gas Reclaim System (2013).........................................26 3 Clinical Hyperbaric Treatment Chamber.......................................26 5 Command Compartment (2012)...................................................26 7 Deck Decompression Chamber....................................................26 9 Design Depth................................................................................26 11 Design Pressure (2013) ...............................................................26 13 Design Mission Time.....................................................................26 15 Dive Control Station (2013).......................................................... 26 17 Diver Gas Reclaim System (2013)............................................... 27 19 Diver Lock-out Compartment........................................................27 21 Diver Training Hyperbaric Center................................................. 27 23 Diving Bell.....................................................................................27 24 Hyperbaric Diving Simulator......................................................... 27 25 Diving System...............................................................................27 27 Fire-restricting Materials (2002)....................................................27 29 Fixed Diving System (F) (2012)....................................................27 31 Gas Reclaim System (2013).........................................................27 33 Underwater Habitat.......................................................................27 35 Handling System...........................................................................28 37 Hyperbaric Evacuation System (2010)......................................... 28 39 Hyperbaric Evacuation Unit (2010)...............................................28 41 Hyperbaric Facility........................................................................ 28 42 Hyperbaric Reception Facility (HRF)............................................ 28 43 Launch and Recovery System (2011)...........................................28 45 Light Ship (2002).......................................................................... 28 47 Lock-Out Submersible (2012).......................................................28 49 Manipulator...................................................................................28 ABS RULES FOR BUILDING AND CLASSING UNDERWATER VEHICLES, SYSTEMS AND HYPERBARIC iii FACILITIES • 2021 51 No-Decompression Limit (2011)................................................... 29 53 Open Bell......................................................................................29 55 Passenger Submersible (2013).................................................... 29 57 Personnel Capsule....................................................................... 29 59 Portable Decompression Chamber...............................................29 61 Portable Diving System (P) (2012)............................................... 29 63 Pressure Boundary (2013)............................................................29 65 Pressure Hull (2011)..................................................................... 29 67 Pressure Resistant (2013)............................................................29 69 Pressure Vessel for Human Occupancy (PVHO) (2013)..............29 71 Rated Depth..................................................................................29 73 Rated Internal Pressure................................................................30 75 Remotely Operated Vehicle..........................................................30 77 ROV..............................................................................................30 79 Submersible..................................................................................30 81 Submersible Decompression Chamber........................................30 83 Tethered Submersible...................................................................30 85 Umbilical....................................................................................... 30 87 Underwater Complex....................................................................30 89 Underwater Container...................................................................30 91 Underwater System...................................................................... 30 93 Underwater Vehicle.......................................................................30 95 Unit (2007)....................................................................................30 97 Working Chamber.........................................................................31 SECTION 3 General Requirements and Safeguards ..........................................32 1 Nonmetallic Materials................................................................... 32 1.1 General............................................................................32 1.3 Paints, Varnishes and Coatings (2007)........................... 32 1.5 Internal Materials (2007)..................................................32 1.7 External Materials (2002).................................................32 3 Protection......................................................................................32 5 Corrosion Protection (2007)..........................................................32 7 Thermal Protection (2007)............................................................33 SECTION 4 Materials............................................................................................. 34 1 General.........................................................................................34 3 Pressure Boundary Material Specifications..................................34 3.1 Plates (2010)................................................................... 34 3.3 Bolts, Extrusions, Forgings, and Shapes.........................34 3.5 Materials Complying with Other Standards..................... 34 5 Testing.......................................................................................... 34 5.1 Inspection........................................................................ 35 ABS RULES FOR BUILDING AND CLASSING UNDERWATER VEHICLES, SYSTEMS AND HYPERBARIC iv FACILITIES • 2021 5.3 Toughness Testing........................................................... 35 7 Corrosion and Galvanic Action..................................................... 36 7.1 Ferritic Materials.............................................................. 36 7.3 Galvanic Action................................................................36 TABLE 1 Charpy Impact Testing Requirements..................................35 SECTION 5 Fabrication..........................................................................................37