What are Ro-Ro Ships?

Ro-ro is an acronym for Roll-on/roll-off. Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels that are used to carry wheeled
cargo. The ro-ro ship is different from lo-lo (lift on-lift off) ship that uses a crane to load the cargo. The
vehicles in the ship are loaded and unloaded by means of built-in ramps. Normally these ramps are made
towards the stern (backside) of the ship. In some ships, they are also found on the bow side (front) as well
as the sides. The vessel can be of both military and civilian types.

Ro-ro vessels were being built in the 19th century to transport trains, too wide for the bridges, across
rivers. An example of a ro-ro vessel is the Firth of Forth ferry which started operations in 1851. The rails
were laid on the ship so that it could be connected to the ones on land. A train would then simply roll onto
the ship and then roll off at the other end.

Credits: hafen-hamburg.de

There are various types of ro-ro vessels, such as ferries, cruise ferries, cargo ships, and barges. The ro-ro
vessels that are exclusively used for transporting cars and trucks across oceans are known as Pure Car
Carriers (PCC) and Pure Truck & Car Carriers (PCTC) respectively. Unlike other cargos that are
measured in metric tonnes, the ro-ro cargo is measured in a unit called lanes in meters (LIMs). LIM is
calculated by multiplying cargo length in meters by the number of decks and by its width in lanes. The
lane width will differ from vessel to vessel and there are a number of industry standards.

The largest ro-ro passenger ferry is MS Color Magic. It weighs 75,100 GT (Gross Ton). It entered the
service in September 2007 for Color Line. It was built in Finland by Aker Finnyards. The ferry is 223.70
m long, 35 m wide and can carry 550 cars as well as 1270 lane meters of cargo.

The ro-ro passenger ferry with the greatest car-carrying capacity is the Ulysses. The ferry was named
after a novel by James Joyce and is owned by Irish Ferries. It entered the service on 25 March 2001 and
operates between Dublin and Holyhead. It weighs 50,938 GT and is 209.02 m long and 31.84 m wide. It
can carry 1342 cars and 4101 lane meters of cargo.
 Image for Representation Purpose Only; Credits: nykroro.com

Advantages of a ro-ro ship

A ro-ro ship offers a number of advantages over traditional ships. Some of the advantages are as follows:

 For the shipper, the advantage is speed. Since cars and lorries can drive straight on to the ship at
one port and then drive off at the other port within a few minutes of the ship docking, it saves a lot
of time of the shipper.
 It can also integrate well with other transport development, such as containers. The use of
Customs-sealed units has enabled frontiers to be crossed with the minimum of delay. Therefore, it
increases the speed and efficiency for the shipper.
 The ship has also proved extremely popular with holiday makers and private car owners. It has
significantly contributed to the growth of tourism. A person can take his car from one country to
another by sea with the help of a ro-ro vessel.
 needs very little space at the pier when moored stern to,
 can load and unload without the need for shore cargo handling facilities,
 each unit of cargo wheeled across its ramp to the shore was, on the average, heavier and larger
than carried by conventional cargo or container ships at that time,
 no time is spent lifting the cargo from the holds over the side of the ship to shore as the ramps to
shore are, by necessity, at a low level as close to the pier as possible and thus minimum effort in
loading or discharging cargo is required,
 once ashore the wheeled cargo can freely move away from the congested port areas, and in many
cases directly to the consignee,
 cargo does not need to be uniform box size, as in the case of containerships,
 exact location of each cargo unit within a RORO is not essential, and the logistics of cargo
movement and stowage can be significantly simplified compared to a containership,
 a continuous two-way flow of cargo over the ramps, if RORO access equipment is properly
designed,
  loading and unloading can be performed at the same time with minimum interference with each
other, and
 heavy project cargo, which is usually limited by lift capacity, can be wheeled onboard, with axle
loads and tire print pressures the only real limitation.

Disadvantages of a ro-ro ship

 high acquisition cost because of the adverse stowage factor compared to other ships (VLCC 1.2,
cargo ship 1.3, containership 1.8, and RORO 3.0 m3/t),
 design imposed problems due to low available engine room height, flatness and fatness of aft run,
lack of transverse bulkheads, etc.
 very heavy aft RORO equipment and supporting structure causing vibration problems,
 deck structure designed for heavy vehicles,
 high noise level when loading/unloading RORO cargo,
 increase hazard and accident possibility compared to other ships because crew, as well as
stevedores, work within the ship,
 very short turn-around time can be detrimental to crew morale and not provide enough time to
perform maintenance/repair in port,
 expensive and sophisticated cargo access and transfer equipment, fire prevention and detection,
ventilation of cargo space, etc., and
 RORO ships are usually equipped with additional (expensive) maneuvering equipment such as
multiple bow and stern thrusters, high lift rudders, controllable pitch propellers, to allow tug-free
approach to underdeveloped ports and to take full advantage of quick turnaround. These units
also require maintenance and repair.

Variations of a ro-ro ship

The certain variations of a ro-ro ship are as follows:

 ROPAX: ROPAX is an acronym for roll on/roll off passenger. It is a ro-ro vessel built for freight
vehicle transport with passenger accommodation. The vessels with facilities for more than 500
passengers are often referred to as cruise ferries.
 ConRO: The ConRo vessel is a hybrid between a ro-ro and a container ship. This type of vessel
uses the area below the decks for vehicle storage while stacking containerized freight on the top
of the decks.
 RoLo: RoLo is an acronym for roll-on lift-off vessel. It is also a hybrid vessel type with ramps
serving vehicle decks but the other cargo decks are accessible only by crane.

The Dangers of Ro-Ro Ship Design: A Naval Architect’s Perspective

There is something about Ro-Ro ships that make them completely different from other types of ships. But
we will come to it a bit later, after knowing the broad categorization of ship types by IMO according to
freeboard and subdivision.

IMO has classified ships into Class A and Class B.

The Class A ships are those which have lesser sea openings and better protected from the sea, also
because of stringent subdivision restrictions. But Class B ships are those which have higher freeboard and
are directed by less stringent subdivision rules.
Now, RORO ships are of Class B, but what yet sets them different is that they have a completely open
vehicle deck extending right from the fore to aft, without any transverse subdivision bulkheads in
between.

The reason behind this is very simple, yet unavoidable- to make access of cars (and other vehicles)
possible from the forward to aft ends of the ship.

Let’s take a look at some of the main concerns regarding Ro-Ro ships:

No Subdivision Bulkheads

The problem with not having transverse subdivision bulkheads is actually an adverse one, given the
circumstances. Transverse bulkheads are basically incorporated to maintain the damaged stability or
water-tight integrity of the ship, in case of flooding of any of the compartments. Simple, that two
consequent bulkheads shall limit the water flooding within themselves, and thus help the ship being stable
even in case of some damage.

But here’s what happens if water enters a RoRo ship- The flooding starts progressing. How? Consider
than there has been a damage in any part of the ship, due to which, water starts flooding in it. Since the
only restrictions are the aft and bow doors, the water actually starts progressing along the entire length of
the ship. Sounds bad, but is actually worse. Why? Read on.

Risk of Progressive Flooding

Due to absence of subdivisional bulkheads, the water progresses along the length of the ship. This not
only causes the ship to lose its inherent buoyancy, but adversely affects its stability because of increasing
free surface effect. In case of a single compartment damage, as in case of any other ships, the free surface
created by one or two compartments is lower than what is created in an entire Ro-Ro ship, as the free
surface area in this case is much more, due to the absence of transverse bulkheads. As a result, the ship
loses its stability more rapidly that we generally expect it to do so. However, even in case the ship is not
damaged, a Ro-Ro ships always stands at a higher risk of reduced stability.

Problem of Maintaining Stability

Every Ro-Ro ship, being a Class B type, has considerable freeboard, which means it operates at a low
draft. These ships are also featured with multi-tier decks for accommodation of cars, trailers and trains,
therefore requiring higher overhead clearance. Due to this, the depth of these ships is very high, owing to
a high depth to draft ratio.

Cargo is stowed up to the top-most deck, resulting in the rise in the accommodation deck. As a result of
the increased depth to draft ratio, such ships are very sensitive to heeling moments, and a heeling moment
cannot only be created by wind gusts or waves, but also internal cargo shifting. Thus, cargo latching and
locking systems must be regularly checked and ensured so as to prevent cargo shifts during voyages.

Also, heeling moments in lightship condition are prevented by incorporating heeling tanks at port and
starboard sides. There have been many accidents of Ro-Ro ships which have caused due to rapid heeling
moments, giving the crew very less time for proper evacuation.
The disasters of MV Sewol (Korea, 2014) and MS Express Samina (2000) were basically due to the
above explained theory. These ships being Ro-PAX had cost lives more than that of just the crew.

Image Credits: wikimedia.org

Ro-Ro are Stiff Ships

Though this is a lot related to stability, but it’s interesting to discuss it separately. The steel structure of
Ro-Ro ships is designed to have a very low centre of gravity, as cargo is loaded up to the top most deck,
this would offset the rise in centre of gravity. But due to the risk of rapid heeling, the overall centre of
gravity of Ro-Ro ships are kept considerably low. Though this is stable, it laces a problem with itself. A
reduced Centre of Gravity (CG) will always tend to decrease the rolling period of the ship. So if you’re
sailing on the ship itself, you’ll feel that the ship is rolling too fast. It is true, that once it rolls, it will come
back to its upright position rapidly (which means it is quite stable), but the rapid motions will cause you
motion sickness. We call such ships to be stiff. This may also cause high stresses on the cargo lashing
systems.
Problem of Cargo Doors

Other than doors on the port and starboard sides, Ro-Ro ships also have aft or bow doors with ramps, for
heavier cargo to be loaded from the port. Both these door types have had their individual kind of
problems as discussed further:

1. Stern Cargo Door:

Stern cargo doors are generally very close to the waterline of the ship. There have been cases, when the
stern door was not locked properly (which is basically a human error, since improper locks are notified by
the ship’s systems). Guess what could have happened next? As the ship moved into the sea, the
improperly locked stern door served as the source of water ingress. Though, this is a human error, several
efforts to alter the design of these doors have been made, but it is nearly impossible to place such doors
high above the waterline, as that would not be feasible for easy cargo loading when the ship extends her
ramps onto the port.

2. Bow Door:

Many Ro-Ro ships have bow doors, i.e. the bow of the ship is itself a hydraulically hinged structure
which acts as a door, from which a ramp extends out for cargo flow in and out of the ship. One of the
worst maritime accidents has occurred due to the failure of this very system- on board MV Estonia in
1994.

Let’s look at it this way. The bow of the ship is vulnerable to the waves as the ship surges. Since this goes
on continuously since the ship has set sail, the material on the bow of the ship experiences fatigue. In case
of MV Estonia, the bow door mechanism had undergone fatigue (which should have been replaced during
surveys) and ultimately, it gave away. The bow door separated from the ship’s hull, ultimately leading in
progressive downflooding, which resulted in sinking. But even then, the inherent problem of “rapid
heeling” existed, and as a result the time available for evacuation was insufficient.

Image Credits: Mattes / Wikipedia

Location of Lifeboats
This is a matter of concern, especially for Ro-Ro Passenger ships. As we’ve known that Ro-Ro ships
inherently have a considerably high freeboard, it is important to note the risk attached to it. In case of
rapid sinking, there have been cases when the lifeboats could not be successfully deployed from the
embarkation deck due to its height from the waterline. It is due to this risk, recent Ro-PAX ships are also
equipped with inflatable chutes, which help the passengers to slide down from the embarkation deck, in
case the deployment of lifeboats are impossible.

Image credits: Dozenist / Wikipedia

So isn’t it interesting to note a paradox in the entire topic? Most of these risks are actually not related to a
fault in design, yet they demand changes in the current designs. Ship designers are yet to find design
solutions to all the above risks, especially the problem with maintaining the stability of these ships,
without hampering the ease of operation and function ability of the vessel. In important inclusion in the
design of the decks is the improvement of drainage systems on car decks.

In some cases, the crew was not fluent with a uniform language of communication, which resulted in
miscommunication during evacuation processes. Such factors have been made compulsory by SOLAS
amendments. Recent efforts have ensured installation of automatic/computerized crisis management
systems on board, which helps the crew decide the steps to be followed in case of any threat to the
survivability of the ship.

The industry is currently focused a lot on improving the propulsion systems used by these ships.
However, given the number of disasters related to Ro-Ro ships in the past, it is necessary that more efforts
must go into improving their designs so as to eradicate the factors which pose threat to the safety of these
ships.
Midship Section

Roll On Roll Off ships are specially meant for exclusive transportation of automobiles. As the name
suggests, the vehicles roll on the vessel and at the destination port they roll out of the vessel. Thus, these
ships do not have any hatch opening, instead they have ramp at a suitable location for loading and
unloading of automobiles. These ramps are generally located at the port and starboard side of the forward
end or bow loading ramp is provided.
The current trend is to increase the cargo carried above the freeboard deck. Therefore, it naturally calls for
increasing the number of decks above the freeboard deck. The governing criterion for limiting the deck
cargo, thereby the number of decks above freeboard deck is dictated by the damaged stability
requirements of a RoRo ship.
Hence these ships are of multideck type. There are several decks to accommodate the vehicular cargo.
The decks are strengthened suitably to support the wheel load of the vehicles. Complete longitudinal
framing system is adopted for the stiffening the decks and shells. Thus, these vessels naturally have
adequate longitudinal, transverse as well as torsional strength.
Cargo handling
To speed cargo handling and storage in modern ships, apart from changes in ship design, the introduction
of mechanically handled hatch covers (Chapter 19) and improved lifting devices, various patented or
specially manufactured items may be brought into the shipyard and fitted to the ship by the shipbuilder.
Some notable items that fall into this category are described in this chapter. These primarily relate to
cargo access handling and restraint in ro-ro ships, container ships, car carriers, and vessels in which
palletized cargo is carried.

Stern and bow doors

Roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessels are used primarily on short sea crossings and are designed to carry road
vehicles. They provide a link in a road journey, often overnight, and the speed of loading and unloading is
often critical. The vehicles are driven on and off using large doors and a series of ramps to access
different deck levels. Ro-ro vessels may be fitted with stern doors of the hinge-down or hinge-up type,
which if large are articulated. Bow doors are either of the visor type or of the side hinged type (‘barn
door’ type). These are situated above the freeboard deck and where the bow doors lead to a complete or
long forward enclosed superstructure, Lloyd’s require an inner door to be fitted that is part of the collision
bulkhead. This would also be in keeping with the SOLAS requirements for passenger ships, where the
collision bulkhead is to be extended weathertight to the deck next above the bulkhead deck but need not
be fitted directly above that bulkhead. A sloping weathertight vehicle ramp may be fitted in some ships to
form the collision bulkhead above the freeboard deck

and the inner door is omitted. This ramp may extend forward of the specified limit for the collision
bulkhead above a height of more than 2.3 m above the bulkhead deck, i.e. above the height of a
conventional tween deck space. Stern and bow door strengths are equivalent to the strength of the
surrounding structure and where they give access to enclosed superstructures, they are required to close
weathertight. Stern doors and bow visors can be mechanically raised and lowered with wire rope and
purchase arrangements, but in general they and the side-hinged bow doors are hydraulically opened and
closed. These weathertight doors are casketed and cleated.

Ramps
Ro-ro ships fitted with ramps usually have a stern ramp, but some vessels fitted with bow doors may also
have a bow ramp that doubles as the inner weathertight door and is lowered onto a linkspan when the bow
visor or side-hinged doors have been opened. Ramps may also be fitted internally to give access from
deck to deck. These can be hydraulically or mechanically tilted to serve more than one deck and can be
fixed in the horizontal position to serve as decks themselves. In some ships they can even be raised into
the hatch space and serve as weathertight covers.

Stern ramps can be fixed axial ramps, fixed quarter ramps, slewing ramps, or semi slewing quarter ramps.
The axial stern ramp may also serve as the stern door and can be lowered or raised hydraulically or by wire
rope arrangements. The quarter ramp was designed for ro-ro ships using ports that are not provided with
right-angled quays or link span connections. The large articulated quarter ramp is raised and lowered by wire
rope purchase arrangements to hydraulic winches. Slewing ramps serve a similar purpose to the quarter
ramp but are more flexible. The slewing ramp moves around the stern on a curved guide rail, the movement
being affected by the lifting and lowering wire purchases, which are led to hydraulic winches.
 Figure: Stern ramps and doors

Figure: Internal Deck access ramp

Side doors and loaders

Side door/ramps are available for ro-ro operations and are similar to stern door/ramp installations. Most
side door installations, however, are intended for quayside fork-lift operations with palletized cargo being
loaded onto a platform at the door by the quayside fork-lift and stowed in the ship by another fork-lift
truck. Instead of a loading platform on ships trading to ports with high tidal ranges a ramp onto which
the quayside fork-lift truck drives may be fitted. Elevator platforms may be fitted immediately inboard of
the side door to service various tween decks and the hold. A particular type of elevator system is that
developed for the transportation of paper products, especially newsprint. The quayside fork-lift places the
newsprint rolls on the height-adjustable loading platform, which together with the elevator platform is
fitted with roller conveyors. Movement of the roller conveyors is automatic, the newsprint rolls being
transferred from the loading platform to the elevator platform, which travels to the preselected deck or
hold level for unloading (see Figure 25.4).

Upward folding doors with hydraulic cylinders actuating the hinge are usually fitted to the side opening,
the load platform being fitted inside the door and hinged at the bottom of the opening, automatically being
lowered when the door is opened. Combined side door/hatch covers are fitted in designs where the ship is
low in the water relative to the height of quay in order to provide sufficient head room for forklift truck
operation (see Figure 25.4). With the side port elevator system referred to above, a combined door/hatch
is fitted to the hatch carrying part of the tower that houses the upper part of the cargo elevator.

A side loader that dispenses with the need for a side door is the MacGregor-Navire International AB
‘Rotoloader’. This can be a fixed or portable installation. The unit load is raised from the quay to a point
above the ship’s side, swung inboard through 180 on a rotating frame unit and lowered through the hatch
to the hold or tween.

Figure: Stern and quarter access ramp

Scissors lift
Cargo can be lowered or raised between decks or to the hold by means of a scissors lift, which is
sometimes fitted in ro-ro ships as an alternative to internal ramps, as it takes up less room. However, the
scissor lift is slower in operation than ramps. The hydraulic cylinder-powered scissors lift is also often
designed to transfer heavy unit loads.

Figure: Scissor lift