ASME and Coast Guard Sponsor Technology and Standards Workshop

ASME and the U.S. Coast Guard are jointly sponsoring a two-day workshop next week in Arlington, Va., that will examine a broad range of developing technology, standards and regulatory issues impacting the marine industry.

The event, the 2013 ASME/USCG Workshop on Marine Technology and Standards, will provide an opportunity for classification societies, standards development organizations, industry groups, government agencies and interested members of the public to meet and discuss a number of topics including technological impacts to the marine industry, corresponding coverage in related codes and standards, and government regulations. The workshop will be held July 24-25 at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Washington D.C.-Crystal City.

During the workshop’s general session on July 24, top officials and executives from the Society, the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will focus on policy and strategic issues associated with developing a maritime transportation and infrastructure system to produce a cleaner environment.

The first panel session on July 24, “Equipment and Materials,” will concentrate on potential changes to the ASME Pressure Vessel for Human Occupancy (PVHO) code regarding the use of acrylics for diving chambers and other submersibles. The panelists will also examine improvements in the design and arrangement of mooring systems for gas carriers and other large vessels, as well as the use of advanced light scattering techniques to determine oil content in water aboard a ship.

A second panel discussion on July 24, “Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Technology,” will cover international experiences using LNG and CNG marine fuels. The session will address why the development of LNG- and CNG-fuelled ships have become such an important issue within the maritime industry. The session will feature papers on the design, application and certification of engines, equipment, fuel tanks, and piping systems on gas fuelled ships, including the use of ASME codes.

A reception will follow the panel presentations at 5:30 p.m.

On July 25, the ”Human Element and Risk Management” panel session will address perspectives on human factors and safety management systems governing safety of drilling and production operations. Papers to be presented during the session will include a comprehensive strategy for implementing risk-based maintenance and inspections of towing vessel machinery and systems, as well as the management and training of personnel involved with dynamic positioning operations.

The “Offshore Marine Technology” session later that day will cover design, testing, and applications of various offshore structures. A new ocean platform concept, the fully constrained platform (FCP), which represents the technology for a new class of marine structures, will be one of the topics discussed.

The final panel, “Regulatory and Classification Society,” will examine requirements in regulations, codes and performance standards that are applicable to ships and shipboard systems, offshore structures, ballast water treatment systems, exhaust gas cleaning systems for compliance with air pollution requirements and marine fire equipment. Panelists for this session will include representatives from the Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping, the National Fire Protection Association, the Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association, and risk management service provider DNV.

Registration for the 2013 ASME/USCG Workshop on Marine Technology and Standards, which costs $375, is open through July 24. For more complete details on the program and to register for the workshop, visit http://events.asme.org/asmeuscg13/home.cfm.