business cases and carry out prototype implementations. This also signifies EMSA's first attempt to obtain funding for its efforts in promoting STEP within _European shipbuilding, and in particular for those members not funded for such activities. Members currently involved include AESA, BV, DNV, DMI, GEC, GL, IRCN, KCS, LR, MRNTK, OSS, MoD, RINA, SENER and vosper Thomycroft. The proposal was received by the Commission on the 17th March 1998 and the results from the evaluation are expected shortly.
AP ARM Freezing gathers momentum
The AP Application Reference Model freezing schedule was updated during the Orlando STEP meeting in February (see below) and the results of the effort on this task has recently been shown with up to FOUR key parts of the Ship Product Model being frozen on the same day!
The freezing process involves the check in of a shortform used to generate the ARM which lists all of the Building Blocks (BBs & their version numbers) used. So far the freezing schedule has been based around the Ship Common Model (SCM) and Ship Moulded Forms (AP216).
However, recent work on getting AP218 (Ship Structures) into shape for interpretation (see above) resulted in an AP218 shortform checkin that was closely followed by one from the AP217 team around the 22nd of April. Each shortform is itself versioned so that complete sets of BBs can be referenced. The table below shows the dates that were planned.
EMSA BB Server Enhancements
The EMSA BB Server has been enhanced with the following new functionality over the last reporting period;
■ shortform checkin-s frozen
This option places a marker against the version of each building block referred to in the shortform, labelling it as frozen with respect to the shortform whose version has just been received. A freeze log is returned to the owner. Without the frozen option, then no markers are used.
■ get_all_issues
Previously, only one issue at a time could be retrieved or commented on. Now all issues can be retrieved in a zipped tar file.
■ get_open_issues
This option retrieves a zipped tar file of only issues that are *OPEN*
■ get_resolvedissues
This option retrieves only issues that have been resolved.
Further functionality is being implemented all the time. The next on the priority list includes the generation of html for the BBs and link with the EMSA web site. Coupled to this will be the syntax and (eventually) semantic checking of the BBs. See the EMSA Server Requirements document LR006TDP for further information.
EMSA Deputy Announced
At the last EMSA Board meeting it was agreed that Bureau Veritas will become
deputy to Germanisher Lloyd chairmanship beginning 1999.
EMSA Business Case Survey - some results
Before and during the last EMSA TC meeting, the Co-ordinator started an initiative to examine which business cases might be of interest to different EMSA members. Out of 22 members there was feedback from 15 of them - some gathered during the last TC meeting in Oslo. Apart from the existing four business cases there was over-whelming interest from 11 members with respect to a potential business case for Hull Cross Section approval by Analysis. That is, the analysis of the HCS by tools such as Finite Element Analysis rather than by Classification Society Rules & Regulations.
Second most popular (with 9 members) was the extension of AP216 to be able to cater for hydromechanical testing by model basins. Joint 3rd (with 6 members each) were the possible business cases covering a) the updating of the Ship Survey Model with statutory survey information, b) the exchange of loading and damaged conditions of a ship during operation and c) the exchange of material specifications from the yard to supplier and Class Societies. New members all showed keen interest in the existing business cases.
The details of this information (private to EMSA) will help orientate some of the work to be done in the STRIVES project (mentioned above) and also to help individual members to form alliances with others to propose new projects within EMSA. If you did not respond earlier, but would still like to please contact the Coordinator.
Ship Survey Model
At the last TC meeting, Stian Ruud (DNV) gathered enough momentum among the different Class Societies within EMSA to start work on one of the proposed business cases referred to above. The purpose of this is to include the data requirements relevent to statutory surveys as well as Class surveys - part of the feedback from the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). This will proceed over the next year with updates after each TC meeting and will contribute to the NWI on Ship In Operations.
NWI Update
The NWI on Ship Operational Logs, Records and Messages is currently out for ballot (closing June 3rd) by ISO TC184/SC4 who have asked each P-member country to vote on it. The NWI needs at least 5 positive responses to proceed. The only major question at present appears to be which group within ISO
