Since 2005, there have been increases in the rate of ore carriers casualties and crew fatalities. These incidents have preoccupied international organizations and many research laboratories which have mobilised to identify the causes and seek the solutions. The liquefaction of the loaded ore is considered to be the major cause of the capsizing and sinking of ore carriers, but the mechanisms that lead to these incidents still remain uncertain. This study presents an analysis of the ore cargo stability and examines the stress distribution by means of a quasi-static numerical model. Afterwards, an assessment of the shear ratio variation, in terms of the hold inclination is established, in order to prevent sliding failure of an ore cargo. According to this research, at hold inclination of 15°, the maximum shear ratio is less than 0.2 in all areas of the ore cargo, except under the residual slopes and at the surface. Therefore, these parts are assumed to be the most vulnerable areas to the hold inclination under static loading. This paper presents a first approach of a work that will be further developed to elaborate a dynamic model that can reproduce the ore carrier motions while shipping and the behavior of the cargo in the hold. The final objective of this study is to help ship owners better understand how to prevent the ore carriers from capsizing during shipping and also provide the International Maritime Organisation with a new test to predict the liquefaction potential of the loaded ore.
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