Comfort on Board Move Forward with Confidence
Why choose Bureau Veritas for your comfort on board Bureau Veritas Mission & Policy BV has been founded in 1828 with the aim to allow maritime insurance companies to evaluate the quality of ships and equipment as well as to ensure the safety of people and goods onboard. Since 1828, BV mission is to ensure both global interest and needs of our clients in safety, security and environment protection by developing, controlling and applying both BV and international standards in design, construction and maintenance of ships and marine equipment. BV policy of quality is to place its self monitoring of performance as a permanent activity and target. BV has extended its policy of quality to many professional fields such as buildings, industry facilities, government s services, international trade and certification, with the same initial target ensuring needs of our clients as well as public interest. The group has a dedicated presence in 140 countries, with more than 62,000 employees, and over 370,000 clients. Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore Division covers markets worldwide and today more than 10,600 ships are classed by BV. Changing times changing standards Noise and vibration onboard ships have been a major concern for ship owners and shipyards for many years. Increasing ships size and power has made noise and vibration problems more and more frequent. At the same time passengers demand higher standards and crew living conditions are more closely regulated. That has led to the need for a clear set of noise and vibration standards for ships and sophisticated means of calculating and measuring noise and vibration levels. Bureau Veritas developed the COMFORT class notation over fifteen years ago and has continuously refined it as international standards dealing with noise and vibrations have evolved and passenger and crew demands for higher standards have increased. At the same time it has invested in skills, software and equipment able to predict and measure noise and vibration levels. Today COMFORT class, backed by Bureau Veritas skilled noise and vibration teams, is the most up-to-date and complete set of verifiable standards for ensuring a comfortable onboard environment for any type or service of vessels.
BV Rules for Comfort What are the benefits of COMFORT Class? Happier passengers, more efficient crew and a robust independent verification of noise and vibration on board are the main benefits of COMFORT class. Bureau Veritas COMFORT notation is an additional voluntary standard against which shipowners, shipyards and potential users of the ships can assess the noise and vibration comfort of the ship. The clear published standards set out in COMFORT class facilitate design to the required standard to meet the quality of life on board parameters suitable for the intended service. For passenger ships and yachts COMFORT class is a clear and easy way to market the high level of comfort aboard the vessel. What criteria are used for COMFORT evaluation? Noise level at sea The COMFORT notation sets noise limits for different on board spaces for the expected normal operating conditions of the vessel. Sound insulation in the accommodation The acoustic insulation provided onboard the ship is important to guarantee privacy between cabins. The partitions, floors and doors have to comply with COMFORT class requirements. Impact noise COMFORT class includes criteria to limit impact noise from activities above cabins such as the sport deck, open deck, dance floor, gymnasium or galleys. Vibration level at sea The COMFORT notation sets maximum permitted vibration levels for each space for the normal operating conditions of the vessel. Vibration limits are assessed with regard to habitability and use whole body vibration criteria. What is the procedure for COMFORT assessment? Review of the measurements procedure issued by the yard, Measurement tests at quay and at sea performed by Bureau Veritas Noise &Vibation specialists, Delivery of an assessment report, Assignment of class and issuing of COMFORT class certificates, Periodical, renewal and class survey.
Which vessels can have COMFORT class? Four main categories of vessels are able to benefit from COMFORT class, each with different specific criteria: Ships of less than 65 m in length between perpendiculars (such as fishing vessels, tugs, small passenger ships excluding yachts and pleasure craft) Passenger ships (such as cruise ships or ferries, of 65 m in length and upward) Cargo ships of 65 m in length and upward (such as tankers, container ships, large fishing vessels..) Yacht and Mega-Yachts COMF+ criteria COMF+ criteria are higher levels of comfort which owners and yards can choose to enhance the COMFORT class standards. They are aimed at measuring and certifying the very highest levels of passenger and guest comfort on luxury cruise vessels and yachts. They include: COMF+ Insulation index Deals with striker sound insulation requirements between accommodations (potential problem of low frequency noise due to entertainment activities). COMF+ Impact index Enhanced insulation index requirements to assess potential problems due to low frequency noise impact. COMF+ Emergence Pure tone noise can be really annoying so in order to avoid spectrum emergence this criterion analyses the noise spectrum energy. COMF+ Intermittent noise Some equipment can generate noise energy intermittently. This kind of non-continuous noise generates a lot of passenger complaints. The aim of this criteria is to evaluate and eliminate the potential impact of a list of equipment that normally generate most of these complaints. COMF+ Intelligibility Acoustics are critical in public spaces such as a large lounge or cinema. This criteria sets standards for the intelligibility of the show or of guest conversations.
Some References Fishing vessels - Manapany - Dolomieu - Belouve Research vessels - Dupuy de Lome - NSR Alize - Beautemps-Beaupre - Sarmiento de Gamboa - Mirabilis Cruise Vessels - Le Boréal and 3 sisterships - MSC Lirica and sistership - MSC Musica and 3 sisterships - MSC Fantasia and sistership - MSC Preziosa and sistership Ro-Pax ferries - Blue Star Patmos - Blue Star Delos - Fromveur II - Tanit - Piana Special service - Polux - Polaris - Galoway Expres - OPV Hermes - Bourbon Enterprise and sisterships - Bourbon Offshore and sisterships Oil tanker / Chemical Carrier - Iver Bright and 5 sisterships - Global Sun and 4 sisterships - Atlantis Alvarado - Atlantis Antibes - Summity - Vedrey Fram - FS Philippine - FS Chralotte - Global Earth Hopper dredger - Stellamaris SOME EXAMPLES COMF - VIB - PAX 1 1 2 3 4 1 2 Service notation: COMF Defines the criterion evaluated VIB for Vibration NOISE for Noise 3 Defines the area of the vessel concerned by the evaluation PAX for Passenger area CREW or Crew area 34 Defines the grade «g» given by the notation to the vessel For VIB criterion, the grade can be: 1, 2, 3 (evaluation performed regarding ISO 6954:2000) or 1PK, 2PK, 3PK (evaluation performed regarding ISO 6954:1984) For NOISE criterion, the grade can be: 1, 2 or 3
Bureau Veritas global network: close to you everywhere Americas 270 offices and laboratories 16,000 employees Europe, Middle East & Africa 640 offices and laboratories 23,000 employees Asia - Pacific 420 offices and laboratories 20,000 employees Contacts Head Office Noise and vibration specialists François Togny Phone: + 33 (0) 1 55 24 74 45 VLMmeaslignevibMail@bureauveritas.com Commercial & Marketing Jean-Jacques Juenet Phone: +33 (0) 1 55 24 72 31 jean-jacques.juenet@bureauveritas.com Move Forward with Confidence Bureau Veritas - Marine and Offshore Division 67-71, boulevard du Château 92571 Neuilly-sur-Seine - France Phone: + 33 (0) 1 55 24 70 00 - Fax: +33 (0) 1 55 24 70 01 Corporate website: www.bureauveritas.com Marine website: www.veristar.com BC 009 DCM R01 - Photos: Bureau Veritas - Getty Images