SAWE RP M-4, 2012: Vendor Weight Control for the Marine Industry

This Recommended Practice is sponsored by the Society of Allied Weight Engineers Marine Systems Government – Industry Workshop. Its purpose is to supplement Recommended Practice 12 (Reference 1) which provides the requirements for weight control, Recommended Practice 13 (Reference 2) which defines a standard coordinate system for reporting mass properties information, and Recommended Practice 14 (Reference 3) which describes best practices and industry conventions for estimating and determining mass properties for ships.

This Recommended Practice focuses on the role that third party suppliers play in the marine industry practices which best satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive weight control program. As a Recommended Practice, this document is advisory in nature; however, it may be invoked as specified in a contractual agreement such as a design and construction contract or a purchase order. It is intended to applicable both to the suppliers of builder-furnished equipment and owner- or Government- furnished equipment for the marine industry.

The primary focus of this document is on the acquisition stage of a ship’s life rather than its in-service stage although many of the elements presented may be applied throughout the life of the vessel.

This Recommended Practice is intended for use by ship designers/builders and the marine vendor community. For the designer/builder, it outlines an effective methodology for involving marine industry suppliers in the shipyard’s comprehensive weight control plan. For the vendors of shipboard equipment, it provides a framework of what the shipyard needs in terms of mass properties input to effectively manage the overall mass properties of the ship. It is hoped that this Recommended Practice will help establish the foundation for a productive ship designer/builder – marine supplier working relationship.