LOCOPIAS’ new (2020) container module will probably be the most versatile — and hence most user-friendly — container loading and stability tool on the market. This is demonstrated by these facts:

• Support for all type of containers. Even container sizes which are not (yet) an ISO standard are supported; the only limitation is the rectangularity of the boxes.
• Container placement options not limited to pre-defined stacks. Instead, container can be placed on any position physically possible.
• Integrated support for IMDG (dangerous goods).
• Integrated in LOCOPIAS’ enhanced (damage-) stability and structural strength appraisal.

Recently, on this foundation a new LOCOPIAS branch has been added: assessment of container lashings. For the reason that container securing has always been a topic of interest, however, the tragic event with MSC Zoe, losing 342 containers just off the Dutch coast, struck SARC as Dutch company in particular.

Fortunately, research towards better understanding of container motions and forces is undertaken worldwide, which has also led to the development of container lashing assessment tools from different classification societies. E.g. the particular tool from DNV, Stowlash, has an advanced 3D strain-redistributing  computation scheme, and is equipped with a modern SDK (Software Development Kit) interface option. For this reason SARC decided to farm out the computation of forces acting upon the container stacks to Stowlash, while all input of lashings, twistlocks and other container connections is done in LOCOPIAS’ familiar user-friendly GUI’s. In this fashion all relevant forces –– such as in lashing rods, twist locks, container corners and container walls — for a particular stack of containers are computed in real time for each container loading case in LOCOPIAS, and compared with the acceptable limits.  Obviously, if limits are exceeded the computer operator is warned, so he or she will be invited to modify the container distribution and/or the lashing scheme.