| (a) | Where in a portion or portions of a ship the watertight bulkheads are carried to a higher deck than in the remainder of the ship and it is desired to take advantage of this higher extension of the bulkheads in calculating the floodable length, separate margin lines may be used for each such portion of the ship provided that— |
| (i) | the sides of the ship are extended throughout the ship’s length to the deck corresponding to the upper margin line and all openings in the shell plating below this deck throughout the length of the ship are treated as being below a margin line, for the purposes of Regulation 14 of this Chapter; and |
| (ii) | the two compartments adjacent to the “step” in the bulkhead deck are each within the permissible length corresponding to their respective margin lines, and, in addition, their combined length does not exceed twice the permissible length based on the lower margin line. |
| (i) | A compartment may exceed the permissible length determined by the rules of Regulation 5 of this Chapter provided the combined length of each pair of adjacent compartments to which the compartment in question is common does not exceed either the floodable length or twice the permissible length, whichever is the less. |
| (ii) | If one of the two adjacent compartments is situated inside the machinery space, and the second is situated outside the machinery space, and the average permeability of the portion of the ship in which the second is situated differs from that of the machinery space, the combined length of the two compartments shall be adjusted to the mean average permeability of the two portions of the ship in which the compartments are situated. |
| (iii) | Where the two adjacent compartments have different factors of subdivision, the combined length of the two compartments shall be determined proportionately. |
| (c) | In ships 100 metres (330 feet) in length and upwards, one of the main transverse bulkheads abaft the forepeak shall be fitted at a distance from forward perpendicular which is not greater than the permissible length. |
| (d) | A main transverse bulkhead may be recessed provided that all parts of the recess lie inboard of vertical surfaces on both sides of the ship, situated at a distance from the shell plating equal to one-fifth the breadth of the ship, as defined in Regulation 2 of this Chapter, and measured at right angles to the centre line at the level of the deepest subdivision load line. |
Any part of a recess which lies outside these limits shall be dealt with as a step in accordance with paragraph (e) of this Regulation.
| (e) | A main transverse bulkhead may be stepped provided that it meets one of the following conditions: |
| (i) | The combined length of the two compartments, separated by the bulkhead in question, does not exceed either 90 per cent of the floodable length or twice the permissible length, except that in ships having a factor of subdivision greater than 0,9, the combined length of the two compartments in question shall not exceed the permissible length; |
| (ii) | additional subdivision is provided in way of the step to maintain the same measure of safety as that secured by a plane bulkhead; |
| (iii) | the compartment over which the step extends does not exceed the permissible length corresponding to a margin line taken 76 millimetres (3 inches) below the step. |
| (f) | Where a main transverse bulkhead is recessed or stepped, an equivalent plane bulkhead shall be used in determining the subdivision. |
| (g) | If the distance between two adjacent main transverse bulkheads, or their equivalent plane bulkheads, or the distance between the transverse planes passing through the nearest stepped portions of the bulkheads, is less than 3,05 metres (10 feet) plus 3 per cent of the length of the ship, or 10,67 metres (35 feet) whichever is the less, only one of these bulkheads shall be regarded as forming part of the subdivision of the ship in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 5 of this Chapter. |
| (h) | Where a main transverse watertight compartment contains local subdivision and it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Administration that, after any assumed side damage extending over a length of 3,05 metres (10 feet) plus 3 per cent of the length of the ship, or 10,67 metres (35 feet) whichever is the less, the whole volume of the main compartment will not be flooded, a proportionate allowance may be made in the permissible length otherwise required for such compartment. In such a case the volume of effective buoyancy assumed on the undamaged side shall not be greater than that assumed on the damaged side. |
| (i) | Where the required factor of subdivision is 0,50 or less, the combined length of any two adjacent compartments shall not exceed the floodable length. |
