to meet the requirements of another. Differences in rules can increase the building
cost of a ship by millions of dollars. As governments have also become active in
setting technical standards for ship construction, particularly through the
International Maritime Organization, the need for co-ordination has increased.
To address this problem, in 1968 the International Association of Classification
Societies (IACS) was set up. Its eleven members hold about 90 per cent of the
world market for classification and statutory services and includes the ten societies
listed in Table 12.1. The association has two aims. The first is to introduce an
element of uniformity into the rules developed by class societies. The second is to
provide a representative group who could interface with other major rule-setting
organizations, principally IMO.
Over the last 30 years IACS has developed more than 160 sets of unified
requirements. These relate to many factors of which a few are minimum longitudinal
strength, loading guidance information, the use of steel grades for various hull
members. Another function of IACS is to collaborate with outside organizations
and in particular IMO. To enable IACS to carry out this role more effectively, in