Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Transport Technology



R. de Jong Characteristics of bulk carriers
Literature survey, Report 2004.TL.6866, Transport Engineering and Logistics.


This document is an overview of dry bulk carriers with respect to characteristics that may be important for port access and loading and unloading activities.

The first chapter is a summary and reports the several types of bulk carriers, and gives per type indications of important dimensions, commodities, and short descriptions of characteristics like loading and unloading systems.

The second of the four chapters gives a short overview of the bulk carrier fleet, by presenting the size profile and the specialized bulk carrier profile, and reporting the different commodities that are carried linked to the mostly used size-segment of the bulk carrier fleet that the particular commodity employs.

The third chapter focuses in on ships itself. First, the general layout of the ships is discussed. Secondly, from bulk carriers of the size of around 10.000 tonnes of deadweight up to the largest ones trends in length, breadth, draught, depth, air draught of the hatch coamings, hatch dimensions and cargo volume capacity are reported. Finally the presence of deck cranes is dealt.

The fourth chapter deals the 19% of the bulk carrier fleet that is composed by more specialized bulk carriers. It describes ships that are designated to carry less common commodities, or that are suitable to carry, besides dry bulk cargoes, other than dry bulk cargoes. The common sizes of the specialized ships are reported together with typical characteristics.

Self unloading and self loading systems are to be found in the fourth chapter among the descriptions of the specialized bulk carriers.

The report is supported by four appendices, of which the first reports ships definitions and the fourth is a large collection of pictures and other information of several types of bulk carriers.


Reports on Transport Engineering and Logistics (in Dutch)
Modified: 2004.10.13; logistics@3mE.tudelft.nl , TU Delft / 3mE / TT / LT.