Angle of repose. When bulk cargo is loaded by “pouring” on to a fiat surface, it forms an angle between the cone slope of the cargo and a horizontal plane.
Low angles of repose indicate that the bulk cargo is prone to shifting at sea. The IMO “Code of Safe Practices for Bulk Cargoes” (the “Bulk Code”) distinguishes between cargoes having angles of repose less than and greater than 35 degrees.For cargoes with a smaller angle of repose the Code recommends level trimming and filling in of spaces in which they are loaded. One example of a low angle of repose would be with soda ash loaded at Long Beach, California. The angle of repose of this cargo is about 25 degrees.
