Maritime Glossary
International Association of Classification Societies
Also known as: IACS
The umbrella body of major classification societies, establishing unified technical requirements for ship construction and maintenance.
Status: ActiveVerified: Source confidence: high (96%)
Full Definition
IACS represents ABS, BV, CCS, ClassNK, DNV, KR, LR, RINA, IRS, and RS. It develops Unified Requirements (URs), Unified Interpretations (UIs), and Procedural Requirements for consistent application across member societies, covering structure, machinery, electrical, and automation. Member societies collectively class over 90% of world ocean-going commercial tonnage and participate as observers in IMO.
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