Stowage factor

In shipping, the stowage factor indicates how many cubic metres of space one metric tonne (or cubic feet of space one long ton) of a particular type of cargo occupies in a hold of a cargo ship. It is calculated as the ratio of the stowage space required under normal conditions, including the stowage losses caused by the means of transportation and packaging, to the weight of the cargo. The stowage factor can be used in ship design and as a reference to evaluate the efficiency of use of the cargo space on a ship.