VARD BASIC DESIGN GUIDELINE FOR

PENETRATIONS IN SUPERSTRUCTURE

Doc.no. STD-251-101 | Revision: 0 |

26 t h of March 2014
Prepared by: Birgit Huse / Vard Design

This specification is the property of VARD , and it must not be copied or any information received in appurtenant with the
specification imparted to any third party without written consent. The receipt of the specification implies that the conditions
as mentioned herein are accepted.
TM

Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................3
1.1.

PURPOSE OF PENETRATIONS....................................................................................................................... 3

2.

GENERAL THEORY ...............................................................................................................................................3

3.

SHEAR FORCES ....................................................................................................................................................4

4.

DESIGN CRITERIA OF CUT OUTS...........................................................................................................................5

4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.
4.5.
4.6.
4.7.
4.8.

LOCATION .................................................................................................................................................. 6
AREAS TO AVOID......................................................................................................................................... 7
EXAMPLES .................................................................................................................................................. 9
CABLE-TRAYS .............................................................................................................................................11
BUCKLING..................................................................................................................................................11
COLLAR/LUGS ............................................................................................................................................11
COMPENSATIONS ......................................................................................................................................12
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AREAS ................................................................................................................13

5.

SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................13

6.

REFERENCE DRAWINGS .....................................................................................................................................13

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

1. INTRODUCTION
This guideline will focus on cut outs in main girders in accommodation area. The girders shall be of
sufficient size allowing for penetration for ducts, pipes and cable-trays. The girder dimensions must also
ensure we meet the requirements for free clearance from the floating deck according to Specification.
The introduction of an opening in the web of a beam alters the stress distribution within the member in
way of shear and moment. With standard dimensions of girders and cut-outs, there can be arranged a
maximum of standard penetrations without decrease the beam strength, based on theory and
requirements at an early stage in the process.

1.1.

PURPOSE OF PENETRATIONS
Penetration for ducts, pipes and cable-trays.
Reduce steel weight

This document will give the reader a guideline to where to place standard penetrations without calculations
and still maintain strength requirement.

2. GENERAL THEORY
The shape of the web openings will depend upon the designers choice and the purpose of the opening.
Regular shapes, such as circular and elliptical are usually chosen for these cut outs.
Decrease in strength will depend on the interaction between the moment and shear. The moment capacity
of the perforated beam will be reduced at the openings because of the reduction in the contribution from
the web to the moment capacity. This is not very significant, as usually the contribution of the web to the
moment capacity is rather small, ref moment of inertias relation to section modulus.
However, the reduction in shear capacity at the opening can be significant. To restore the strength lost,
reinforcement along the periphery of the openings could be provided. From e economic point of view, one
may like to use unreinforced openings because the material requirement increases enormously. In
addition, the cost is further increased due to welding.
As a general rule, one shall try to avoid having penetrations in locations of high shear, nor should they be
closely spaced:
The cut out should be centrally placed in the web, and eccentricity of the opening is avoided as far as
possible.
Web openings should be closer to the support than at least S/16 of the beam span, S. Preferably not
closer than the first stiffener
The best location for the opening is within the middle third of the span if there is no concentrated load.
Clear spacing between the openings should not be less than opening height, make sure that there is
enough shear area around each opening.
The best location for opening is where the shear force is the smallest.
The diameter of circular openings is generally restricted to 0.5 x web height
Height of an elliptical opening should not be greater than 0.5 x web height and the length not greater
than 1.5 x web-height for an un-stiffened opening.

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

3. SHEAR FORCES
A typical shear force diagram in a superstructure deck can be:

The shear forces differ due to different dimensions and forces in beam support. The shear force diagram
changes from transversal system to longitudinal systems and also with different grades of support and
stiffness. The transversal system experience distributed load and the longitudinal concentrated load (and
vice versa depending on the stiffener directions.)
Typical beam support: Bulkhead, Pillar, Girder
There are some areas though that we need to be aware of. We will address this later in this guideline.

IDEAL BEAM LOAD CASE:

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

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Rev. 0

Most of the cases in Superstructure will be distributed load.

These are ideal cases of beam loads. The shear forces are largest at the ends (the beam support) in the
distributed load case, and in the middle at the concentrated load case.
As written above, the shear force diagrams will vary throughout the superstructure, but they will be a
variation of these two ideal cases.
This, among other reasons helps us to make standard rules and cut outs in the superstructure.

4. DESIGN CRITERIA OF CUT OUTS

VARD DESIGN CRITERIA:
The recommendation for web height of girders in superstructure is 450mm. This is sufficient in regard
to vibration (stiffness) and gives enough capacity in reserve for penetrations.
Standard penetration shapes are recommended to be either elliptical or circular
Elliptical max 450mm x 230mm
Circular max 230mm

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

The size of the cut out must be reduced if the stiffener spacing is lower because of shear area

STIFFENER SPACING
mm
600
700
750

4.1.

OPENING LENGTH
mm
350
400
450

OPENING HEIGHT
mm
230
230
230

CIRCULAR
OPENING
diameter mm
230
230
230

LOCATION

The standard penetrations will be located in the neutral zone, where they dont have significant influence
on the shear capacity of the beam.

Openings cause greater reduction of shear strength than of flexural strength, and for this reason, the
neutral zone originates in the mid-span in an ideal case of distributed load.
There must be no penetrations in the area S/16 of the girder or between the beam support and the first
stiffener.

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

The neutral zone must always be considered centered in relation to the depth, D, of the steel beam. Depth
of the neutral zone, equals approximate 50% of the overall depth of the web. This limit cover the most
common situations and they do not lead to significant design restrictions.
The spacing between the openings should be L h (d for circular).
We seek to place the openings in the space between stiffeners to avoid that these strength members
influence the needed steel around the openings (enough shear area).

The minimum distance between opening and stiffener must be greater than 100mm

4.2.

AREAS TO AVOID

There shall be no openings near the beam support without calculations!

The space between the beam support and the openings, are set to be S/16 of the girder span (S) or in the
space between the first and second stiffener (whichever is greater)

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

4.3.

Rev. 0

EXAMPLES

Longitudinal view :

Transversal view :

Transversal view (hull side):

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

Transversal view C-deck:

Circular openings can replace elliptical where the shear stress is higher

No cut-outs under concentrated load

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

4.4.

Rev. 0

CABLE-TRAYS

Openings for cable-trays in the corridors will hold the same dimensions as the standard penetrations,
450x230.

4.5.

BUCKLING

To avoid reduction of buckling capacity in the beam, the depth to thickness ratio in web is kept low, below
80.
h/t 80

This is usually not a problem as web thickness in superstructure is 7 mm

4.6.

COLLAR/LUGS

If the space between the stiffener and the opening is under 100mm or if there is uncertainty, lap lug or full
collar is required.

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

4.7.

Rev. 0

COMPENSATIONS

When design criteria limits stated in earlier sections, are exceeded, then strength compensations in the
form of reinforcement is necessary.
To compensate for openings in superstructure, one can install doublers ( a double plate) or insert plates.
INSERTED PLATE:

Sizing criteria:
T2 = Insert plate thickness
Tp= beam web thickness
W= opening height
D= web height
T2= (Tp x D )/ (D-W)

ex. T2 = (8 x 450)/( 450-230) = 16mm

Full penetration welding.

DOUBLERS:

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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Vard Basic Design Guideline for Penetrations in superstructure

STD-251-101

Rev. 0

Sizing criteria:
d= W/2
Td= doubler thickness
Td= (W x Tp)/2 x d

ex. Td= (230 x 8)/ 230 = 8mm

In both cases you just double the thickness.

4.8.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AREAS

Areas with larger forces such as from a ROV, smaller foundations, stabilization tanks , davits etc needs
special consideration.
Main structure supporting anchor/mooring deck request special attention and considerations.
Top of peak ballast tank has no penetrations.
Be aware of big shear forces towards hull side.

5. SUMMARY
It is important to maintain a standard of cut outs.
When having standard girders and standard cutouts one can place a maximum of penetrations in the
accommodation allowing cables etc to easily pass through.
All spiro ducts, pipes of any kind and cables shall at greatest possible extend use these standard
penetrations.
Try to ensure and facilitate for cut outs in girders above corridors and sanitary units/bathrooms.
The cut out should be centrally placed in the web, and eccentricity of the opening is avoided as far as
possible.
Standard dimensions are maximum 450mm x 230mm for elliptical openings and diameter 230mm for
circular openings.
Avoid penetration in the area close to the support of the beam.
Avoid cut outs under concentrated loads.
If required material is lost, it has to be replaced.
Penetrations of structural members carrying extreme and concentrated loads should be referred to
engineering
Any questions regarding definition or extent of any of above terms should be directed to the engineering.

6. REFERENCE DRAWINGS
GA
HVAC arrangement
Piping
Electro

Vard Group
P.O. Box 76, Moloveien 6, NO-6001 lesund, Norway
Tel: +47 70 21 06 00 | Fax: +47 23 50 23 40 | Email: mail@vard.com | www.vard.com
Business ID: NO980100820VAT

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