EN358 Ship Structures

Ship Structural Components

CDR Jeffrey W. Stettler, USN, PhD

Assistant Professor, Permanent Military Professor

Ship Structural Components

Ships Structures are unique for a variety of reasons. For example:

Ships are very BIG structures! The shape of a ship is optimized for reasons other than just structural strength. What else is it optimized for? Navy ships operate in a wide variety of environments and see a variety of static as well as dynamic/random loads. What kinds of loads?

Ship Structural Components

A ship structure consists of a network of welded together cross-stiffened plates (sometimes referred to as a grillage).
Plates are stiffened by welded girders (I-beams, T-beams, etc.).

Ship Structural Components Keel - Longitudinal center plane girder along bottom of the ship
The ships backbone

Plating Thin pieces closing in the top, bottom, and sides of structure.
Outer plating (side shell and bottom plating)
Strakes = longitudinal rows of outer plating (e.g. garboard, sheer, deck strakes)

Deck plating, inner bottom plating Bulkheads (longitudinal & transverse)

Ship Structural Components Longitudinals Stiffeners which run longitudinally (parallel to the
keel) along the bottom of the ship. Used to longitudinally stiffen the outer bottom plating.

Stringers Stiffeners which run longitudinally along the sides of the

ship. Used to stiffen and strengthen the outer side shell plating.

Deck Girders Stiffeners which run longitudinally under decks. Used

to stiffen and strengthen deck plating.

Ship Structural Components Frames Stiffeners which run transversely from keel to main deck.
Used to transversely stiffen and strengthen the outer plating.

Floors Larger portion of the frames which run from the keel to the turn
of the bilge. Used also as foundations for inner bottom plating.

Deck beams Stiffeners which run transversely under decks. Used

to stiffen and strengthen deck plating.

Ship Structural Components

Types of framing systems

Transverse Framing
For combating primarily hydrostatic and side impact loads Closely spaced continuous frames with widely spaced longitudinals Used primarily for
Short ships (lengths less than typical ocean waves: ~ 300ft) Submarines

Thick side plating is required Longitudinal strength is relatively low

Ship Structural Components

Types of framing systems

Longitudinal Framing
For combating primarily longitudinal bending (flexure) loads Closely spaced longitudinals and more widely spaced (deep web) frames Side plating is comparably thin primarily designed to keep the water out

Ship Structural Components

Types of framing systems

Combination Framing
For combating combined loads More longitudinal members near top and bottom structure Side structure is primarily transverse WHY? Most Navy surface ships are of this type

Ship Structural Components

Single Bottom Construction

Usually found on tankers & small ships Bottom transverse frames are known as floors
Floors are vertical structural members! Floors support bottom plating - transfer the load to keel (& keelsons) and side frames

Can be used with any framing system

Ship Structural Components

Double Bottom Construction

Advantages over Single Bottom Construction
Stronger - provides more longitudinal material Provides volume in which to store liquids without taking up cargo space Provides damage resistance in the bottom

Disadvantages
More expensive to construct, higher maintenance costs Moves neutral axis of the ship down - causing higher stresses in the deck

Ship Structural Components

Structural Drawings
Midships Section
Deep Frame, Scantlings

175,000 DWT Tanker LWL = 1027 ft B = 158 ft D = 83.75 ft T = 54.25 ft

Ship Structural Components

Structural Drawings
Midships Section
Deep Frame, Scantlings

105,000 DWT Bulker LWL = 818.3 ft B = 124.7 ft D = 69 ft T = 50.75 ft

Ship Structural Components

Structural Drawings
Midships Section
Scantlings

20.4# plate = 1/2 inch thick

Deck Stringer

Sheer Strake

Weld Seam Symbol

DD-963
Simplified midship section showing shell plate straking plan
Garboard Strake

Bilge Strake