Search Results (19)

In the design of small-scale test models for hull structures, the directional dimensional analysis method is commonly employed. However, conventional dimensional analysis based on elasticity theory may be insufficient to capture the nonlinear behaviors of structural materials under dynamic loading, which restricts its applicability in ultimate strength tests for small-scale hull structure models. This paper presents a scaling method grounded in the theory of finite similitude. Based on the finite similitude theory, this paper deduces similarity scaling criteria applicable to the static and dynamic responses of box girders and designs a series of trial models of box girders. The scaling criteria are verified and analyzed through numerical tests conducted under static and dynamic loads. On the basis of the numerical test results of dynamic responses, the dynamic response similarity criteria considering the similarity relationship of material constitutive parameters are modified and verified. By applying the static response scaling criteria in this paper to select appropriate materials, the prediction deviation of the box girder trial models under static loads is less than 2%. With the modified dynamic response scaling criteria proposed in this paper, the prediction deviations of each trial model under dynamic loads are less than 2% and 7%. A comprehensive analysis of material parameters was conducted to examine their impact on the nonlinear similarities observed in the processes. To validate the ultimate strength and nonlinear response scaling criterion based on the finite similitude approach, numerical experiments were performed to assess the ultimate strength and dynamic buckling response characteristics of the box girder across various scaling ratios and material parameters. The analysis demonstrated that the ultimate strength scaling criterion and the nonlinear response scaling criterion derived from the finite similitude approach effectively captured material nonlinearity. The results from the small-scale model provided accurate predictions of the ultimate strength of the full-scale model. Full article

The ship hull girder model has been widely adopted in ship mechanics research such as small-scale and large-scale hydroelastic ship model experiments. Current design methods cannot seriously meet the structural rigidity requirement, and the distinction between the ship structural masses and the cargo masses is rather vague. This research proposes a simple and novel ship hull girder design methodology. The main novelties are that (1) the structural rigidity design requirement for the ship hull girder corresponding to any targeted real ship with arbitrary structural complexity is precisely satisfied by the proposed strategy of adopting a composite hull girder system, and that (2) the mass density per unit length of the proposed hull girder is solely related to the mass density distribution of the targeted ship structures by considering the hull girder system as a complete finite element (FE) model, and thus (3) a better ship hull girder model for prediction of the total structural responses can be consequently established. A real ship is adopted as the design target, and the structural responses of the real ship and the proposed ship hull girder model are compared and analyzed. The proposed model is compared to the currently widely accepted ship hull girder models through numerical experiments. The proposed hull girder design methodology possesses the potential for upgrading the classical structural design approach to match the growing trend of adopting FEM-based approaches for ship structure research. Full article

Fatigue damage represents a key failure mode in ship structures. Such damage typically begins at vulnerable points in the structure, like welded joints, stress concentration areas, and cracks. Cyclic loading, particularly from waves, encountered by ships during their operational life is a major cause of fatigue damage, which is the main focus of this study. There are various methods to address different sea state conditions, though they can sometimes be approximate. This paper aims to review the most commonly used methods to highlight their strengths and weaknesses and to provide essential background knowledge for developing reliable theoretical and numerical models for predicting the fatigue life of ship structures exposed to various sea states over their lifetime. The primary theoretical approaches discussed include energy spectral methods in both time and frequency domains, which are used to quantify wave-related energy and amplitude characteristics and evaluate wave loads for predicting the fatigue life of structures and welded joints. The discussion also covers the determination of cyclic stress in specific structural details of the hull girder and welded joints to identify the relevant maximum stress range for subsequent fatigue studies conducted using finite element analysis. Full article

Standard structural assessments of ship hulls include the evaluation of the elastic structural response. Elastic analysis neglects extreme and unpredicted loadings, which can produce catastrophic outcomes, such as the loss of the ship’s ultimate strength. Moreover, hull elements are considered unaffected by age-related degradation. Therefore, this study models and quantifies the effect of corrosion-induced structural degradation on the ultimate strength of a high-tensile-steel (HTS) cargo ship using progressive collapse and nonlinear finite element methods. Uniform and pitting corrosion are modeled through selected scenarios, which hull elements might encounter during exploitation, producing a total of 148 calculation models. The findings show that corrosion-induced degradation can significantly decrease the ultimate strength of the hull (up to 30% for the most severe scenarios assessed). Furthermore, ultimate strength decreases almost proportionally to the amount of wastage considered. It was found that stiffener corrosion has a significant effect on the total ultimate strength. This study’s aim is to emphasize the vast importance of including ultimate strength along with ageing effects in industry-standard structural assessments of large HTS ship structures, designed to last for several decades whilst exposed to excessive and unpredicted bending moments. Full article

For large ships and offshore vessels, structural safety is verified through whole-ship analysis using commercial software. In the case of general oil tankers, classification rules for structural strength evaluation are uniformly applied. Structural strength evaluation is mainly divided into the cargo hold, fore-end, and aft-end parts. For the structural design of a cargo ship, it is important to calculate the design load and determine the thickness and size of the structural member. Structural FEA (Finite Element Analysis) is performed on only the cargo hold range as recommended by the CSR (Common Structure Rule). There is no FE analysis recommendation for either the aft- or the fore-end area. Therefore, structural safety is carried out based on existing design experience and engineer judgment. With previous approaches, it is difficult to clarify the safety of the aft-end part according to external loads such as hull girder load and local pressure. Recently, local buckling damage cases have investigated the aft-end of the shuttle tanker. Although this is a good example, it can be recognized that it is necessary to improve the accuracy of prediction when estimating the structural safety at the aft-end part. In this study, a novel FE-based evaluation methodology about buckling damage is proposed. In order to conduct a structural strength verification based on FE analysis modeling, reasonable solutions for load conditions, boundary conditions, modeling methods, and evaluation criteria are presented. This result is expected to be helpful in examining the structural strength of the aft-end part of similar carriers in the future. Full article

In pursuit of more efficient load-bearing solutions for ship deck panels of Very Large Crude Carriers exposed to vertical hull girder bending forces, laser-welded web-core sandwich panels are considered as an alternative to conventional stiffened panels. The primary goal is to identify a lighter steel sandwich structure capable of matching the ultimate strength of conventional counterparts. Utilizing non-linear finite element analysis, the ultimate strength of conventional decks subjected to uniaxial compression is assessed. Attention is then shifted to laser-welded sandwich panels, with a detailed examination of how various design parameters influence their performance. Specifically, four key design aspects of unidirectional vertical webs, including face thickness, web thickness, web height, and web spacing, are optimized to strike a balance between weight and strength through structural optimization techniques combined with the response surface method. Ultimately, a comparison is drawn between the ultimate strength of these innovative steel sandwich panels and their conventional, stiffened counterparts. The findings reveal that web-core sandwich panels, when employed as an alternative, result in a notable reduction in hull weight, thereby showcasing the potential for a more efficient and sustainable approach in the maritime industry. Full article

The aim of this paper is to provide a robust framework to assist researchers in deciding which methods to use, depending on the problem at hand, in order to estimate the probability of failure of marine structural parts that are subjected to variable loads (both hull-girder and local pressure loads) that exhibit uncertainties in their material properties and that involve fabrication-related uncertainties. The limitations of analytical approaches both in deterministic mathematical modeling (strength formulas) and probabilistic estimation will be provided, and respective computational tools will be demonstrated (FEA and Monte Carlo simulation). The approach is showcased in flat and bow-defected rectangular plates through analytical and numerical approaches. Full article

The pulsation of the bubbles resulting from underwater explosions can lead to severe damage to the structure of the ship’s hull, and even to its sinking. To study the damage mechanism of a simplified hull girder (SHG) subjected to near-field underwater explosion bubble, the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) method based on verifications of the calculation accuracy was used to simulate 11 SHG structures. The sagging bend mechanism of SHGs was analyzed from the perspective of plastic hinge lines. Moreover, the length formula of the potential bend zone was studied through the assumed plastic hinge lines. The influence of transverse bulkheads on bending mode and total longitudinal strength was investigated. The results show that SHGs’ sagging damage is composed of regular plastic hinge lines, mainly depending on side plates’ folding—W-shaped in this paper. When facing the near-field underwater explosion bubble, the distant transverse bulkheads influence the total longitudinal strength and do not always play a positive role. Full article

The objective of this paper is to present the application of equivalent single layer (ESL) approach for the ultimate strength assessment of ship hull girder in the context of numerical finite element (FE) simulations. In the ESL approach, the stiffened panel is replaced with a single plate, which has the equivalent stiffness of the original panel. Removal of tertiary stiffening elements from the numerical model facilitates time-savings in pre-processing and FE analysis stage. The applicability of ESL approach is demonstrated with two case studies, one compartment model and full-sized double hull tanker model in intact and damaged conditions. The damage extents are determined based on the international association of classification societies from common structural rules (IACS-CSR) for oil tanker. Ship hull girder is exposed to distributed pressure with the sinusoidal shape that bends the hull girder. This pressure load is applied separately to bottom and side structures to obtain the vertical and horizontal bending moments of the hull girder, respectively. Ultimate strength predictions obtained from ESL approach are compared to full three-dimensional finite element method (3D FEM) and IACS incremental-iterative method. The comparison between different methods is provided in terms of longitudinal bending moment and cross sectional stress distribution. Overall, ESL approach yields good agreement compared to the 3D FEM results in predicting the ultimate strength of ship hull girder while providing up to 3 times computational efficiency and ease of modeling. Full article

The aim of this paper is to estimate the influence of the dimensions of the torsion box (height and width), of a 2400 TEU feeder-class container ship, on local stress distribution and assessment of local fatigue strength by using a numerical approach based on the fatigue limit-state and ultimate limit-state in the midship region. In terms of the fatigue limit-state, the effect of the dimensions of the torsion box is obtained by geometrical modifications, in the connection between the side shell longitudinal stiffeners with the transverse web frame for nine structural details, referring to different arrangements of strengthening elements (brackets and flat bars). The process of comparing the different elements determines the most effective combination. This structural influence on the local stress distribution is assessed, along the longitudinal plates between ordinary stiffeners bounding the perimeter of the torsion box, by calculating the hull girder stresses, local buckling stresses and shear stress distribution induced by vertical and horizontal shear forces, Saint Venant and warping torques, and finally the shear stresses induced by a warping moment. Scantling criteria are obtained allowing for a better design of this very important region in container ships. Full article

The present study reviews the recent advances in modelling and analyses the strength of corroded ship structures. Firstly, the time-variant methodologies that consider only the mean structural element thickness loss due to corrosion degradation are identified. Corrosion degradation is regarded as the phenomenon that causes uneven thinning of specimens. This has been captured by various researchers as the loss of mechanical properties of structural steel components. A review of the existing experimental and numerical studies shows significant interest in this field of study. The advances in modelling and analysis of structural behaviours of different ship structural components of larger sizes (including plates, stiffened plates and panels, and entire hull girders) are outlined. Research on the impact of general and pitting corrosion degradation is reviewed separately since the phenomena are different in terms of modelling and analysis. Additionally, recent advances concerning the reliability analysis of corroded ship structural components have also been reviewed. Finally, the general conclusions are drawn and future research topics are outlined. Full article

Ship structures are subjected to complex sea loading conditions, leading to a sophisticated structural design to withstand and avoid structural failure. Structural capacity assessment, particularly of the longitudinal strength, is crucial to ensure the safety of ships, crews, the marine environment, and the cargoes carried. This work aims to overview the ultimate strength assessment of intact ship structures in recent decades. Particular attention is paid to the ultimate strength of plates, stiffened panels, box girders, and entire ship hull structures. A discussion about numerical and experimental analyses is also provided. Finally, some conclusions and suggestions about potential future work are noted. Full article

Very large floating structure (VLFS) is a sustainable concept centered around creating solid platforms at sea. The Delta is a new type of VLFS, designed to withstand open-sea conditions and to form, in addition to a broad deck areas, a sheltered basin of year-round operability. The design of this unique hull relies on direct calculations in order to identify critical load cases and assess their load effects. This study formulates a theoretical procedure for the initial assessment of the primary strength. The procedure analytically integrates the floatation loads while the hull rests at hydrostatic equilibrium on a wave surface and obtains the vertical and horizontal bending moment. This preliminary assessment tool enables a fast review of many load cases and provides the basic insights necessary for a reasonable initial design. Using the procedure, we conducted a primary load assessment for the design of Delta. By calculating the load response to 588 load cases, we identified the critical load scenario and the maximal axial stress. As the stress was too high, we improved the geometry in order to reduce loads and assessed proper scantlings for the critical section. We present the formulation of the procedure, the validation of the results, and the implementation for the structural design of the Delta VLFS. Full article

Owing to the increasing size and speed of ships to ensure economic efficiency, the hydroelastic phenomena of the hull have emerged as an important factor to be considered in the evaluation of strength during the design stage of current ship building procedures. In this study, we established a method to evaluate fatigue strength with linear spring effects using a 1D (one-dimensional) beam model and a 3D (three-dimensional) global Finite Element (FE) model. Firstly, FSI (fluid–structure interaction) analysis was carried out using the 1D beam model of a 15,000 twenty equivalent unit (TEU) container ship. In this step, the method proposed was to calculate the stress RAO (Response Amplitude Operator) of the hot spot points using only the hull girder load from the beam model. Next, a modal superposition analysis was carried out using the 3D global FE model that was directly calibrated to the fatigue damage of the hot spot points. Based on these stress transfer functions with hydroelastic effects, spectral fatigue analysis was carried out, and the portion of linear springing effects in the fatigue damage was analyzed, respectively. These results were compared with the rigid-body-based results in the final design stage. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method at the actual design stage is discussed. Full article

Structural failures in the barge midship sections can cause operational delay, sinking, cargo loss and environmental damage. These failures can be generated by the barge and cargo weights, and wave load effects on the midships sections. These load types must be considered in the design of the barge midship sections. Here, we present the structural analysis of a barge midship section that has decreased up to 36.4% of its deck thickness caused by corrosion. This analysis is developed using finite element method (FEM) models that include the barge and cargo weights, and wave load effects. The FEM models regarded three cargo tanks in the midship section, containing the main longitudinal and transverse structural elements. In addition, the hull girder section modulus and the required deck thickness of the barge were calculated using Lloyd’s Register rules. These rules were applied to estimate the permissible bending stresses at deck and bottom plates under sagging and hogging conditions, which agreed well with those of the FEM models. Based on FEM models, the maximum compressive normal stress and von Mises stress of the hull girder structure were 175.54 MPa and 215.53 MPa, respectively. These stress values do not overcome the yield strength (250 MPa) of the barge material, allowing a safe structural behavior of the barge. The structural modeling of the barge midship section can predict its structural behavior under different sagging and hogging conditions, considering the cargo, weight and wave loads. Full article