Introduction
The economics of building and maintaining a sea going vessel is of paramount importance to the shipowner as the shipowner requires a built vessel that maximises the returns on his/her initial investment and covers overhead running costs.
The final design must consider the economic conditions at the time of constructing the vessel, and those that are likely to develop within the life cycle of the ship.
During the planning stage the following must be considered.
The health and safety of seafarers and passengers on board
Operational logistics
Assessment of the ship’s seaworthiness.
How do ships float?
The air that is inside a ship is much less dense than water. That is what keeps it floating! … As a ship is set in water, it pushes down and displaces an amount of water equal to its weight.
Ship Structure
Ship structure is a box girder composed of stiffened plates such as deck plating, side shell plating, and bottom plating. … The deck plating is stiffened by longitudinal stiffeners, girders, deck beams, and frames, and can be regarded as an orthogonally stiffened panel.
Shipbuilding Process
During the shipbuilding process, each ship block is brought to the building dock, where they are erected with cranes, as per the welding sequence. … After each erection, welding is carried out on block joints.
Materials for shipbuilding:
Steel: This is a highly versatile ship construction material and is used extensively on ships for the making of its integral structure and parts. …
Aluminum Alloys: …
The Shell Plating: …
Insulation: …
Superstructures: …
Watertight Doors: …
The Stern Frame: …
Rudder Pintles:
Duration for the building of a ship.
Dependent upon the tonnage of a ship being built the timescale can vary.
A typical commercial ship takes about three years to complete, including roughly 12 to 16 months of detailed design and planning.
The first few stages of construction focus on building out the structure of the vessel, in pieces.
What are the important activities in ship construction?
The programme build-out of steelwork in a hull, would consist of the following activities.
- Detailed drawings of steelwork.
- Order steelwork
- Procurement of steelwork
- Storage of steelwork stockyard.
- Shotblasting, cleaning, and forming operations.
- Sub-assembly work
- Erection of structure on berth.
Strategic Overview of building a ship?
- Design. – The hull form and arrangement of ship are determined on the design stage.
- Production planning. – Working and production schedules developed.
- The arrival of steel. …
- Primer coating. …
- Cutting of steel. …
- Processing of steel. …
- Panel line. …
- Sub assembly.
- Assembly. …
- Block Installation and Assembly. …
- Painting. …
- Launching.
Fitting out a Ship
Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners.