Structural Members of the Ship
2/M Jan Patrick Miraflores
Structural members are key component that contributes to the
overall strength, stability, and watertightness of the vessel.
These members are crucial for ensuring the ship can withstand the
forces of the sea and operate safely and It is classified into, the
longitudinal and transverse structural members.
The longitudinal members combat the longitudinal
bending stress crated by sagging and hogging.
The transverse structural members are usually
perpendicular to the outer shell plating and transversely
stiffen the outer side shell and outer bottom plating.
Longitudinal members
combat the longitudinal bending stress
crated by sagging and hogging.
Keel is similar to the spinal cord of humans. As the spine
functions to keep our backbone upright by linking and
supporting our body, the keel is the primary structural member
and backbone of the vessel which runs along the center line of
the bottom plate around which the hull of the ship is built.
Longitudinal is short name for longitudinal stiffeners. In most
cases the longitudinals are beams (mostly L-beams) and runs
along the length of the ship. It resist stress caused by the
mismatch between load distribution and buoyancy distribution
(static loading) and dynamic loading due to motion in a seaway
Stringers are strategically placed to provide additional support
where needed, such as on the side of the hull, at the bilge (the
curve where the hull meets the bottom), and on the decks
Girders are longitudinal stiffening members that run along the
deck, supporting the deck plating and beams. They are like the
longitudinal beams of a bridge, reinforcing the deck against
bending and other stresses
Strakes
are the continuous bands of hull planking or plating
Bilge Strake Sheer Strake Garboard Strake
The A strake or the Sheer strakes can refers to the first course of
Garboard strake are the withstand the impact of plating or planking on
plates on either side waves, wind, ice, or other either side of the keel. It's
essentially the bottom-
immediately adjacent to objects that may hit the
most strake on the ship's
the keel. The immediate ship's side. The sheer hull. The term "garboard"
plates on either side are strake also plays an comes from traditional
referred to as strakes B, important role in wooden boat building
C, D, and so on. The resisting the methods, and in metal
strake plates at the longitudinal stress that ships, a strake is a course
bottom corners or the can cause the ship to of plating
turn of the bilge are break up due to
known as the bilge hogging and sagging
strakes. conditions.
Deck Plating
Deck plating on ships can be defined as those plating that is arranged
in the horizontal direction and welded together such that they serve
the function of providing deck floorings. They are designed to
transfer the bending loads effectively to the entire structure.
Transverse Members
of the Ship
are usually perpendicular to the outer shell plating and
transversely stiffen the outer side shell and outer
bottom plating.
Floor Unlike structures on land where a floor refers to something
horizontal that you can stand on, floors on ships are the transverse
stiffeners mounted vertically on the ship's bottom. Floor structure is
continuous from the center to the side plating and supports the
inner shell (tank top).
Frame In ships, frames are ribs that are transverse bolted or
welded to the keel. Frames support the hull and give the ship its
shape and strength
Bracket They are supporting members usually between a vertical
and horizontal structural member that not only absorbs forces but
also creates a continuous load path between members.
Stanchion To reinforce the deck transverses and to keep the
transverse brackets and side frames from carrying the total load,
vertical stanchions or columns are fitted between decks
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