...
Damage
Stability
No this is not the floodable length curves of the Edmund
Fitzgerald, but the Flood curves in the Blue Sheets that you
will access and reference in the problem area of this lecture
presentation. They are illustrated here to point out
fundamental points related to the understanding of the
subject matter.
Unlike the prior lectures where conceptual understanding of
the material coupled with the appropriate equations satisfied
the resolution of the Coast Guard's problems; whereby,
definitions were essentially subordinate, the reverse is true
in the study and application of the problems as they relate
to the subject area of Damage Stability. This is straight
forward material. Definitions are rather important in solving
the essential 4 problem areas found in the Coast Guard's
bank of questions related to Damage Stability.
Note: When you finish reading over the definitions click on
the link to the solution of the 4 aforementioned problems.
Again you will need to back out of that link with the "back
button" on your browser to access the required reference
sheets in solving the problems.
Definitions :
Damage stability: The existing vessel stability after the
unintentional flooding of the compartment
The ability of a vessel to survive flooding is determined by
the diagram you see above, called the Floodable Length
Curves.
Observe the triangles constructed from the base of each
watertight compartment. You simply extend the side of the
triangle which comes from below right hand side of the
flooded space into the side coming from the lower left-hand
side of the flooded space. If the two lines intersect above the
appropriate curve, i.e. the wiggley line running fore n aft,
the vessel will sink, if below the vessel will remain afloat.
Now take a look at the diagram below:
Compartments 3 and 4 are both flooded. Because the point
is above 63%, the vessel will sink, but if the permeability
was 50% the vessel would stay afloat. Permeabilities
generally run 63% with the exception of Machinery spaces
which run 80%. Permeability defined as the percentage of
the volume of the compartment which can be occupied by
water if flooded.
Freeboard: the distance between the waterline and the
main deck at the upper edge of the deck line.
Floodable Length: the maximum length of the vessel at
any point which if it were flooded the ship would sank.
Factor of Subdivision: A value used to determine the
permissible length between bulkheads on a vessel.
Compartment Standard: A number indicating how many
compartments can be flooded and the vessel would still
remain afloat.
Margin Line: An imaginary line drawn three inches below
the bulkhead deck. It provides a margin of safety to the
designer's calculations.
Free Communication: A flooding condition resulting from
an opening in the hall which is in free communication with
the Sea.
Reserve Buoyancy: the volume of space remaining above
the waterline. The vessel sinks when no reserve buoyancy
remains. Vessels must have reserve buoyancy to be able to
float. Reserve Buoyancy is simply the watertight hull areas
above the waterline. As weight is added to a vessel it sinks
in the water, and the volume of space above the waterline
decreases. When this space is gone the vessel sinks
immediately.
Sagging Stresses: When the bow in the stern are riding on
wave crests and the midship region in the trough the ship is
said to be sagging.
Hogging Stresses: When a ship advances a half a
wavelength so that the crest is midship and the bow and
stern are over troughs the ship is said to be hogging
The Problems
Ref. Library
Thomas J. Colligan: Seaman/Naval Architect/Yacht Surveyor
