Candidate’s Name: National ID:

Ports and Maritime Organization

Seafarers' Affairs Directorate
Exam Code: SMSC-1400-01
Subject: Ship construction Date: 05/03/1400
Rank: Second Officer (GT≥500) Time Allowed: 2.5 Hours
(Pass mark: 55)

Q1 Categorize number of stresses which a ship is subjected to, with the aid of
sketch/s briefly explain two categories?
1- Longitudinal stress: There is longitudinal bending Stresses which may occur when
ship is in a Seaway or from her loading condition as follows: Bending moment (Sagging)–
Sheering force (hogging)

Sagging: when a ship is being loaded, too much weight amidships and/or by sea wave, the
deck will be in compression and the bottom shell in tension. Sagging would occur if the
load and buoyancy distribution tended to distort the hull (e.g. ship with machinery
amidships in light condition). This is made worse when the wave crests are at the ends of
the ship,
with
wave
length
similar to
ship
length.

Hogging: when a ship is being loaded, less weight amidships and/or by sea wave, the deck
20 marks
will be in tension and the bottom shell in compression. Hogging would occur if the load
and buoyancy distribution tended to distort the hull (e.g. ship with machinery Aft and full
forepeak in light condition). This is made worse when the wave crests are at the middle of
the ship.

2-Transverse
stress: When a
ship experiences transverse forces these tend to change the shape of the vessel’s cross
sections and thereby introduce transverse stresses. These are in form of; Racking - Center
line loading - Water Pressure- Torsion.
Racking: When a vessel is rolling the accelerations on the ship's structure are liable to
cause distortions in the transverse section. The greatest effect is under light ship conditions.
Center line load: A concentration of weight on the center line tend to distort the vessel.
Bottom structures will be set downwards causing side structures to be drawn in & decks to
be buckled.
Water Pressure: Water pressure acts perpendicular to the surface increasing with depth.
The effect of this is to push the ship's sides in and the bottom up.
 Torsion: When a body is subject to a twisting moment which is commonly referred to as
torque, that body is said to be in ‘torsion’. ship heading obliquely (45°) to a wave will be
subjected to righting moments of opposite direction at its ends twisting the hull and putting
it in ‘torsion’. In most ships these torsional moments and stresses are negligible but in ships
with extremely wide and long deck openings they are significant. A particular example is
the larger container ship where at the topsides a heavy torsion box girder structure
including the upper deck is provided to accommodate the torsional stresses.

3- Local stress: The movement of a ship in a seaway results in forces being generated
which are largely of a local nature. These forces are, however, liable to cause the structure
to vibrate and thus transmit stresses to other parts of the structure. Localized heavy
weights, e.g. machinery, or localized loading of heavy cargoes, e.g. ore may give rise to
localized distortion of the structure. These types of stress arte; Panting-Pounding- Dry
docking
Panting: The compressive effect of water at the bow & stern as they are alternately
immersed. The situation is worst when running head to head sea. The effect causes the shell
plating to pant in and out.
Pounding: The effect is created when forefeet emerges from the water when the vessel is
pitching & slams down on the re-entering.
Dry docking: This has a tendency to set up the keel due to the up-thrust of the keel blocks
resulting in a change in the shape of the transverse section.

Ref: Ship Construction by Eyres, page.68, 69, 73, 74

Q2 With the aid of suitable sketch/s explain " Longitudinal" framing system?

Longitudinal framing: If the side shell is longitudinally framed offset bulb sections will
often be employed with the greater section scantlings at the lower side shell. Direct
continuity of strength is to be maintained, and many of the details are similar to those
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illustrated for the tanker longitudinals (see Chapter 22). Transverse webs are fitted to
support the side longitudinals, these being spaced not more than 3.8 m apart, in ships of
100 m length or less, with increasing spacing being permitted for longer ships. In the peaks
the spacing is 2.5 m where the length of ship is less than 100 m, increasing linearly to a
spacing of 3.5 m where the length exceeds 300 m.
 Larger ships required to have a double
hull are longitudinally framed at the
sides with transverse webs arranged in
line with the floors in the double
bottom to ensure continuity of
transverse strength. Horizontal
perforated flats are fitted between the
inner and outer side plating to support
the transverse webs. Longitudinal
framing of the side shell employs
horizontal offset bulb plates with
increased scantlings towards the lower
side shell. Transverse webs are used to
support the longitudinal frames, their
spacing being dependent upon the type
of ship and the section modulus of the
longitudinal.

Ref: Ship Construction by Eyres, page.191, 192, 193

Q3 With aid of suitable sketch/s explain structure, the purpose of bilge keels and how they are 20 marks
attached to the ships side?

Most ships are fitted with some form of bilge keel, the prime function of which
is to help damp the rolling motion of the vessel. Other relatively minor advantages of the
bilge keel are protection for the bilge on grounding, and increased longitudinal strength at
the bilge.
Purpose: Bilge keels are intended to resist rolling. Their effects are complex, but may be
summarized as follows:
(a) Direct resistance between bilge keel and water has a comparatively weak effect.
(b) They slightly increase the ship's period of roll.
(c) They upset the transverse streamlines of the ship's hull and thus set up eddy-currents
and increase the 'wave-making resistance’.
(d) They increase water pressure over a large area of the ship's hull and this pressure acts in
such a direction as to damp the rolling.
Position: For their protection, bilge keels should always be arranged to lie within the line of
the ship's side and that of the bottom of the floors. If they were to project beyond these
limits, they would be more liable to damage.
Cracks have originated in the bilge keel and propagated into the bilge plate causing failure
of the main structure. In general, bilge keels are attached to a continuous ground bar with
the butt welds in the shell plating, ground bar, and bilge keel staggered (see Figure 17.5).
Direct connection between the ground bar butt welds and the bilge plate and bilge keel butt
welds and the ground bar are avoided. The ground bar thickness is at least that of the bilge
plate or 14 mm, whichever is the lesser, and the material grade is the same as that of the
bilge plate. Connection of the ground bar to the shell is by continuous fillet welds and the
bilge keel is connected to the ground bar by light continuous or staggered intermittent weld.
The latter lighter weld ensures that should the bilge keel be fouled, failure occurs at this
 joint without the bilge plate being damaged. Bilge keels are gradually tapered (at least 3 to
1) at their ends and finish in way of an internal stiffening member.

Ref: Ship Construction by Eyres, page.197,198

Q4 With the aid of suitable sketches describe a stern frame for a single-screw ship? 20 marks

The stern frame of a ship may be

cast, forged, or fabricated from steel
plate and sections. On larger ships it
is generally either cast or fabricated,
the casting being undertaken by a
specialist works outside the
shipyard. To ease the casting
problem with larger stern frames and
also the transport problem, it may be
cast in more than one piece and then
welded together when erected in the
shipyard. Fabricated stern frames are
often produced by the shipyard
itself, plates and bars being welded
together to produce a form similar to
that obtained by casting (see Figure).
Forged stern frames are also
produced by a specialist
manufacturer and may also be made
in more than one piece where the
size is excessive or shape
complicated.
 Ref: Ship Construction by Eyres, page. 252

Q5 Describe briefly the property and benefit of Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP)?

These are propellers in which the blades are separately mounted on the boss, and in
which the pitch of the blades can be changed, and even reversed, by means of a mechanism
in the boss, whilst the propeller is running. The pitch is mechanically or
electromechanically adjusted to allow the engines’ full power to be absorbed under
different conditions of operation. It is incorrect to refer to such a propeller as a variable
pitch propeller since virtually all merchant ship propellers have a fixed pitch variation from
blade root to blade tip. Large controllable pitch propellers have been fitted to large diesel-
driven bulk carriers in recent years.
These are more expensive to fit than fixed pitch propellers, especially if they are to be fitted
retrospective to the building stage. They are subject to more maintenance but have distinct 20 marks
advantages over and above fixed pitch blades. If a blade is damaged it can be removed
comparably quickly and replaced by a spare blade (usually carried by the ship itself). The
whole propeller does not need to be replaced.
The CPP is also cost-effective in that, with a constant rotating shaft, shaft alternators can be
used for electrical power generation without having to resort to the use of additional
generators. Additional generator units require expensive auxiliary fuel, a necessity with
fixed pitch propellers. The benefits to the ship handlers are immediate bridge response to
ship control, without having to go through engineers to obtain manoeuvring controls.
However, the controllable propellers still generate an element of drag effect, especially at
zero pitch and they are also subject to similar corrosion as the fixed pitch propellers, for the
same reasons. They are generally subject to reduced slip values.
Ref: Ship Construction by Eyres, page. 260
Good Luck