The challenge
Every metal sheet used for shipbuilding has a minimal thickness of 6 mm. The hull of a contemporary cruise or container ship comprises a vast number of metal sheets of different dimensions which are welded together on all sides seamlessly. Thus each piece of steel contributes to the global load-bearing properties of the hull. This construction method leads to enormous structural weights that in consequence increase production costs and energy consumption at sea during the whole period of use. Which alternative construction method could avoid these disadvantages?
The invention
The RES-Ship With Composite Structure introduces a systematic separation of the loadbearing structure and the envelope structure into shipbuilding. The method of splitting the hull in separate building systems each specialized and optimized to fulfill its proper purpose allows a reduction of the overall steel construction weight by 30%. The new plan reveals a primary loadbearing structure and a secondary loadbearing system for interior construction. A tube structure is formed with the underwater hull of the ship as a bottom chord and the upper deck as an upper chord held apart by diagonal struts surrounding an uninterrupted hollow space free for various interior installations. The interior structure consists of columns, beams and lightweight decks made of corrugated steel sheets.
The advantages
- Reduction of the steel construction weight >30%
- Introduction of industrial building methods into shipbuilding
- Maximum flexibility for the interior construction
- Reduction of the running costs with lightweight structures
The applications
- Cruise ships
- Container ships