Hull: The Armor of Ships
Technically and economically, hulls are a paramount design consideration in shipbuilding. Hulls determine a ship’s structural integrity, safety, and stability while contributing about 20% of the ship’s total cost. Remember, ships transport over 90% of globally traded cargo through 90,000 cargo ships.
Erika Tanker Failed in 1999 due to a Weakened Structure
With corrosion, fatigue cracks are the main cause for failure of ships, railway tank-cars, and road tankers. Fatigue cracks can grow in a branched or curved manner different from the shape in which they are formed. Repairs are not always viable in view of exorbitant maintenance expenses.
Read more »