Affiliations: [a] Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Yokohama National University, Japan | [b] Department of Naval Architecture, University of Tokyo, Japan | [c] Research Institute, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. | [d] Hull Structure Basic Design Department, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd., Japan
Abstract: A container ship suffered serious structural damages caused in her fore body by slamming on a heavy sea in the North Pacific Ocean in January, 1978. She was in the fully laden condition on a voyage to Kobe from Oakland, California, U.S.A. A long brittle crack propagated in the fore and aft direction in the shell plating of the flare part on the starboard side. The inner structures, such as longitudinals, web frames and side stringers, on the side shell of the same side were collapsed, and the deck and shell plating on the port side was buckled. Furthermore, the coaming of Nos. 1 and 2 hatches was distorted seriously. In the present paper, the damages are investigated from the viewpoint of ship hydroelasticity with the aid of fracture mechanics. The results obtained suggest the importance of ship handling as well as structural design for preventing damages in large container ships.
