2.26.

Changes to section modulus

The provision of the required section modulus is necessarily an iterative process. As the
design progress it will be necessary to add or subtract material in the hull girder cross section.
The calculation of the moment of inertia of the ship sections I is a lengthy computation and
it would not be desirable to have to repeat it for every change of area.

A typical situation is shown in Figure 109, in which:

a = area added at height y above the neutral axis

I = moment of inertia

A = total cross sectional area of the ship

yD = distance of the deck from the original neutral axis

yK = distance of the keel from the original neutral axis

Figure 109 effect of adding area

The effect of the addition is to raise the neutral axis a distance δ h and to increase the
moment of inertia to a value I + δ I (about the new neutral axis). The net effect on the deck
and bottom can vary, depending on the location of a .

For example, although the addition shown would reduce the deck stress (because it increases
I and decreases yD ), it might increase the keel stress because yK is increased and this might

out-weight the increase in I .

For a given bending moment, the stress in the keel will not be increased if the section
modulus I yK is not reduced; that is, if:

111
 I +δ I I
− ≥0 (1.150)
yK + δ h yK

or

IyK + yK δ I − IyK − I δ h > 0 (1.151)

or

δI δh
≥ (1.152)
I yK

With the addition of the area a , the rise of the neutral axis is:

ay
δh = (1.153)
A+ a

and the additional moment of inertia is:

δ I= ay 2 + i − ( A + a )(δ h )
2
(1.154)

If the material is added below the original neutral axis the value of y is negative. If the
material is removed then the value of a is negative and also i is negative in the foregoing
equation.

If the local moment of inertia of the added area i is small and assumed negligible; then,
substitution for δ h from (1.153) gives:

a 2 y 2 Aay 2
δI =ay 2 − = (1.155)
A+ a A+ a

There are two cases which require separate consideration:

1) The material is added within the exiting cross section, that is, y < yD (or y < yK if

the material is added below the neutral axis).

2) The material is added above the existing section, y > yD , such that the maximum stress
now occurs in the added material. This would happen if, for example, a superstructure
deck were to become longitudinally effective.

112
2.26.1. Material added within the section ( y < yD )

In this case, both δ h and δ I would act to decrease the deck stress. At the keel, the condition
expressed in (1.152) becomes:

Aay 2 ay
> (1.156)
I ( A + a ) yk ( A + a )

From Eqns (1.153) and (1.155), the new section modulus at the deck Z D' is:

Aay 2
I+
I +δ I A+ a
=Z D' = (1.157)
yD − δ h y − ay
A+ a
D

Which may be written as:

Z D + AyrD
Z D' = (1.158)
1 − rD

ay
Where rD =
( A + a ) yD
The corresponding expressions for the new section modulus at the keel are:

Aay 2
I+
I +δ I A+ a
=Z K' = (1.159)
yK + δ h y + ay
A+ a
K

and its alternative form

Z K + AyrK
Z K' = (1.160)
1 + rK

ay
With rK =
( A + a ) yK

2.26.2. Material added above the strength deck ( y > yD )

If the material is added above the strength deck, the maximum stress now occurs in the added
material. The distance of this material from the new position of the neutral axis is:

113
 ay Ay
y − δ h =y − = (1.161)
A+ a A+ a

and the condition that the section modulus to the new material should be not less than Z D is:

I +δ I I
− ≥0 (1.162)
y − δ h yD

Which becomes, after substitution and rearrangement:

 y 
A − 1
a ≥  2D 
y
(1.163)
 Ay 
 + 1
 I 

For the keel the new section modulus is as given in Eqns (1.159) and (1.160). The required
condition for the keel stress not to increase, is usually satisfied because y is large.

114
2.26.3. Examples:

Addition of a steel deck

For the following mid ship section, calculate the area of the added deck a at a height y

above the neutral axis, such that σ 1 ≤ ασ and M 1 = β M .

δy
added deck a

y
yD

new N.A.

δh original N.A.

h yK

Figure 110

Solution:

ay
δh =
A+ a

ay Ay
y1 =y − δ h =y − =
A+ a A+ a

I1 =I + ay 2 − ( A + a )(δ h )
2

M 1 y1 MyD y1 α yD
σ 1 ≤ ασ ⇒ ≤α ⇒ ≤
I1 I I1 β I

Ay 1 α yD
× ≤
A + a I + ay 2 − ( A + a )(δ h ) 2
β I

β y 
A − 1
α y
a≥  2D 
Ay
+1
I

115
Removal of a steel deck

For the following mid ship section, calculate the area of the removed deck a at a height y

above the neutral axis, such that σ 1 ≤ ασ and M 1 = β M .

δy

removed deck a

yD
y

original N.A.

δh new N.A.

h yK

Figure 111

Solution:

ay
δh =
A−a

ay
y1 = yD + δ h = yD +
A−a

I1 =I − ay 2 − ( A − a )(δ h )
2

2
 ay  aAy 2
=I − ay − ( A − a ) 
2
 =I −
 A−a  A−a

M 1 y1 MyD y1 α yD
σ 1 ≤ ασ ⇒ ≤α ⇒ ≤
I1 I I1 β I

α 
yD A  − 1
a≤ β 
 α α yD 2 
 y − yD + β yD + β I Ay 
 

116
Other cases of study

• Addition of a tank top

• Addition of a deck
• Addition of a tween deck
• Replacement of the upper deck
• Effect of corrosion
• Addition of a hatch coaming
• Addition of a longitudinal bulkhead
• High tensile steel

117