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TECHNICAL BULLETIN No. 1

Basic Formulas of Static Stability

The following procedure may be used to evaluate the static stability characteristics of
block-shaped vessels such as a Flexifloat assembly without ramp or rake attachments. These
formulas are valid only for very small angles, customarily up to about seven degrees of
inclination. Analysis of complex hull shapes which are either unsymmetrical or have tapered
profiles (bow/stern sections) or other underwater appendages is beyond the scope of this
publication and require much more rigorous procedures to properly evaluate their stability.

1. Displacement, ∆
Archimedes Law states that if an object is immersed in a liquid, the object will experience an
upward force equal and opposite to the weight of the liquid displaced. In other words, the total
weight of a floating vessel and all it contains or supports must be equal to the weight of the water
displaced by the vessel.

∆ = WHull+WCrane+WHookLoad+WEquipment+WMisc

2. Volume Displacement, VD
The volume of the underwater portion of a vessel, which equals the volume of displaced water,
may be calculated by dividing the total weight by the density of water, 62.4 lbs/ft3 for fresh
water or 64 lbs/ft3 for sea water.
VD = ∆/ρ

3. Water Plane Area, A

The water plane area is the horizontal cross-sectional area of the vessel at the waterline.
A = (lengthwaterline)(widthwaterline)

4. Draft, D
Draft is the distance from the waterline to the bottom of the vessel and is determined by dividing
the displacement by the water plane area.
D = VD/A

5. Freeboard, FB
Freeboard is the distance from the waterline to the deck of the vessel. It can be found by
subtracting the draft from the hull depth.

FB = Hull Depth - Draft

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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6. Center of Flotation, F
The center of flotation is the centroid of the water plane area and is the point about which a
vessel inclines when eccentrically loaded. For simple rectangular-shaped Flexifloat assemblies,
the center of flotation may be determined by inspection. However, if the assembly is
unsymmetrical about one, but not both, axis, then the center of flotation may be calculated using
the following procedure:
a) Assume an origin at one corner of the vessel.
b) Subdivide the hull area into simple rectangular subsections.
c) Sum the subsection areas and each subsection centroid location about the assumed axis.

Y1 = A1(y1)+A2(y2)+A3(y3)…An(yn)
ATotal

X1 = A1(x1)+A2(x2)+A3(x3)…An(xn)
ATotal

Example: Find the Center of Flotation for the assembly shown below. Areas A1&A5 are 10 feet by 20 feet
each. Areas A2, A3 &A4 are 10 feet by 40 feet each.

50 '

(0,0)

A1 A5

40 '
A2 A3 A4

Y1 = 200(-10) + 400(-20) + 400(-20) + 400(-20) + 200 (-10) = -17.5 feet

1600

X1 = 200(5) + 400(15) + 400(25) + 400(35) + 200 (45) = +25.0 feet

1600

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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7. Center of Buoyancy, KB
The center of buoyancy is located at the center of gravity of the
displaced water volume. For a square-sided vessel, it coincides G
horizontally with the centroid of the water plane area and W L
vertically with one-half the distance from the bottom of the hull B
to the water line, Figure 1.
K
KB = D/2

Figure 1.

8. Vertical Center of Gravity, KG

The vertical center of gravity is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the combined
center of gravity of the entire floating system. Sum the product of the individual weight and
center of gravity of each different component and solve for KG using the following formula:

(KGTotal)=(KGVessel)(WVessel)+(KGCrane)(WCrane)+...(KGn)(Wn)
∆
The vertical center of gravity for a suspended load is at the point of suspension. This means the
vertical center of gravity of any hookload is always calculated using the boom tip elevation,
irrespective of how high the load is lifted.

9. Moments of Inertia, IT & IL

The moment of inertia is the property of matter that causes it to resist any change in its motion or
state of rest. In the case of floating objects, it is the resistance to tipping; the greater the moment
of inertia the more resistant it will be to tipping. Moments of inertia are expressed in terms of
feet4 and must be calculated about both the transverse and longitudinal neutral axis.
The general form of the equation for moment of inertia of a rectangular area with respect to a
given axis is:
I = (h)(b3)/12 + A(d2)
Where,
b = base dimension of the area parallel to the axis.
h = height dimension of the area perpendicular to the axis.
d = distance from the area's centroid to the axis.
A = Area.
For a rectangular vessel, the equation becomes simply,
IL or T = (h)(b3)/12
The moments of inertia for “T” or “U”-shaped Flexifloat assemblies can be calculated by
summing the moments of several subsections about the neutral axis:

IL or T = (h1)(b13)/12 + A1(d12)+ (h2)(b23)/12 + A2(d22) +…(hn)(bn3)/12 + An(dn2)

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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Example: Using the previous example, the neutral axes are X = 25 feet and Y = -17.5 feet. Find the transverse
and longitudinal moments of inertia.

25.00 ' 25.00 '

A1 A5 17.50 '

A2 A3 A4

IT = ITA1+ITA2+ITA3+ITA4+ITA5
ITA1 = ITA5 = 20(103) + 200(202) = 81,666 feet4
12
ITA2 = ITA4 = 40(103) + 400(102) = 43,333 feet4
12
ITA3 = 40(103) = 3,333 feet4
12
IT = 81,666 + 43,333 + 3,333 + 43,333 + 81,666 = 253,333 feet4

IL = ILA1 + ILA2 + ILA3 + ILA4 + ILA5

ILA1 = ILA5 = 10(203) + 200(7.52) = 17,916 feet4

12
ILA2 = ILA3 = ILA4 = 10(403) + 400(2.52) = 55,833 feet4
12
IL = 17,916 + 55,833 + 55,833 + 55,833 + 17,916 = 203,333 feet4

10. Metacenter and Metacentric Radius, BMT & BML

Consider a barge floating as shown in Figure 2(a). If the barge is heeled to a small angle by an
external force without changing the displacement or vertical center of gravity, Figure 2(b), the
result is its cross sectional shape changes and the center of buoyancy shifts in the direction the
barge was heeled. The path taken by the change in center of buoyancy from B to B’ is, for very
small angles, approximated by a circular arc. This is exactly true only for extremely small
angles, but the approximation is satisfactory for inclinations up to about 7 degrees.
Since the buoyant force always acts along an upward line that is perpendicular to the water
surface, the two vectors must therefore intersect at some point, here labeled M. Point M is called
the metacenter and the angle between the two vectors, ϕ, is the small angle of heel.

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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∆ ∆

ϕ
M

W
G G
W L Z
W' L'
ϕ
B B B' L
K K

∆ ∆
Figure 2(a). Figure 2(b).

The metacentric radius, BM, is the radius of a circle between the metacenter and the center of
buoyancy. It can be proven mathematically that this distance is a function of the moment of
inertia of the water plane and the displacement. However for the purpose of this publication the
formulas for the transverse and longitudinal metacentric radii are calculated as follows:

BMT = IT / VD and BML = IL / VD

Where,
I = Moment of inertia and VD = Volume of water displaced.

11. Metacentric Height, GMT & GML

The metacentric height is the distance between the vertical center of gravity and the metacenter.
Since we have previously determined the metacentric radius, center of buoyancy and the vertical
center of gravity; the metacentric height becomes:

GMT = BMT + KB - KG
GML = BML + KB – KG

12. Overturning Moment, OTM

Now refer again to Figure 2(b). The distance GZ is called the righting arm and the moment
(∆)(GZ) is the righting moment. When a vessel is inclined through a small angle, the center of
gravity and the center of buoyancy (B’) produce a couple that tends to right the hull and maintain
equilibrium. The relative positions of G and M determine the magnitude of the righting arm,
since for small angles:

GZ ≈ (GM)(sinϕ)

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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For a vessel to be in equilibrium or a stable condition, the righting moment must equal the
overturning moment. Adding the total weight of the vessel and its contents to either side of the
above equation for the righting arm gives:
(∆)(GZ) ≡ (∆)(GM)(sinϕ)
or
Righting Moment ≡ Overturning Moment

13. Angles of List or Trim, ϕ or θ

When a Flexifloat assembly or any other vessel is loaded with weights in a manner that produces
an inclination about the longitudinal axis, or port and starboard direction, the inclination is
referred to as list. Conversely, if the inclination is about the transverse axis, or fore and aft
direction, the inclination is called trim.
If the weight and location of all cargo aboard the vessel is known, the horizontal center of
gravity can be calculated by summing moments about the center of flotation. The result of this
summation is the overturning moment referenced above. Provided the overturning moment lies
along either principle axis, the amount of inclination may be determined using the following
equation.

For list: sin ϕ = Overturning Moment

(∆)(GMT)

For trim: sin θ = Overturning Moment

(∆)(GML)

It is important to note the above formulas are correct only if the horizontal center of gravity and
the resulting overturning moment lies along a principle axis, i.e. directly fore and aft, or abeam
of the vessel. Static stability can be determined for other load conditions, however it requires a
recalculation of the moments of inertia with respect to the a new axis along a line of action from
center of flotation to the calculated center of gravity.

Generally, for a crawler type crane mounted on a Flexifloat assembly this limitation is easily
accommodated by assuming the centerpin of the machine is located above the center of flotation
of the hull and all other cargo is evenly distributed over the barge deck. Under this assumption
then, the only eccentric weight on the barge is the actual hook load of the machine. It is then a
simple matter to check the barge stability with the boom positioned over the bow and over the
starboard. These two positions will define in the maximum and minimum stability conditions for
the barge system.

14. Changes in Freeboard and Draft,

Once the inclination angles have been determined, it is important to verify the remaining
freeboard and draft conditions along the opposing sides of the vessel.

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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FBremaining = (hull depth) – [((tan ϕ or θ)(distance from F to the lower edge of the deck)) +
(average draft)]
Draftremaining = [(tan ϕ or θ)(distance from F to the higher edge of the deckl) – (average draft)]

Since barge stability is a function of the water plane area, it is imperative that the forward barge
deck does not submerge and the aft bottom of the hull does not rise out of the water.

15. Special Considerations for Floating Cranes

Crawler and truck-mounted cranes present several unique issues in the calculations of static
stability. For Flexifloat assemblies, cranes are normally positioned on the barge with their
centerpin located directly over the center of flotation. This allows the crane and barge to react in
unison along a single vertical plane, or line of action. Applications where a crane is positioned
other than over the center of flotation are beyond the scope of this publication and should be
reviewed by a competent naval architect or marine engineer.
Determination of a crane’s center of gravity is necessary in order to calculate the system vertical
center of gravity (Item 8) and overturning moment (Item 12). In most instances, crane
manufacturers do not publish this data in their general specifications so it may be necessary to
approximate these values in order to complete the stability analysis.
The vertical center of gravity for most crawler cranes is slightly lower than the boom foot hinge
pin height. For stability purposes, this value may be used without appreciable error. The
horizontal center of gravity is usually several feet behind the centerpin, depending on the
machine configuration. An approximation of this location can be found by summing moments
about the center of one track using a calculated tipping load for a known radius.

Example: Find the horizontal center of gravity and the overturning moment for the hypothetical crane and
hookload shown below:

Given: Crane weighs 172,000 pounds

a = ½ Track Gauge = 6.75 feet
r = Radius of Load = 40 feet
L75 = Load @ 75% of Tip = 40,500 pounds

Load @ 100% of Tip = L100 = L75 / 0.75 = 54,000 pounds

Σ Mtrack = ((172,000)(-(x+a)) + (54,000)(33.25) ≡ 0
Therefore: x+a = (54,000)(33.25) / 172,000
L
x+a = 10.44 feet
Substituting: x = 10.44 – 6.75 = 3.69 feet
Σ Mcenterpin = (172,000)(-3.69) + (40,500)(40) = 985,320 ft lbs

x a r-a

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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The center of gravity for truck-mounted cranes is much more difficult to estimate because of the
interaction between the crane carrier and the machine upperworks. The best method for
determining the overturning moment of a truck crane is to contact the manufacturer and request
calculated outrigger loadings for a specific hookload/radius combination. Once this information
is obtained, and provided the crane centerpin is located over the barge center of flotation, the
longitudinal stability can be calculated using the above procedure. For loads swung either to
port or starboard, the weight of the crane carrier will result in an overturning moment that lies
along a line of action other than a neutral axis of the barge. This condition will result in a
compound inclination of the hull and a side load condition in the crane boom. The amount of
side load is a function of the barge configuration and the hookload/radius combination.
Robishaw Engineering strongly suggests all Flexifloat applications involving truck-mounted
cranes be reviewed by our engineering staff prior to beginning operations.

Summary
The workability of floating equipment has been shown to be primarily dependent on the center of
flotation for load determination, and the moment of inertia of the water plane for stability. The
ability to arrange Flexifloat modules into different configurations permits control of the location
of the center of flotation and the resulting moments of inertia while providing maximum efficient
utilization of the available buoyancy.

This booklet is intended solely as a general guide for those clients wishing to understand the
theory and mechanics of determining barge stability. It is not a comprehensive treatise on the
subject. Many other considerations can effect the safe operation of floating equipment.

Robishaw Engineering’s technical staff welcomes inquires and questions concerning any
potential Flexifloat application and is ready to assist its clients in selecting properly sized
Flexifloat assemblies for their specific needs. Please contact us at:

800-877-1706 (toll-free)
713+468-1706
713+468-5822 (fax).

References:

Applied Naval Architecture, Robert B. Zubaly, Cornell Maritime Press, Centreville, Maryland,
1996, 1st Edition, ISBN 0-87033-475-1

Principles of Naval Architecture, John P. Comstock, The Society of Naval Architects and Marine
Engineers, New York, New York, Revised Edition, 1983, Library of Congress Catalog
Card No. 67-20738

ROBISHAW ENGINEERING, INC. • P.O. Box 79246 • Houston, Texas 77279-9246 • 800-877-1706 • 713-468-1706 • Fax 713-468-5822
Internet: http://www.flexifloat.com • E-mail: info@flexifloat.com

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