Preface

During the twenty years that have elapsed since publication of the previous edition of this book, there have been
remarkable advances in the art, science and practice of the design and construction of ships and other floating
structures. In that edition, the increasing use of high speed computers was recognized and computational methods
were incorporated or acknowledged in the individual chapters rather than being presented in a separate chapter.
Today, the electronic computer is one of the most important tools in any engineering environment and the laptop
computer has taken the place of the ubiquitous slide rule of an earlier generation of engineers.
Advanced concepts and methods that were only being developed or introduced then are a part of common engi-
neering practice today. These include finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, random process meth-
ods, numerical modeling of the hull form and components, with some or all of these merged into integrated design
and manufacturing systems. Collectively, these give the naval architect unprecedented power and flexibility to ex-
plore innovation in concept and design of marine systems. In order to fully utilize these tools, the modern naval
architect must possess a sound knowledge of mathematics and the other fundamental sciences that form a basic
part of a modern engineering education.
In 1997, planning for the new edition of Principles of Naval Architecture was initiated by the SNAME publications
manager who convened a meeting of a number of interested individuals including the editors of PNA and the new
edition of Ship Design and Construction. At this meeting it was agreed that PNA would present the basis for the
modern practice of naval architecture and the focus would be principles in preference to applications. The book
should contain appropriate reference material but it was not a handbook with extensive numerical tables and graphs.
Neither was it to be an elementary or advanced textbook although it was expected to be used as regular reading ma-
terial in advanced undergraduate and elementary graduate courses. It would contain the background and principles
necessary to understand and to use intelligently the modern analytical, numerical, experimental and computational
tools available to the naval architect and also the fundamentals needed for the development of new tools. In essence,
it would contain the material necessary to develop the understanding, insight, intuition, experience and judgment
needed for the successful practice of the profession. Following this initial meeting, a PNA Control Committee, con-
sisting of individuals having the expertise deemed necessary to oversee and guide the writing of the new edition
of PNA, was appointed. This committee, after participating in the selection of authors for the various chapters, has
continued to contribute by critically reviewing the various component parts as they are written.
In an effort of this magnitude, involving contributions from numerous widely separated authors, progress has
not been uniform and it became obvious before the halfway mark that some chapters would be completed before
others. In order to make the material available to the profession in a timely manner it was decided to publish each
major subdivision as a separate volume in the “Principles of Naval Architecture Series” rather than treating each as
a separate chapter of a single book.
Although the United States committed in 1975 to adopt SI units as the primary system of measurement the transi-
tion is not yet complete. In shipbuilding as well as other fields, we still find usage of three systems of units: English
or foot-pound-seconds, SI or meter-newton-seconds, and the meter-kilogram(force)-second system common in en-
gineering work on the European continent and most of the non-English speaking world prior to the adoption of the
SI system. In the present work, we have tried to adhere to SI units as the primary system but other units may be
found particularly in illustrations taken from other, older publications. The symbols and notation follow, in general,
the standards developed by the International Towing Tank Conference.
This new revised volume on Strength of Ships and Ocean Structures addresses several topics of ship strength in
greater depth than in the previous edition of PNA, bringing much of the material up to date and introducing some
new subjects. There is extensive coverage of the latest developments in dynamic sea load predictions, including
nonlinear load effects, slamming and impact plus new sections on the mechanics of collisions and grounding. The
incorporation of the various loadings in structural design and analysis is covered including long term extreme and
cumulative fatigue effects. There is a more extensive treatment of strength analysis using finite element methods
than was included in the previous edition. Ultimate strength evaluation of the hull girder and components is covered
and there is a section on structural safety assessment applying reliability concepts including fatigue effects.
Particular attention is given to problems encountered in ships of special type and size that have been developed
in recent years, many of which, by reason of size, configuration or lack of a history of design experience, require
 PREFACE

a design approach based on first principles. Modern developments in classification society strength standards and
modern rule developments are covered including Common Structural Rules for tankers and bulk carriers. The con-
cluding sections discuss materials other than steel, including composites and aluminum, and vessels of unusual
geometry and performance such as multihulls, hydrofoils, and SWATH craft.

J. RANDOLPH PAULLING
Editor

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