Bilge Keel Most ships are fitted with some form of bilge keel the prime function of which

is to help damp the rolling

motion of the vessel. Other relatively minor advantages of the bilge keel are protection for the bilge on ground ing,
and increased longitudinal strength at the bilge. The damping action provided by the bilge keel is relatively small but
effective, and virtually without cost after the construction of the ship. It is carefully positioned on the ship so as to
avoid excessive drag when the ship is under way; and to achieve a minimum drag, various positions of the bilge keel
may be tested on the ship model used to predict power requirements. This bilge keel then generally runs over the
midship portion of the hull, often extending further aft than forward of amidships and being virtually perpendicular
to the turn of the bilge.

There are many forms of bilge keel construction, and some quite elaborate arrangements have been adopted in an
attempt to improve the damping performance whilst reducing any drag. Care is required in the design of the bilge
keel, for although it would not be considered as a critical strength member of the hull structure, the region of its
attachment is fairly highly stressed owing to its distance from the neutral axis. Cracks have originated in the bilge
keel and propogated into the bilge plate causing failure of the main structure. In general bilge keels are attached to a
continuous ground bar with the butt welds in the shell plating, ground bar and bilge keel staggered (see Figure 17.5).
Direct connection between the ground bar butt welds and the bilge plate and bilge keel butt welds and the ground
bar are avoided. In ships over 65 m in length, holes are drilled in the bilge keel butt welds as shown in Figure 17.5.
The ground bar thickness is at least that of the bilge plate or 14 mm which ever is the lesser, and the material grade
is the same as that of the bilge plate. Connection of the ground bar to the shell is by continuous fillet welds and the
bilge keel is connected to the ground bar by light continuous or staggered intermittent weld. The latter lighter weld
ensures that should the bilge keel be fouled failure occurs at this joint without the bilge plate being damaged. Bilge
keels are gradually tapered (at least 3 to 1) at their ends and finish in way of an internal stiffening member.