4.2 Containership

LECTURE LAYOUT
• Definition
• Developments of container ship concept
• Aspects of container ship design
• Main dimensions: length, breadth, depth, draft
• Containers
• Container stowage and securing
• Hullform
• Stability
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DEFINITION
• Containerisation can be considered as a total
transportation concept.
• The cargo is handled in a utilised form suitable
for carriage by sea, road, rail and inland
waterways.
• Container ship is the seaborn link in the chain.
• Containerisation offers a true door to door
service.

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTAINER SHIP CONCEPT
• The first container ships were converted from

tankers to carry unitised cargo.
• After the developments container ships became

• complex,
• highly specialised vessels
to maximise the benefits to be gained from high
cargo handling rates and reduced port time.

• The design philosophy has changed from its

early form because of:
• the changes in the world economy

• changes in the trading pattern,
• major world political events.

• The first container ships had low carrying

capacity, because the origin ships were designed
to carry bulk cargoes.
• The development of specialised container

carrying vessels resulted in increases in
container capacity for a given volume.

• The first ships were carrying around
– 1200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units)
– with the service speed 22 knots.
• The first large container ship were designed in

the late 1960’s.
• The size and speed of the ships increased to take

the advantage of the economy.
• The large ones upto

– 3000 TEU
– were powered by twin or triple screw steam or diesel
plant
– to give service speed of around 26 knots.
• After a number of years of successful operation

these vessels were badly hit by rising fuel coasts.

• Many of the vessels were re-engined to single

screw diesel plant.
• The reduction in speed resulted in

– fuller forms
– with the associated advantage of the vessels being
able to carry
• required capacity with much reduced main dimensions.

ASPECTES OF CONTAINER SHIP DESIGN
• A container ship can be
• a pure container carrier,
• a container/RoRo carrier,
• a general cargo vessel with a container carrying capability.
• A container ship can carry:

• a cargo handling equipment or not.

• The cargo securing equipment can be different

types.
• Modern cargo vessels have container carrying

facility but restricted by:
• small hatch area/deck area ratio,
• deck stowage resulted from stability consideration,
• relatively low ballast of vessels can be another restriction.

• The design of pure container ships is based on

the cargo unit to be carried.
• The dimensions, hullform and general layout

being developed to maximise the capacity.
• Different cargo securing equipment are used to

minimise the risk of cargo damage or loss.

• A pure container vessel can be a

• deep sea vessel,
• feeder vessel to provide a container distribution service
• A modern deep see vessel has a capacity of
– 2500+ TEU
– with a service speed of 18-24 knots.
• Feeders have the smaller capacity
– around 500-1000 teu
– 16-18 knots.
• The large vessels operate on well defined liner

route with land based cargo handling
equipment.
• On the other hand feeders are usually operate

between the ports without proper shore based
equipment, so have cargo handling equipment.

MAIN DIMENSIONS
• The main dimensions of container ships are
based on the physical size of the containers to
be accommodated.
• For a specified container capacity, the

dimensions of the vessel will be determined by
the number of bays, rows and tiers.
• Dimensions also depend on the navigational

futures such as the Panama canal etc.
LENGTH
• Length of a container ship can be calculated by

adding:
• length of the cargo space,
• length of the machinery space,
• length of the fore peak space,
• length of the aft peak space.

LENGTH

LENGTH
• The length of the cargo space is a function of:

• number of container bays,
• the length of the containers,
• required clearances to accommodate the container
securing device,
• necessary allowance for structural members should be
taken into account.
• Cargo handling equipment such as cranes should be
calculated in cargo space length.

LENGTH
• For preliminary design work, it can be

assumed that the length required for each
container is (l+1.5) m where l is length of a
container (Munro-Smith, 1975) by making
allowances for clearance and cross-ties. The
LBP of the ship is the sum of the container
portion, engine-sterntube and portion
forward. Thus:

LENGTH
LBP = Lc + Le + Lf + LBCC
where Lc = Container portion = Nx.(l+1.5)
Nx = Number of containers in the length.
Le = Length of engine room and after peak
tank
Lf = Length of fore peak tank.
LBCC = Length between most forward cargo
hold and collision bulkhead.
LENGTH
• As a first approximation
– the length of the aft peak tank can be taken as
3.5% of LBP.
– The length of fore peak tank can be taken as 5%
LBP and
– length of space forward of container length can
be taken as 10% LBP.
LBP=0.035 LBP+Le+LC+0.1 LBP+0.05 LBP

BREADTH
• Breadth is a function of the size of the container
units and calculated using the number of
container rows.
• The gaps between containers depend on the type
of stowage equipment.
• Breadth is very important to the stability. It is
great concern in the design and operation of
container ships then any other vessel type.

BREADTH
• Containers have a standard width of 2.43 m.

However, each container requires an
allowance for clearance, guides, etc. of
about 240 mm (Munro-Smith, 1975) so that
each container requires a width of 2.67 m.
Thus the number of rows (Ny) cells located
transversely in the ship require 2.67 Ny m.
Since the width available for containers is
about 80 percent of the ship's breadth B,
then
BREADTH
0.80 B = 2.67 Ny
B = 3.34 Ny
Ny : Number of tiers of containers in holds.

BREADTH

VISION

DEPTH
• It is a function of the size of the container unit
with the vertical gaps between the adjacent
containers and the height of the tank top in the
holds.
• The number of tiers of containers to be carried

in the hold will be dependent on the proportion
of the total capacity of the vessel to be carried
under the deck.

DEPTH
• The rate of under container numbers is around

40-60 % of the total capacity.
• Container ships are associated with large

freeboard and light loaded drafts.
• The light draft is due to the low density of the

cargo .

DEPTH
• This results low displacement according to the

physical size of the vessels.
• Container ships are deep vessels to

accommodate the under deck stowage results in
the large freeboard.

DEPTH
The depth of the ship is in generally controlled

by the number of containers to be carried
vertically. Thus:
D=Nz H + DB where
Nz = Number of tiers of containers in holds
H = Height containers
DB = Depth of double bottom.

CONTAINERS
• The most common container sizes are 20 and 40

foot ISO standard containers.
• There are some other container sizes which are

not commonly used.
• The problem of the container ship design occurs

if the different size of containers should be
carried.
CONTAINERS

CONTAINER STOWAGE AND SECURING
• In the holds usually cell guides system is used

for stowage and securing.
• The system reduces the chance of container

damage and speeds up the loading and
unloading process.

• A typical cell guide system consists of groups of

four vertical guides constructed from steel angle
bars into which the containers are lowered
running the full depth of the vessel from hatch
coaming level down to the top tank.


• The tolerance into the guides must be small that
shifting of the containers is minimised and that
the container spreader can be easily engaged
when removing containers.
• With this system fastening of the individual

containers is unnecessary as all of the static and
dynamic forces generated by the containers are
transmitted directly into the ship structure by the
cell guide members.
• There are leading equipment on top of the cell

guides in both the longitudinal and transverse
directions.
• The above deck containers are affected by static

and dynamic forces.

• These forces limit the securing equipment and

number of tiers usually 3 or 4 tires are used.
• Twist locks and lashing roads are commonly

used above deck securing equipment.



HULLFORMS
• Afterbodies of container ships are generally

characterised by wide transom stern which
provide aided stability, increased hold volumes
and increased deck areas.
• This increases in powering due to large wetted

surface area, hence frictional resistance and the
increased tendency to slam.

HULLFORMS
• Another disadvantage of this, flat sections above
the propeller will cause vibration.
• The fore body will have a bulb to promote the

cancellation of the bow wave. This reduces
wave making resistance.
• Fore body will usually be V shaped in order to

improve stability and increase deck area and
underdeck container capacity.
STABILITY
• The stability of container ships is perhaps the
most important aspect of their design.
• Vertical centre of gravity is very high because
of above deck containers, therefore container
ships have to be operated with some amount of
ballast.
• In order to minimise the amount of ballast the
heavier containers can be carried in the bottom
tiers and the lighter or empty ones being carried
on-deck, then VCG is reduced.

4.2 Containership

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LECTURE LAYOUT

20.03.2023 Container Ships 1/46

20.03.2023 Container Ships 2/46

• The first container ships were converted from

• After the developments container ships became

20.03.2023 Container Ships 4/46

• The design philosophy has changed from its

• the changes in the world economy

20.03.2023 Container Ships 5/46

• The first container ships had low carrying

• The development of specialised container

20.03.2023 Container Ships 6/46

• The first large container ship were designed in

• The size and speed of the ships increased to take

• The large ones upto

• After a number of years of successful operation

20.03.2023 Container Ships 8/46

• Many of the vessels were re-engined to single

• The reduction in speed resulted in

20.03.2023 Container Ships 9/46

• A container ship can carry:

20.03.2023 Container Ships 10/46

• The cargo securing equipment can be different

• Modern cargo vessels have container carrying

20.03.2023 Container Ships 11/46

• The design of pure container ships is based on

• The dimensions, hullform and general layout

• Different cargo securing equipment are used to

20.03.2023 Container Ships 12/46

• A pure container vessel can be a

• The large vessels operate on well defined liner

• On the other hand feeders are usually operate

20.03.2023 Container Ships 14/46

• For a specified container capacity, the

• Dimensions also depend on the navigational

• Length of a container ship can be calculated by

20.03.2023 Container Ships 17/46

20.03.2023 Container Ships 18/46

• The length of the cargo space is a function of:

20.03.2023 Container Ships 19/46

• For preliminary design work, it can be

20.03.2023 Container Ships 20/46

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20.03.2023 Container Ships 23/46

• Containers have a standard width of 2.43 m.

20.03.2023 Container Ships 25/46

20.03.2023 Container Ships 26/46

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• The number of tiers of containers to be carried

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• The rate of under container numbers is around

• Container ships are associated with large

• The light draft is due to the low density of the

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• This results low displacement according to the

• Container ships are deep vessels to

20.03.2023 Container Ships 30/46

The depth of the ship is in generally controlled

20.03.2023 Container Ships 31/46

• The most common container sizes are 20 and 40

• There are some other container sizes which are

• The problem of the container ship design occurs

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• In the holds usually cell guides system is used