INTRODUCTION TO SHIP CONSTRUCTION AND NAVAL

ARCHITECTURE
General Objectives
By the end of the module, be able to;
a) comprehend the historical development and evolution stages of ship
and their contributing factors
b) assess the general condition of the ship structures
c) assess general stability condition of a ship
d) use appropriate ship terms in the course of shipboard work
e) embrace emerging trends in ship construction

1. HISTORY OF SHIPS
1.1. Historical development and evolution of ships
1.2. Factors that influenced evolution of ships
1.3. Contribution of merchant ships

2. SHIP TERMS AND DIMENSIONS

2.1. Parts of a ship
2.2. Terms related to ship orientation
2.3. Terms used for ship dimension and form

3. SHIP TYPES
3.1. Types of merchant ships
3.2. Distinguishing features
3.3. Ship categorisation

4. SHIP BUILDING MATERIALS

4.1. Common types of ship construction materials
4.2. Properties of materials
4.3. Types of steel section
4.4. Factors that influence the selection of materials.

5. SHIP BOTTOM STRUCTURE

5.1. Types of Bottom structures
5.2. Structural arrangement of ship bottom structure
5.3. Framing System
5.4. Additional strengthening
6. SIDE SHELL PLATING
6.1. Purpose of side shell plating
6.2. Variation of side shell plating along ship length
6.3. Role of sheer strake
6.4. Structural arrangement of side shell plating
6.5. Construction of ship side shell plating

7. BULKHEADS AND PILLARS

7.1. Role of bulkheads and pillars
7.2. Types of bulkheads
7.3. Application of the different types of bulkheads
7.4. Structural arrangement of bulkhead
7.5. Construction of pillars
7.6. Importance of watertight doors

8. INTRODUCTION TO SHIP STABILITY

8.1. Terms applicable to ship stability
8.2. Application of Archimedes Principle in Ship Stability
8.3. Type of equilibrium conditions
8.4. Behaviour of ship when passing in water of different densities
8.5. Behaviour of the ship when heeled.
8.6. Ship list and trim
8.7. Significance of metacentric height in ship stability

9. SHIPBOARD PIPELINES
9.1. Types of shipboard pipeline systems
9.2. Role of different types of shipboard pipeline systems
9.3. Layout of shipboard pipeline system

10. EMERGING ISSUES AND TRENDS

 1. HISTORY OF SHIPS
INTRODUCTION

Although one of the oldest forms of transport, ships, their equipment and their function,
are subject to constant evolution due to changes in world trade and technology and by
pressure of economics. Other changes are driven by social changes and, in particular, by
the public’s desire for greater safety and for more protection of the environment.

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE AND THE NAVAL ARCHITECT

Naval architecture is the science of making a ship ‘fit for purpose’. According to
Larrie D. Ferreiro (2007) naval architecture can be defined as the branch of
engineering concerned with the application of ship theory within the design and
construction process, with the purpose of predicting the characteristics and performance
of the ship before it is built. Ship Theory is defined as the science explaining the
physical behavior of a ship, through the use of fundamental mathematics or empirically
derived data. The naval architect is an engineer competent in naval architecture.

THE SHIP
Ship’ should be interpreted broadly to mean any structure floating in water. It is usually
self-propelled but may rely on tugs for movement. Others rely on the wind. Marine
structures, such as harbour installations, are the province of the civil engineer.

Fit for purpose

To be fit for purpose, a ship must be able to operate safely and reliably.
It must:
 Float upright with enough watertight volume above the waterline to cope with
waves and accidental flooding.
 Have adequate stability to cope with operational upsetting moments and to
withstand a specified degree of flooding following damage. It must not be so
stable that motions become unpleasant.
 Be able to maintain the desired average speed in the sea conditions it is likely to
meet.
 Be strong enough to withstand the loads it will experience in service.
 Be capable of moving in a controlled way in response to movements of control
surfaces, to follow a given course or manoeuvre in confined waters.
The ship must do all this economically with the minimum crew. The design should be
flexible because ship use is likely to change over the long life expected of ships.

1.1. Historical development and evolution of ships

Ships and boats are two of the oldest types of transportation and were first built thousands of years ago.
Not only have ships and boats been used for transportation throughout history, they have been used for a
number of other reasons including to transport cargo, fishing, as a type of defense from armed forces,
sports, leisure, and relaxation. Today, ships, boats, and yachts are built using advanced technology and
materials, differing greatly from those that have been used throughout history.

Timeline of Ships, Boats, and Yachts

4000 BC: The ancient Egyptians used reeds to build what are thought to be the first sailing boats
in the world. The reed boats had sails and a mast and were used on the Nile River
2500 BC: Around this time, the ancient Egyptians began to build wooden boats that were able to
withstand sailing across oceans.
1550 BC: Around this time until about 300 BC, the Phoenicians of the ancient Canaan
civilization (the area that is now Syria and Lebanon), used something called a galley. The galley
was a sailing vessel that was powered by man and was used to both fight and trade with
neighbors.
1000 AD: The Vikings started to build longboats. These were larger ships that had sails and up to
sixty men whose job it was to row the ship. The boats were large but were narrow and long,
allowed them to travel along rivers as well as the open sea.
1100 AD: The Chinese began to use boats that they called junks. Junks were boats that featured a
rudder for steering in addition to watertight compartments and battens located on the sails that
served to make them much stronger. The Chinese junks were used as transport and fighting
ships, and were in use long before western ships that included such features.
1450: Starting around 1450 and for several centuries, wooden ships with three or four masts were
in use by several different countries. These masted sailing ships were used as trade vessels, by
explorers, to transport cargo, and as battleships.
1660: Charles II of England chose to use a yacht to carry him to the Netherlands from England
for his restoration. Previously, yachts had been used by the Dutch navy. After Charles II used a
yacht, they became vessels that were known to transport important persons.
1800s: Clipper ships were built in the 1800s and were fast sailing ships, that featured tall masts,
and slim, long hulls.
1818: The Black Ball Line was a shipping company that began offering passenger service from
the United States to England.
1819: The first ships that were built using steam power began to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Steamships used a combination of wind and steam power to move.
1845: It was in the mid-1800s that the first ocean liners built from iron began to appear. The
ocean going liners were also driven by a propeller instead of sails like many earlier ships.
1880: River boats that were driven by steam were called stern wheelers. Other similar boats
featured paddle wheels on each side and were called paddle steamers. Paddle steamers were
mainly used for transport on rivers.
1910: Ships that were previously powered by burning coal started to be converted to diesel
power, and started to use oil as opposed to steam.
1955: Hovercraft boats were created by a man named Christopher Cockerell. The boats were
designed to float on cushions of air and the engine was designed to blow air into these cushions
providing both propulsion and lift.
1980: In the 1980s, container ships began to be more widely used to transport cargo. The ship
was designed to carry the containers stacked on the deck. Modern cargo ships can normally hold
up to one thousand containers at a time.
1990: The 1990s saw the rise of passenger cruise ships that were used to take people on holidays.
Cruise ships featured shops, restaurants, and other types of recreation.

a. PRE ANCIENT EGYPT – Log rafts, dug out logs, hide raft
b. ANCIENT EGYPT – reeds, crossing River Nile, wooden boats, sails.

Early Egyptians learned to make small boats out of the papyrus plant. They were
easy to construct and worked well for fishing and short trips. Most of the papyrus
boats were small and were steered with oars and poles. The typical boat was long
and thin and the ends came to a point that stuck out of the water.
Wooden Boats Eventually the Egyptians began to make boats from wood. They
used acacia wood from Egypt and imported cedar wood from Lebanon. They also
began to use a giant sail in the middle of the boat so they could catch the wind when
heading upstream. The Egyptians built their wooden boats without nails. Boats were
often made from a number of short planks that were hooked together and tied tight
with ropes. Steering was accomplished by using a large rudder oar at the back of the
ships.
Cargo Ships the Egyptians learned how to build large and sturdy cargo ships. They
sailed these up and down the Nile and into the Mediterranean Sea to trade with other
countries. These ships could hold lots of cargo. Some ships were used to carry huge
stones weighing as much as 500 tons from the rock quarry to where the pyramids
were being constructed.
The Nile had another great advantage for boating. When boats were traveling north,
they would be going with the current. When the ships were traveling south, they
generally had the wind blowing in their direction and would use a sail. The ships
often had oars to gain even more speed when traveling in either direction.
Read more
at: https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_egypt/boats_and_transportation.php.

c. ANCIENT CIVILIZATION (Greeks) – sails, man-powered,

d. Viking Longboats
The Vikings were the best naval architects of their day, and the Viking longship was
both large and versatile. A longship found at Oseberg, Norway, was 76 feet 6 inches
(23.32 m), more than 17 feet (5.18 m) wide, and had a draft of only 3 feet (0.91 m).
 The shallow draft enabled them to navigate far inland in shallow rivers. Later on
during the Viking period some of the ships were reported to be over 100 feet (30 m)
long.

e. Chinese Junk – watertight compartment, rudder

f. Multi-masted sailing ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_ship

g. Modern ship – steam powered, paddle wheel, steel hull, diesel engine.

2.1. Factors that influenced evolution of ships

i) water mass proportion of the earth

ii) military adventure
iii) exploitation of resources
iv) safety and reliability
v) environmental concerns
vi) speed
vii) technological advancements

3.1. Contribution of merchant ships

i) discovery of new continents
ii) commerce
iii) scientific advancement

4.1. ASSESSMENT
Sketch the ship at different stages of its historical development.