A new block assembly method for shipbuilding at sea

In this paper, we introduce a new method for assembly of shipbuilding blocks at sea and present its feasibility focusing on structural safety. The core concept of this method is to assemble ship building blocks by use of bolting, gluing and welding techniques at sea without dock facilities. Due to its independence of dock facilities, shipyard construction capability could be increased considerably by the proposed method. To show the structural safety of this method, a bulk carrier and an oil tanker were employed, and we investigated the structural behavior of those ships to which the new block assembly method was applied. The ship hull models attached with connective parts are analyzed in detail through finite element analyses, and the cargo capacity of the bulk carrier is briefly discussed as well. The results of these studies show the potential for applying this new block assembly method to practical shipbuilding.