International Journal of Maritime Engineering, The Transactions of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Vol.154, Part A1, 2012

A New Method for Assessing the Safety of Ships Damaged by Grounding

Author(s): J.K. Paik, D.K. Kim, D.H. Park, H.B. Kim and M.S. Kim


Abstract :
The Primary aim of the present study is to propose an innovative method for assessing the safety of ships which have suffered accidental or in-service damages. Only a small number of probable scenarios for accidental or in-service damage representing all possible damage scenarios are selected using a sampling technique in which the random variables affecting the damage are probablistically characterized. A damage index for the corresponding damage scenario is defined as a function of damage characteristics such as location and extent of the damage. The residual strength performance of a ship with the corresponding damage scenario can then be calculated by analytical or numerical methods. Once this process has been carried out for each of the damage scenarios selected, a diagram relating the residual strength performance to the damage index (abbreviated as the R-D diagram) can be established. This diagram will be very useful for a first-cut assessment of a ship's safety against accidental or in-service damage. An applied example is shown to demonstrate the applicablity of the proposed method in terms of developing a diamgram between the ultimate longitudinal strength versus grounding damage index for four types of double-hull oil tankers ㅡ VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax, and Panamax.