Ship Construction

9. Super Structures and Deckhouses

Accommodation
The superstructure will comprise several stories of cabins, public rooms, offices,
navigation areas and machinery rooms. Stiffened steel bulkheads are used to support the
structure above and provide subdivision for fire containment.
Intermediate partitions are used to create individual cabins. Plastic laminates either side
of a fire-resisting material core are used for the partitions. They are set into U-section
light-plate channels at the deck and the ceilings. Ceiling panels are fitted on to wood
grounds or battens between the partitions. Typical floor coverings comprise a bituminous
coating with vinyl tiles fitted to provide an easily cleaned hardwearing surface. Coaming
strips are fitted at the edges to complete the arrangement.

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Deckhouses
Deckhouses are divided into short and long houses. Long houses are deg=fined as those
which exceeds about 10% of the ships length in the ABS rules. The structure pf houses,
short or long, must provide transverse racking strength against the effect of rolling and
beam winds. This is provided by transverse bulkheads, either complete or partial or by
webs.

Long houses participate in the ships bending action, resulting indirect tension or
compression of the houses structures, and in large horizontal ad vertical shear forces near
the ends, which forces the house to bend with the upper deck of the main hull.

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Minor hatch covers

A number of small access openings, tank entrances, etc., are fitted with minor hatch covers of
steel construction. A typical small hatch cover is shown above. The coaming edge is forced into
a rubber gasket by a number of fastening dips or 'dogs' around the cover, a watertight seal being
thus formed. The handles are arranged for internal or external operation on accesses. Manholes
are either oval or round depending upon the configuration of the space available for the
installation. The covers are bolted down on flexible gaskets for access to ballast tanks and other
spaces, where required to be water- tight. Neoprene gaskets are used for oil-tight applications.
The minimum clear opening for a round hole should not be less than 460 mm (18 in.) in
diameter, and for an oval hole, 380 by 580 mm (15 by 23 in.). Manholes can be flush, raised,
hinged, or recessed. The flush manhole cover. Fig. 6, is a Hat steel plate secured with studs
threaded or welded into a reinforcing ring welded around the edge of the opening in the tank top
or bulkhead. Raised manhole covers are bolted to the flange of an inverted angle welded around
the edge of the opening. The boundary angle prevents liquids or dirt spilling into the tank when
the cover is removed. The bolts through the angle flange are easily replaced and are less liable to
damage than studs.

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Watertight openings and doors

Where doors are fitted into structures above the freeboard deck they must be of adequate
strength and able to maintain the watertight integrity of the structure. The openings have,
radiused corners to reduce the stress effects of the discontinuity. A substantial framing is
also fitted or additional stiffening to retain the strength of the structure. Doors fitted to the
openings are of steel suitably stiffened, with a rubber gasket fitted to effect atertightness.
The doors have securing clips or 'dogs' which can be operated from either side. The dogs
fasten on wedges which pull the frame edge into the gasket, sealing the door shut.

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Engine Foundations. Construction of engine foundations may vary from a single pair of
fore-and-aft girders supporting a small diesel engine, to the multiple foundations required
for the high-, intermediate- and low pressure turbines, the condenser, and the reduction
gear shown above. The condenser is hung from the low pressure turbine. The thrust
bearing is located immediately forward of the main gear with its bolting designed to take
he engine thrust. The ahead chock is fitted as indicated and is also capable of taking the
entire ahead thrust.

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The construction of a typical engine casing is shown above. The casing is a lightly plated
structure with closely spaced vertical stiffeners. These bulb plate or angle bar stiffeners
are fitted on the machinery room side of the casing to ensure continuity. Swedged or
corrugated bulkheads could also be used for the casing sides. Stringers and brackets are
fitted at various heights, where no flats exist, to further strengthen the structure.
The casing sides are also used to support seats for certain auxiliaries and as securing
points for pipe clips or hangars. The casing is supported on a deep girder running around
the engine room. This deep girder is in turn supported by the pillars, transverses and
bulkheads of the engine room structure

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