Global loads due to progressive flooding in passenger ro-ro ships and tankers

Abstract

This article presents a time-domain theoretical model capable of predicting the behaviour of a damaged ship subject to progressive flooding. The model provides information in each stage of flooding, concerning the ship motions, amount of water in each flooded compartment and shear forces and bending moments acting along the ship's length. A case study is presented in which the loads acting on a passenger ro-ro ship and a tanker are studied throughout the flooding process, for various damage conditions and different areas and locations of the openings which allow the spreading of water between contiguous compartments. Conclusions are drawn regarding the time required to reach the most critical conditions and the increase in global loads due to the damage condition.