Strength requirements for large, fast container ships

摘要

Dr Hans G Payer, member of the executive board of Germanischer Lloyd and currently chairman of IACS, considers the problem of adequate forebody structures, including in the latest generation of very fast ferries. Since the mid-1960s, the container ship has become the most important means of transport in liner shipping, almost completely replacing the traditional general cargo vessel. Indeed, the first all-container carriers were converted general cargo vessels; fast cargo ships with steam turbine propulsion, such as the American Mariner type, were preferred. These ships had slender lines and a comparatively low frame flare, whilst an optimisation of the stowage space was only performed within the limits justified by the conversion.