On the resistance of tanker bottom structures during stranding

The paper deals with grounding and stranding of ships. An important issue is the influence of size and shape of the sea floor during grounding. From a range of finite element simulations, the resistance to penetration of the ship bottom is found, for stranding at various locations and different sea bottom topologies. A description of the state of the art material and failure methods is given, and the theory is applied in finite element analyses. Furthermore, a mesh convergence study is carried out in order to find the appropriate mesh for the grounding simulations. Integrated local/global grounding analyses are performed. Stranded ships may be subjected to tidal changes, which may result in further bottom damage. The loss in water level yields a re-distribution of hydrostatic forces due to grounding actions. In this process large hull bending moments are formed, which may influence the resistance to penetration and the damage modes significantly. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.