SEAM 3
Week 12
•Topic: Ship Structural Damages and
Methods of Prevention
D. Severe weather
Conditions
Learnin At the end of the module, the student
should be able to:
g
Outcom
e LO12.1. Explain how Severe weather
Condition causes damage to certain ship’s
structures or parts.
•Weather can have a critical
impact on shipping and on
the aircraft and vessels
carrying cargo. Given that
transport is an inherently
logistical industry relying on
physical infrastructure, it is
constantly exposed to the
whims of the natural
environment.
•Bad weather impacts every
party in the supply chain,
from shippers onshore and
truck companies to ocean
carriers, airlines and
container ports.
Lost and damaged cargo
•If there is poor weather, delays can
not only happen at ports. They can
also happen enroute at sea once your
cargo is loaded.
•The ONE Apus container collapse in
November 2020 is a prime example.
Over 1,900 containers were either lost
or damaged when the 14,000-TEU
Apus became caught in a violent
storm around 1,600 nautical miles
northwest of Hawaii. This may have
accounted for up to a quarter of all its
cargo.
Impact of Weather on Vessel Safety
Several weather phenomena can pose safety hazards to vessels and their crews:
Storms and High Winds:
Structural damage: Strong winds and waves can cause structural damage to vessels,
leading to leaks, equipment malfunctions, and even sinking.
Reduced visibility: Storms can bring heavy rain, fog, and snow, significantly reducing
visibility and making navigation difficult. This increases the risk of collisions with
other vessels or obstacles.
Capsizing and rollovers: High waves can cause smaller vessels to capsize or roll over,
leading to catastrophic consequences.
Shipping routes become more varied and environmental regulations stricter, the need
for innovative solutions to monitor and manage hull stress has never been greater.
Hull Stress due to Weather condition
Dynamic stress: encompasses the forces that fluctuate as a ship navigates through
varying environmental and operational conditions.
• Waves: The impact of ocean waves hitting the hull generates
bending, torsional, and shear stresses. These forces can vary
significantly depending on wave height, frequency, and the direction
relative to the ship’s movement. For instance, large waves striking
the bow can cause significant stress concentrations.
• Wind: Wind forces act on the ship’s superstructure, creating additional pressure on
the hull. High winds can lead to uneven loading, particularly when the vessel is in
exposed positions, such as the open sea or coastal areas.
• Vessel Motion: The natural motion of the ship, including rolling (side-to-side
motion), pitching (up-and-down movement of the bow), and heaving (vertical
movement), generates fluctuating loads on the hull. These movements cause the
hull to flex and twist, resulting in dynamic stress that varies with the sea state and
vessel speed.
Causes of Hull Stress
Rough Seas: High seas and swells
create substantial dynamic forces as
waves interact with the hull. The
energy from these waves causes the
ship to bend and flex, leading to areas
of high stress, particularly at the bow
and stern where wave impact is most
pronounced.
•Heavy Weather: Severe weather
conditions, such as storms and
hurricanes, intensify the forces
acting on the ship. High winds and
turbulent waters increase dynamic
stress and can lead to structural
deformation if the vessel is not
adequately designed or prepared
for such conditions.
Ice Conditions: Vessels operating in ice-
covered waters face additional challenges
due to ice impact and pressure. Ice floes
and bergs exert concentrated forces on the
hull, potentially causing significant damage
and stress.
End of Slide
Thank you for listening