Role of transverse bulkheads in hull stiffness of large container ships

Ultra large container ships are rather flexible and exposed to significant wave deformations. Therefore, hydroelastic strength analysis is required for these types of ships. Coupling of beam structural model and 3D hydrodynamic model is preferable for the reason of simplicity. In this paper, the contribution of a large number of transverse bulkheads to general hull stiffness is analysed. The prismatic pontoon with cross-section of a large container vessel is considered for this purpose. Stiffness parameters are determined by employing the torsional theory of thin-walled girders for ship hull and orthotropic plate theory for bulkheads. The procedure is evaluated by 3D FEM torsional analysis with transverse bulkheads included/excluded.