1986. Design and construction of concrete ships
Shortly after the FIP Symposium held in 1972 in Tbilisi, USSR, two separate FIP Commissions were formed—one to deal with concrete sea structures and the other with concrete ships. The two worked in close cooperation, even holding joint meetings, and were eventually merged into a single Commission. The work of the Commission on Sea Structures was stimulated by the development of gravity structures in the North Sea, and at an early stage, the Recommendations for the Design and Construction of Concrete Sea Structures were published. These are now in their fourth edition. Much of the theory relating to concrete ships runs parallel to that for concrete sea structures; however, the practical development of concrete ships was hindered by the general downturn in the shipping and shipbuilding industries. Within FIP, a small group headed by Dr. K. Finsterwalder continued to work on concrete ships. A significant amount of relevant information was collected and studied. Of particular importance is the durability of concrete structures with a cover less than that normally required for gravity structures—the reduced cover being essential in ships to meet flotation requirements. Study of this aspect led to the publication in 1982 of an FIP Technical Report entitled Cover to Steel Reinforcement for Floating Concrete Structures. The group also benefited from the work of the Commission on Sea Structures in areas such as safety concepts, marine operations, and materials. These years of work have resulted in the present Recommendations, and it is hoped that they will help pave the way for the construction and operation of numerous concrete ships, for which there are many potential applications. The strong links with professionals interested in marine concrete structures will ensure that these Recommendations are updated and kept in line with the latest developments, in a manner similar to that adopted for the Sea Structures Recommendations. In addition to Dr. Finsterwalder, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Mr. B. Rapo (UK). J. H. van Loenen |
