Framing system

Ship Framing System has an essential role in ship building. A ship is subjected to various
stresses and the shell plating is not strong enough to withstand these stresses and it
requires to be framed throughout the length. Vessel have different framing systems
depending on the mission profile of the vessel, no one framing system is perfect for every
ship type and to save weight and increase strength the framing system will need to be
optimized by the structural designer.
The shell of a ship consists of bottom, side and deck plating. The shell (bottom and side)
and deck plating of a ship has to be stiffened internally to prevent it from collapsing. This
supporting arrangement is called framing. The stiffening generally is provided by primary
supporting and secondary supporting members.
Features of framing system:

 The hull must have a framing system to support it because the hull itself, like a
bridge, spans a fluid substance.
 Whereas a bridge spans air, a hull spans water, and while water is more dense, it is
still a fluid and offers lesser means of support than solid ground.
 Unless the hull has an adequate system of framing and girders to span the
unsupported sections, like a bridge it will buckle and collapse.
 Frames serve the purpose of stiffening panels between bulkheads and stringers.
Obviously, if a panel is flexing too much, additional framing would prevent that
condition.
 Some builders scrimp on frames because frames create additional detail work and
add more to labor cost. But since frames are an integral part of ship building they
must be given utmost importance
Primary supporting members are the big members or metaphorically speaking the big
bones such as web frames, girders, solid (i.e. plate) floors, etc.
Secondary supporting members are the small bones of the ship such as longitudinal, hold
frames, deck beams etc.
Scantling: The word ‘scantlings’ denotes the cross sectional dimensions of structural
members, as distinct from their lengths. Thus, an angle bar whose scantlings is 200 x 150 x
12.5 mm has one 200 mm leg and one 150 mm leg and is 12.5 mm thick, regardless of its
length. Steel plate scantlings normally refer only to the plate thickness regardless of its
length or width.
Components of Framing
Frame: On side plating, running vertically (up and down)
Beam: Under decks, runs transversely
Transverse: These are present in under decks (deck transverse) and on bottom plating
(bottom transverse) but not in Double Bottoms. Runs transversely but much heavier in
construction than a beam.
Floors: Found only in double bottoms, running transversely.
Stringer: On side plating and longitudinal bulkheads, runs horizontally, forward and aft.
Longitudinal: Found in longitudinally framed ships, under decks, on side plating, on
longitudinal bulkheads, on bottom plating and under the tank too. These members run fore
and aft.
Girder: Found under decks and on the bottom plating. Girders run forward to aft and are
deep and heavy in construction. These are important longitudinal strength members. Also
increase the breadth of the forecastle and provides space for the mooring.