Framing Systems

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh

Longitudinal Structural Components
• Starting from the keel to the deck:
•Keel
-Large center-plane girder
-Runs longitudinally along the bottom of the ship
•Longitudinals
-Girders running parallel to the keel along the bottom
-It provides longitudinal strength

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Longitudinal Structural Components (cont’d)
•Stringer
-Girders running along the sides of the ship
-Typically smaller than a longitudinal
-Provides longitudinal strength
•Deck Girder
-Longitudinal member of the deck frame (deck longitudinal)

….Primary role of longitudinal members :

Resist the longitudinal bending stress due to sagging and hogging
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Transverse Structural Components
• Starting from the keel to the deck:
• Floor
-Deep frame running from the keel to the turn of the bilge
• Frame
- A transverse member running from keel to deck
- Resists hydrostatic pressure, waves, impact, etc.
- Frames may be attached to the floors (Frame would be the part
above the floor)
• Deck Beams
- Transverse member of the deck frame
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Transverse Structural Components (cont’d)
• •Plating
-Thin pieces closing in the top, bottom and side of structure-
Contributes significantly to longitudinal hull strength
-Resists the hydrostatic pressure load (or side impact)

Primary role of transverse members : to resist the hydrostatic loads

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
The ship’s strength can be increased by:
-Adding more members
-increasing the size & thickness of plating and
structural pieces
BUT
All this will increase cost, reduce space utilisation, and
allow less equipment to be added Optimisation.

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Big Question

Which framing system to choose ?

Advantages and disadvantages ?

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh

 •Longitudinal Framing System
•Transverse Framing System
•Combination of Framing System
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Longitudinal Framing System
Primary role of longitudinal members :
to resist the longitudinal bending stress due to sagging and hogging
•A typical wave length in the ocean is 300 ft. Ships of this lengthor
greater are likely to experience considerable longitudinalbending
stress
•Ship that are longer than 300ft (long ship) tend to have a greater
number of longitudinal members than transverse members
Longitudinal Framing System:
-Longitudinals spaced frequently but shallower
-Frames are spaced widely

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Transverse Framing System
•Primary role of transverse members :
to resist the hydrostatic loads
• Ships shorter than 300ft and submersibles
• Transverse Framing System:
- Longitudinals are spaced widely but deep.
- Frames are spaced closely and continuously
•Transverse members:
frame, floor, deck beam, platings
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Combined Framing System
Optimization of the structural arrangement for the
expected loading to minimize the cost

•Combination of longitudinal and transverse framing

system
•Typical combination :
-Longitudinals and stringers with shallow frame
-Deep frame every 3rd or 4th frame
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh
Longitudinal framing system
 In this system, all the secondary supporting
members are fitted in the longitudinal
direction and are known as longitudinals.
 Major structural members Some of them
are:
1. Bottom longitudinals
2. Side longitudinals
3. Deck longitudinals

The system consist of many small,

closely spaced longitudinals supporting
the plating directly and being
supported in between by large ,widely
spaced longitudinals

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Longitudinal framing system

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh

Longitudinal framing system

Compiled by Captain Sukhjit Singh

Advantages of longitudinal framing system
The advantages of longitudinal framing system are as follows:
Longitudinally stiffened plating is more resistant to buckling
especially prevalent in ship’s upper deck. When the deck or bottom is
subjected to compressive stresses as it bends in a seaway than it
would be if stiffened transversely.
Longitudinal stiffeners supporting side shell and bulkhead plating are
subjected to variable pressures from the sea or from liquid cargo. The
hydrostatic pressure on each successive longitudinal and its
associated plating increases with its depth below the waterline or
below the surface of the liquid in the tank.
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Advantages of longitudinal framing system

Each longitudinal can be sized to withstand the maximum pressure

associated with its depth in the ship, thus achieving an efficient use of
structural material.
Graduated size cannot be done effectively with transverse frames,
which as a result are only heavy at their upper ends.

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Disadvantages of longitudinal framing system
Though the longitudinal framing system has a lot of
advantages, it also has some disadvantages.
The intrusion of deep webs into prime cargo spaces for ships carrying
packaged cargo is an disadvantage.
Difficulty arises in the structural arrangements near the ends of the
ship.
As the hull narrows towards the bow and stem, however, the girth
necessarily reduces and the longitudinals becomes closer together
Difficulties in construction arise when they converge so closely that
some longitudinals have to be eliminated
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