Ship collision and grounding: Scaled experiments and numerical analysis

Scaled models are important in marine engineering since it is prohibitive testing of actual ship size. However, the crashworthiness analysis on marine structures in reduced scale is not an ordinary research topic given the scientific and technical limitations surrounding this type of practice. It is reported here a series of collision tests of marine structures in reduced scale. These experiments are used to validate the subsequent finite element analysis. The scaled shiplike specimens were built from metallic thin-walled structures in a reduced scale of 1:100 taken into account shipbuilding processes analogous to that used in real scale marine structures. The experiments include scaled collision tests of a T cross-section beam, head-on collision of an oil tanker against a rigid wall, ship grounding and collision between two oil tankers. It is discussed the influence of different numerical and experimental aspects inherent to experimental impact tests of marine structures. This includes the mechanical properties of the materials, slight misalignments in test arrangements, failure criteria, weld joints and sloshing effect of ship cargo. These aspects are thoroughly analyzed and discussed here so bringing new insights in the modeling of marine structures subjected to collision events using reduced scale experiments.