Simulation Based Structural Analysis of an Oil Tanker Bulkhead

Traditional way of ship structural design is to follow the rule books of classification societies. These rule books certainly ensure enough structural integrity of ships. But in this age of scientific and engineering progress, reliable structural analysis programs and tools are available. This paper shows how these programs can be used to verify classification society rules and to accurately design in small details. A bulkhead of an oil tanker is chosen for this investigation. The analysis is done taking Von Misses stress and factor of safety as design criteria. The results of this investigation aim to help the traditional structural engineers to design ship structures in a more effective and optimized way.