SHEAR FORCE AND BENDING MOMENT IN SHIPS

This is a quite compact but very informative and useful publication providing clear explanations of the shear forces acting on the ship hull and the bending moments resulting from that. The subject definitions actually form the basis of the ship mechanics and lay in the foundation of any strength related calculations. That is why it is critically important for the ship designers and shipbuilders to have good and thorough understanding of them.

Written by the professional captain, the document will be of great use for the people who are not involved in ship design, but rather for those in need of having general understanding of the topic. As we know, the shear force is the one tending to shear, or break, a beam perpendicular to the major axis of that beam. For the purpose of the relevant calculations, the hull of the vessel is normally considered a beam.

The bending moment, in turn, is a sum of all moments that try to alter the beam’s shape. When the vessel is afloat, resting on the surface of the water, the longitudinal deflections will be experienced by the hull; they are caused by the uneven weight and buoyance distribution along the hull length. The subject stresses are always there regardless of the ship loading, and cannot be avoided.