NotesRelativetoShellandDeckPlateRepairs

1.Recommendationsforrenewalsshouldbedecidedonareasonableandpracticalbasisthatisonlywhat
isnecessarytoplacethevesselinserviceableconditionfitloproceed.Appearanceasoriginalisnot
essential.
2.Toavoidcombiningtheshrinkagestressesofseveralweldsincloseproximityinrestrainedsurrounding
structures,itisbesttoavoidtoosmallinsertplates,thesearepronetofracture.ifpossible,renewfullwidth,
butinanycasenotlessthan450mmwidth,andatleastthreeframespacesinlength(thetransversely
framedvessels),orforalengthatleastasgreatasthestrakewidth.
3.Alwaysnoteinthesurveyreportaccuratelyonwhetherexistingbuttsareutilizedornewbuttsestablished.
Thisbecomesveryimportantinassessingfuturegauging.
4.Avoiduseofareplacementinsertplatemorethanabouttwomillimetersor10%tunderoroveroriginal
thicknessinordertominimizestressconcentrationeffectofabruptchangeofsection.
5.Avoidfittingplatestransversely:thatismakesuredirectionofrollingisforeandaft.
6.Wheneverplatesarecutoutforrenewal,alwayscheckthefouredgesofsurroundingplatingtomake
surethereissufficientremainingthicknessforproperattachment.
7.Smalldamageareas,sayunder450mmdiameter.maysatisfactorilyberepairedbyuseofacircular
insertplate,butsinceasmallclosedcircleofweldispronetocracking,theweldshouldbemadealternating
fromonesidelotheother(backstep)andcloselycheckedforcracks.
8.Adheretothegeneralrulesofplaterenewalssuchastoreleaseseamsbeyondnewbuttsbeforewelding
thebutts,weldinternalstorenewalplatebeforeweldingplatejoints,weldplatebuttbeforetheseams,weld
seamstowardfreeend,andnotweldingseamsacrossanunweldedbutt,etc.
9.Small,singleorrelativelystraightcracksinplatingmayfrequentlybesatisfactorilywelded,butfirst
carefullylocateendofcrackandveeoutasrequired.Donotattempttoweldupmultiplebranchingorstar
shapedfracturesindicativeoffatigue.Renewthedetectivearea
10.OnsteelrepairJobsitisparticularlyimportanttocheckfitupandbackchipping.UTorRadiograph
finishedweldingifpracticable.
11.Whereextensiveplatingrenewalsaremade,extremecaremustbetakenwiththeweldingsequenceto
preventcompressivebucklingoftheexistingplatingontheoppositesideofthehullgirder,andtominimize
hulldistortion(andconsequenteffectonmachineryalignment).
12.Whereextensiverenewalsaremadelobottomshellplatinginwayofmachinery,stepsmustbetakento
insurethemaintenanceofmachineryandshaftingalignment.Afloatalignmentchecksandgeartooth
contactrecordsshouldbemadebeforeandafterrepairs
13.Doublersorstrengthstrapsshouldnormallynotbethickerthantheplatingonwhichtheyarefitted.Local
doublersonsideshell,deckorbottomshellareallowedasatemporaryrepaironly,exceptasoriginal
compensationforopenings.Anysuchdoublersoverdamageorwastagemustberemovedbeforecrediting
theSpecialSurvey.
14.Longitudinalreinforcementstrapsshouldhavewidthtapereddownalendstominimizethepossibilityof
fracturingatthetoeoftheendfilletwelding,apossibleresultwhereafilletweldisperpendiculartothe
directionoffatigueloading.Theyshouldalsobeedgeweldedandplugweldedonabout300mmcentersif
over600mmwidth,andwherepossible,inlinewithinternallongitudinalgirdersorbulkheadstoobtainthe
maximumeffect.Theweldingsizeshouldbetheminimumrequiredforstrength,especiallytheplugwelds.

Weldingsequenceshouldbefromthemiddletowardsthefreeends.
15,Makecertainthatreplacementplatingmaterialandweldingelectrodesusedarethecorrectgradeor
type.IftheproperClassSocietysteelisnotavailable,clearidentificationagainstthemillsheetandpossibly
confirmatorytestsmayberequiredforequivalentsubstitutescertifiedbyanothersociety.Changeofsteel
gradeorsubstitutionofweldedjointsforrivetingmusthavepriortoyourOfficeapproval.
16.Noattemptshouldbemadetoheatandfairsharpindentsorcreases,partcropandrenew.
17.Smoothshallowindentsarebetterleftaloneunlesstheattachedinternalsaresignificantlyaffected.If
extensiveinatransversedirectionhowever(say,morethantwostrakewidths),theymayrequirerepairor
reinforcementinordertopreservelongitudinalorlocalstructuralstrength.
18.Theprimaryfactorstobeconsideredinassessingtheharmfuleffectofindentsareasfollows:
Distancefromneutralaxis(whichisusuallyabout4Dfrombottom).
Probablesectionalareaofbottomalreadylostduelowastage.
Transverseextentofindenti.e.,percentofwidthofhullgirderaffected.
Whetherinternalstructuralmembersinway.
Whetherinternalsinwayaresignificantlyaffectedi.e.trippedoradriftfrombottomplating.
Sharpnessofindent,i.e.,susceptibilitytofractureorhinging.
Thetypeandsizeofvesselrelativeloexpectedstresslevelsanddirectionofstress(hoggingor
sagging)inareaaffected.Invesselswithmachineryamidshipsforinstance,criticalbottomstressesmay
becompressivewhereasinmachineryaftvesselssuchastankers,orecarriersandbulkers,critical
bottomstressesmaybeintension.
Depthofindentsislessimportantexceptforappearanceandonlyrarelyfordockingblocking,scattered
smoothindentsupto75mm(3in.)depthusuallydonotrequireactionunlessinternalsinwayare
damaged.