HULL FABRICATION, MATERIAL & TESTING

ABS Vietnam; Vung Tau May 2017

© 2016 American Bureau of Shipping. All rights reserved

Hull Fabrication
• Hull items definition

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Applicable Code

1. ABS & VR Rules

2. Applicable Code (IACS Rec47, PR23 ….etc.)

3. Applicable Standard (Recognized Industry; International/National; Shipyard)

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Applicable Doc

1. Vessel specification

2. ABS Approved Drawings (Technical Design), Docs

3. RFC (Production Design) Drawings (May not need ABS approval)

4. Shipyard procedures

5. Inspection & Testing Plan (ITP)

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Inspection & Testing Plan

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Inspection & Testing Plan
• W: Witness point: concerned parties to be notified for the inspection/testing, however the
presence of the concerned parties may not be mandatory.
• H: Hold point: concerned parties shall be notified for the inspection/testing, the ins./test would not
be carried out without the presence of the concerned parties.
• M: Monitor point: Involved parties are to monitor the subject item/task including random check,
review, verify the associated document (report/record/certificate …. Etc.)
• R: Review point: Involved parties are to review the designated documents
(report/record/certificate …. Etc.) to verify the acceptability of the item/task.
• V: Verification Point: Involved parties are to verify the subject item/task including check, examine,
review, verify the associated document (report/record/certificate …. Etc.)

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HULL FABRICATION PROGRESS
1. Material cutting

2. Material forming

3. Sub-assembly/assembly fabricating

4. Block fabricating

5. Block erection

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Hull Fabrication Key Factor
• Shipyard facilities
• Sub-Contractor facilities
• Hull fabrication procedure
• Material Control
• Welding Control
• Inspection/Testing procedure
• NDT Control

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Hull Fabrication Procedure
• Hull building method
• Erection Sequence/Procedure
• RFC/Production Design
• Inspection/Testing Procedure
• Dimension Control/Quality Control

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Production Design
• Block/Structure division
• Shell expansion
• Structural details (End connection, Ending, Transitioning … etc.)
• Structural Alteration Solution
• Applicable Code:
- ABS Rule
- IACS Rec. 47
- Shipyard Standard
- Structural/Construction Detail booklet

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Production Design

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Structural Detail for Hull
• Plate standard
• Welding Standard
• End Snip
• Taper Connection of Profile
• Scallop Standard
• Bracket Standard
• Slot and Collar Plate
• Bottom Plug
• Manhole and Hinge Standard

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Production Design

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Production Design

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Production Fabrication

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Material Control
• Applicable Code:
- ABS Rule – Part 2
- IACS Rec. 47
• Material Control Procedure
• Material Alteration Control

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Material Requirement

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Searching Link: https://www.eagle.org/ABSEaglePrograms/ma/ma-search.jsp

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Searching Link: https://www.eagle.org/ABSEaglePrograms/ma/ma-search.jsp

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Mill Certificate

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Mill Certificate sample

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Material Requirement

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Material for Hull Structure
• Ordinary-Strength Steel (Grade A, B, D, E)
• Higher-Strength Steel (Grade AH32, AH36, DH36, EH40)
• Casting Steel
• Forging Steel

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Ordinary Strength Steel

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Higher-strength Steel

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Casting Steel

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Requirement for Material from the second source

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Welding Control
• Applicable WPSs qualification
• Welder qualification
• Welding Plan (Schedule) & Detail
• Welding performance Control (to both of Shipyard & Sub-Contractor)
• Welding consumables Control
• Welding sequence Control
• Welding quality Control
• Dimension Control vs Deformation/Distortion Control

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NDT CONTROL
• Applicable Code:
- ABS Guide for Non-Destructive Inspection of Hull Welds
- Recognized Standards
• NDT Procedure & Technique
• NDT Personnel Qualification/Certification
• NDT Plan
• NDT Performance Control

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Inspection & Testing Procedure
• Inspection & Testing Plan
• Inspection at Assembly stage
• Inspection at Block stage
• Block erection inspection
• Tank Inspection/Testing
• Watertight/Weathertight Testing

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DIMENSION CONTROL vs QUALITY CONTROL
• Dimension Control at Production Design stage:
- Welding shrinkage tolerance
- Deformation/Formation margin
- Other fabricating margin
• Dimension Control during fabrication stage
• Deformation/Distortion Control
• Dimension Control during erection stage

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Hull Inspection – Typical Problem
• Alignment of members out of tolerance
• Poor fit-up (edge prep, gaps, tacks, backing material)
• Unacceptable weld profiles
• Unacceptable weld defects
• Unacceptable repair welding iwo. notches and arc strikes
• Welder not qualified for the applied process
• Welding procedures (prep, consumable,…)
• Welding plan (weld sequence, applicable WPS)
• Missing and incorrect structure
• Missing welding
• Distorted or deformed structure
• Wrong or unidentified material grade
• Preparation of repair procedures
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Hull Inspection – Structural Alignment
• Verification by means of:
- Visual examination (burn marks, by eye)
- Hammer sounding
- Chalk marking
- Measurement from a reference point (structural member, opening, 100mm mark)
- Using templates
• Acceptance criteria: m/a < 1/3 of the thickness of thinner member
• Rectification:
- For different cases refer to applied standard
- In general:
• If minor: increase weld throat to compensate (1/3 to ½ of the thickness of thinner member)
• If major: crop and refit. (> ½ of the thickness of thinner member)

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Hull Inspection – Structural Alignment

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Hull Inspection – Structural Alignment

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Hull Inspection – Structural Alignment

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Hull Inspection – Poor Fit-up
• Excessive gaps (outside tolerance of WPS or standard)
• Un-equal gaps (especially for automated or semi-auto processes such as FCAW,
SAW ) due to manual cutting
• Poor or wrong edge preparation
• Poor restraining method (insufficient clamping, bad or not enough tack welds)
• Misaligned members
• Inadequate use of run-on/run-off tabs

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Hull Inspection – Poor Fit-up

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Hull Fabrication – Welding Sequence
• Main intention is to minimize distortion and to facilitate fabrication.
• Stiffeners and frames are welded with appro. x 250mm free ends
• When joining stiffened plates, the butts or seams are welded first, then the free
ends of the stiffeners are joined and welded.
• Do butts before seams
• In horizontal panels the welding sequence is generally from inward to outward,
butts (transverse) before seams (longitudinal)
• In vertical panels the welding sequence is vertical, then longitudinal
• Apply step sequence for insert plates (corners last)

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Hull Fabrication – Welding Sequence

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Hull Inspection - Missing / Incorrect Structure
• Typically these would be brackets, collar plates, stiffeners
• Compare to approved drawings, two cases:
- Missing structure is on drawing => fit missing structure
- Missing structure is not on drawing
• Amended design not incorporated in production drawings
• Oversight of design and plan review. (e.g. collar plate or stiffener on deep beam
under large bracket)
• Temporary structure:
- Lifting pads or temporary stiffeners
- When removed these should be properly ground and seal welded (pads)
- If not removed they are to be properly welded

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HULL TESTING

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Hull Testing

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Hull Testing - Definition
• Watertight means “capable of preventing the
passage of water through the structure in any direction
under a head of water for which the surrounding
structure is designed”

• Weathertight means that “in any sea condition

water will not penetrate into the vessel”

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Hull Testing - Definition
• Structural Testing is a test to verify the structural adequacy of the design and
the tightness of the tanks. Structural testing may be carried out after the vessel is
launched.
• Air Testing is a test to verify the tightness of the structure by means of air
pressure difference.
• Hose Testing is a test to verify the tightness of the structure by a jet of water.
• Hydrostatic Testing is a test to verify the structural adequacy of the design and
the tightness of the tank’s structure by means of water pressure, by filling water
to the level as specified in 3-7-1/Table 1.
• Hydro-pneumatic Testing is a combined hydrostatic and air testing wherein a
tank is filled by water with air pressure applied on top. May be approved in lieu of
hydrostatic testing.

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Hull Testing Procedure
• General
- Tests to be carried out in the presence of the Surveyor at a stage sufficiently
close to completion, after all attachments, outfittings or penetrations which
may affect the strength or tightness of the structure have been completed.
Refer to 3-7-1/Table 1 or for tanks of special service, additional requirements
are given in 3-7-1/Table 2.
• Structural Testing
- Usually this is hydrostatic testing, except where practical limitations prevent it
or where air testing or hydro-pneumatic testing is permitted. Tank boundaries
are to be tested at least from one side. Tanks to be tested for structural
adequacy are to be selected so that all representative structural members
are tested for the expected tension and compression.

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Air Testing
• Air Testing is a test to verify the tightness of the structure by means of air pressure
difference. All boundary welds, erection joints, and penetrations, including pipe
connections, are to be examined in accordance with the approved procedure and under
a stabilized pressure differential not less than 0.15 bar (0.15 kgf/cm2, 2.2 psi) with a
leak indicating solution such as soapy water/detergent or a proprietary brand applied.
• A U-tube with a height sufficient to hold a head of water corresponding to the required
test pressure is to be arranged. The cross sectional area of the U-tube is to be not less
than that of the pipe supplying air. In addition to the U-tube, a master gauge or other
approved means is to be provided to verify the pressure. Arrangements involving the
use of two calibrated pressure gauges to verify the required test pressure may be
accepted instead of a U-tube where additional safety measures are in place to prevent
over pressurization.
• Other effective methods of air testing, including compressed air fillet weld testing or
vacuum testing, may be considered in accordance with 3-7-1/5.17.

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Hose Testing
• Hose testing is applied to structures not subjected to structural or air testing
but are required to be watertight or weathertight. Hose testing is to be carried out
with the pressure in the hose of at least 2 bar during test. The nozzle is to have
minimum inside diameter of 12 mm and located at a distance to the joint not
exceeding 1.5m.

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Vacuum Testing
• Vacuum Box Testing is a test to detect any leaks on the structure. A box over a joint
with leak indicating solution applied on the welds. A vacuum is created inside the box to detect
any leaks. A box (vacuum tester) with air connections, gauges and inspection window is placed
over the joint with a leak indication solution applied to the weld cap vicinity. The air within the box
is removed by an ejector to create a vacuum of 0.20 bar (0.20 kgf/cm2, 2.9 psi) – 0.26 bar (0.27
kgf/cm2, 3.8 psi) inside the box.

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Leak found by Air Testing

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Tank Testing Plan
• A tank testing plan is submitted to the attending surveyor for review of
compliance with the aforementioned requirements.
• In general after review, the comments (if any) are discussed with the responsible
QA and subsequently submitted in writing. The shipyard is responsible for
amending the tank test plan accordingly.
• Usually ballast tanks - including fore peak - together with cargo tanks are tested
in a chequered pattern. At times owners may request additional testing.
• Chain-lockers require a hydrostatic test as off 1 July 2003. In general it is
accepted to carry out this test on the first vessel in a series only, and waive the
test on sister vessels.

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Tank Testing Plan

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CASE STUDY

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Case Study 1: Erection joint was arranged in way of high stress concentration area

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Case study: Production Design

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Case study: Production Design

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Case study: Production Design

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Case study: Outfitting Production Design & Practice

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Case study: Outfitting Production Design & Practice

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Case study: Structure – Outfitting interface

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Case study: Structure – Outfitting interface

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Case study: Structure – Piping interface

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Case study: Structure Design

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Case study: Structural Fabrication

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Case study: Structure Detail Design

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Case study: Structure Fabrication

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Case study: Structure Fabrication

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© 2016 American Bureau of Shipping. All rights reserved