ABSTRACT
In the field of ship structures the performance of the structure is only as reliable as the material used. The development of material grades has occurred gradually with the advancement of ship design and major catastrophic failures along the way leading to the development of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) requirements for fracture control. Ship designs have pushed the boundaries of the existing marine material grades and it is becoming increasingly necessary to carry out fracture mechanics-based analysis such as the engineering critical assessment (ECA) of ship designs. This paper bridges the gap between the established ship design frameworks and the ECA approach for other sectors by exploring the feasibility of applying BS 7910 ‘Guide to Methods for Assessing the Acceptability of Flaws in Metallic Structures’ to ship structures and provide a better understanding of the potential uses of the ECA tailored for ships.
