ABSTRACT
Ship grounding experiment is key to the understanding of damage mechanism of ship structures and dynamic behaviour of ship in grounding. The investigation can contribute to the development of analytical and empirical formulas and the validation of numerical methods. Two ship model grounding tests are carried out in a tank to provide experimental data for ship grounding over a sharp rock in this paper. A simplified 1:65 scaled ship model is used, and an artificial cone rock model with a 15° semi-apex angle is assumed. The bottom plating specimens in the tests are constructed with three sections, one being an unstiffened plate and the other a transversely stiffened plate. The damage modes of the bottom plating with and without stiffeners are obtained together with longitudinal grounding forces and ship motions. The effects of transverse stiffeners of bottom plate are investigated by comparing the results of these two tests.
