Naval Architecture: Beyond the Conventional

By Dr. Doron Zilbershtein

While perhaps not the world’s oldest profession (although there is some dispute on this point), the art of shipbuilding has been around since the dawn of civilization. From Noah and his ark to modern times, the design of ships has played a critical role in society’s evolution and very survival. Today, the profession has moved beyond the vessel or floating platform as modern naval architects engage in a broad array of disciplines, including port development, underwater mining and drilling, power-generation units, water desalination plants, offshore jails and accommodation barges. Through it all, it continues to respond and adapt to the emerging needs of society.

“Out of Their Comfort Zones”

Dr. Jose Femenia, who recently retired from teaching the next generation of naval architects and marine engineers at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and SUNY Maritime College, knows all about the future challenges these graduates will face. According to Femenia’s crystal ball, modern naval architects will have to step out of their comfort zones to meet future challenges. Additionally, they will have to demonstrate proficiency in port design and transportation issues. 

Femenia points out that naval architects are currently involved with the design of cargo-handling systems that will reduce time in ports and increase cargo movements between ship and shore. They must understand the financial aspects of shipbuilding as well as advanced production systems like modular construction. They must be familiar with the science of materials since the discovery and application of new ones can affect the entire design process. And new regulations regarding emissions and ballast water treatment require ongoing design adjustments.

Dr. Larry Gebhardt, Director of Research & Development at Alaska Ship & Drydock, part of Vigor Industrial, says cross-functional knowledge is critical to the successful design and construction of ships. The entire process can be enhanced and expedited by aligning the work of architects, engineers, workers, and vessel operators. An architect can design a section of the ship’s structure that is problematic or impossible to physically build because of worker access constraints or limits of shipyard construction space such as crane or door parameters. Likewise, engineers and supervisors may lack overall vessel design knowledge regarding how ventilation and piping systems must be sequenced in assembly, resulting in rework. 

The acceleration of inter-disciplinary knowledge is one of the goals of the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP), a consortium of U.S. shipyards aimed at sharing “best practices” in the construction of U.S. Navy ships. NSRP’s Modern Shipbuilding Design project team delivered five continuing education marine design courses: Basics of Electrical System Design, Basics of HVAC Design, Basics of Pipe System Modeling, Basics of Structural Modeling, and Design for Production that is facilitated with 3-D Ship Constructor software. Software improvements enable visual storytelling regarding ship design and construction theory and practice. All of this is a step in the right direction, ensuring safer, faster, better quality and more economical work on future newbuilds and repairs.

The demarcation between sea and land is no longer where naval architects stop functioning.  There are many shoreside applications that require their intervention. Bremerton, Washington-based engineering and naval architecture firm Art Anderson Associates (AAA) has built its reputation on the ability to provide technical solutions for projects that require a high level of collaboration between naval architects and marine engineers on one side and civil engineers and architects on the other.

According to Ralph Duncan, VP of Marine, the family-owned firm has been involved with land-sea collaborative projects for decades. Both the Marine and Facilities teams operated side-by-side in the development and construction of the floating breakwater project for the Port of Bremerton. The teams are currently collaborating on the design and construction of floating fuel and maintenance facilities for the Water Emergency Transportation Authority in Vallejo, California. AAA has also designed both ferries and ferry terminals and provided support to the industry through in-depth transportation analyses.

Yacht Design

Yachts present their own special challenges. In this niche market, naval architects are often expected to wear the hat of a psychologist. Just ask Luis De Basto, owner of Miami-based De Basto Designs. De Basto says the technical challenges involved in the design are often fairly easy to resolve. The main challenge emerges when the owner has to decide which features to include or leave out of the yacht – decisions that are often painful to make since they usually involve balancing between the rational and the emotional.

De Basto says that in most cases the client eventually adheres to the original ideas due to financial, time or other constraints. Yet even decisions related to the selection of art pieces, electronic equipment, or “toys” (water jet skis, sailboats, and even a submarine) are typically left to the last moment, taking the design process out of its conventional path and adding substantial work for the naval architect.

Among De Basto’s most memorable and challenging projects was the design of SeaFair, a 228-foot megayacht that doubles as a floating art gallery. There could be no structural elements in the way of the exhibition space on the vessel, and strict requirements were imposed on the movement of crew and gallery staff. Due to the high-profile nature of the artwork and guests, security issues amplified the need for integrating unique features normally not found on conventional yachts.

Peter Gimpel, head of the Winchester Design Group in Jupiter, Florida, faced a different kind of challenge. Gimpel says one day he was presented with two projects that were polar opposites. The first was a proposal for the design of an ultra-fuel-efficient, forty-foot catamaran. The design had to incorporate the latest green and environmentally friendly technology. The result? The team was forced to resort to creative, out-of-the-box thinking to design new standards of fuel efficiency. On the same day a second call requested a proposal for the design of a forty-foot mono-hull, suitable for breaking powerboat endurance speed records at different locations around the world, with no consideration whatsoever for fuel economy.

Trying to understand what the client really wants is an art in itself, says Gimpel. His team spends considerable time with a new client, initially focusing not just on the desired boat design but also on the owner’s lifestyle and desired use of the vessel, which is critical to Gimpel’s ability to deliver a satisfying product. The team spends further attempts to uncover the less-apparent details of the preferred interaction between the owner's family, crew, boat, and surrounding environment. That gives Gimpel’s team the much-needed perspective to proceed with a design that ultimately will be enjoyed and appreciated by the client.

Future Challenges

A quick look into the future reveals numerous and exciting opportunities that will push the envelope of design and functionality even further. With the advance of underwater technologies, especially in the robotic control arena, naval architects will continue their involvement with deepwater oil and gas exploration. Above the water, the challenge of establishing a reliable means of transportation and distribution of LNG and LPG is waiting to be realized. 

Stricter IMO requirements pertaining to emissions and ballast water bring their own set of challenges for the profession, and naval architects will need to develop more efficient and cost-effective systems to meet these challenges within a given timeframe. The movement into LNG propulsion systems is already underway, led by Wärtsilä, with consequent changes in ship design to accommodate the fuel.

Finally, global warming provides an interesting shift in focus. As the Arctic ice pack gradually melts, opportunities will become available for new cargo routes through or near the North Pole. Making such routes available for commercial traffic would have a comparable effect to the opening of the Suez and Panama canals in 1869 and 1914, respectively. Special ships will have to be designed to fit this operational profile. As always, naval architects will be involved. – MarEx

Doron Zilbershtein is a former maritime officer who currently teaches in the online program of Walden University. This is his first appearance in the magazine.