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Types of Bulkheads for Ships

About Ship Bulkheads

The main reason for the formation of ship bulkheads is to create compartments which can be used for storing cargos or creating accommodation spaces. Before the utilization of bulkheads, the whole hull of the ship used to be an open space. Bulkheads provide structural stability and rigidity to the ships. They also minimize the violent sheer forces acting on the ship, that are generated due to waves. Lastly, bulkheads are useful from safety point of view, since they prevent water from entering different parts of the ship in case of flooding.

8 Important Types of Bulkheads

  1. Watertight Bulkhead: These types of bulkheads are used nowadays in nearly all types of ships. They provide maximum safety in times of flooding or damage to the hull. The safety elements come into effect since they divide the ship into watertight compartments, which prevents water from seeping into other parts of the ship in case the hull breaks.
  2. Plain Bulkheads: Plain bulkheads consist of plates that are stiffened by rolled sections, such as bulb plates and angles spaced approximately 760mm apart. The thickness of the plates is generally thickest at the bottom. This is due to the maximum hydrostatic pressure experienced there. They are thinnest at the top and typically not less than 6.5 mm thick. The plates of the bulkhead are laid in a horizontal direction.
  3. Longitudinal Bulkhead: This bulkhead extends the fore and aft and divides the vessel along its length. Engineers use this type of bulkhead inside traverse bulkheads to increase the number of compartments even further. As a result, the ship conserves even more buoyancy when specific compartments are flooded and isolated. On top of that, they are one of the main construction elements that strengthen the longitudinal integrity of the ship and are essential in larger vessels.
  4. Transverse Bulkhead: This bulkhead divides the ship from side to side and is used to create watertight compartments on the vessel. Additionally, traverse bulkheads stiffen the hull’s structure, preventing deformation and racking stresses.
  5. Corrugated Bulkheads: They are bulkheads with corrugated plating, which eliminate the need for welded stiffeners. A corrugated plate is stronger than a flat plate without stiffening if subject to a bending moment or a pillar load along the corrugations. The elimination of vertical stiffeners also results in saving in steel weight and the cost of stiffeners.
  6. Collision Bulkheads: It is the foremost main transverse watertight bulkhead. Collision bulkheads extend from the bottom of the hold to the freeboard deck or the forecastle deck. They are designed to keep water away from the forward hold in case of bow collision damage. This bulkhead should not be too much in front and be able to get damaged upon frontal impact. Also, the bulkhead should not be too far aft to considerably allow the ship to trim by the stern when the section is flooded. The bulkhead also provides maximum cargo space.
  7. After Peak Bulkhead: It is the bulkhead that forms the forward boundary of the aft peak. It can be flat or corrugated.
  8. Engine Room Bulkhead: The bulkhead is transverse, either directly forward or aft of the engine room.

Contact Us

Bulkheads are the backbones of ships, providing strength and watertight integrity. Without them, we cannot imagine a ship working at sea. Advanced Structures Corporation is a supplier of bulkhead panels specifically for US Navy and Coast Guard ships. The use of bulkheads in Coast Guard and US Navy ships is to reduce the extent of seawater flooding in case of damage and provide additional stiffness to the hull girder. For more information about our bulkhead panels and their capabilities, please contact us.

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When you reach out to us, we can answer any questions you may have as well as go over the different types of bulkhead panels. We offer different aluminum bulkhead panels, as well as GRP / Nomex panels. On top of that, the Coast Guard and US Navy have different specifications, so the approved bulkhead panels meet those standards. Get professional handling of bulkhead panel manufacturing when you turn to Advanced Structures Corporation.