Ballast water weight as design parameter of Ro-Ro ships in loaded condition

Abstract

It is known that roll-on/roll-off cargo ships are coming on the market in increasing number and size. As with other ships we can speak of various generations of this ship type. The 3rd generation of roll-on/roll-off ships is already constrained by the breadth limitations of the Panama Canal. The large depth value, the cargo hold capacity and the deck loads of those roll-on/roll-off ships cause stability problems due to the ship’s limited beam. To carry water ballast in the loaded condition is one of the possible answers. Water ballast on modern ships may be considered a useful design parameter.

Having a research-fellowship during the academic year 1978/1979 Dr. J. Kulczyk of the Wroclaw University of Technology investigated the question of water ballast on roll-on/roll-off ships. The research work has been done at the Delft University of Technology in cooperation between the panel of Ship Design and the panel of Shiphydromechanics of the Department of Shipbuilding and Shipping. The project was supervised by Prof.Dr. Ing. C. Gallin and Dr.Ing. L.K. Kupras (panel of Ship Design) and Ir. J.A. Korteweg (panel of Shiphydromechanics). This investigation is part of a wider research on the problems connected with the design of roll-on/roll-off ships pursued at the Delft University of Technology.

It is hoped that the results of this research may be of interest and use to the ship designers.