Class 4 (4th Engineer) SC&S 📅 Sep 2022

Exam Question

(a) State why cargo ships must have a collision bulkhead. (6)

(b) A double bottom tank is 1.2 m deep and has a sounding pipe extending 11 m above the tank top. The tank is filled with oil (rd 0.89) to the top of the sounding pipe. The double bottom floors are spaced 750 mm apart and are connected to the tank top by riveted angles, the rivets having a pitch of 7 diameters. If the maximum allowable stress in the rivets is 30 MN/m, calculate the pressure in kN/m2 on the outer bottom and the diameter of the rivets. (10)

Reference Answer

### Part (a): Purpose of a Collision Bulkhead (6 Marks)
A collision bulkhead is a mandatory, principal structural element on cargo ships, mandated by international regulations (SOLAS Ch II-1, Reg 12), for the following critical reasons:
1. **Limiting Fore-End Damage and Flooding**: The primary function is to serve as the foremost watertight transverse bulkhead. In the event of a head-on or bow collision, it is designed to contain the ingress of water to the compartment forward of it (the forepeak tank), preventing progressive flooding into the cargo holds and machinery spaces, which could otherwise lead to the loss of the vessel.
2. **Maintaining Watertight Integrity**: It establishes the forward boundary of the ship's main watertight envelope. Any penetrations for pipes or access must be fitted with suitable watertight valves and closures, ensuring this integrity is not compromised.

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