MIDSHIP SECTION OF A DOUBLE HULL OIL TANKER

• All oil tankers of length above 120 m are required to be double hulled, as per MARPOL rules.
Panamax, Aframax, Suezmax, VLCC and ULCC tankers are all double-hulled. The primary reason
for providing two hulls is to prevent the contact of cargo oil with the external environment in
case of any structural damage to the hull.

• The centre tank is used for storage of cargo oil, and the wing tanks or segregated ballst
tanks (SBTs) are used for carrying sea water ballast. The SBTs are epoxy coated so as to prevent
corrosion. Do observe that the longitudinal stiffeners on the wing tank longitudinal bulkhead are
placed towards the wing tank, and not the centre cargo oil tank. In order to prevent oil
accumulation on them. 

• The double bottom spaces are also used for water ballast, and the stiffeners on the inner bottom
plating are always towards the double bottom space.

• A deep transverse web frame (left half of the above figure) is given at every three to four frame
spaces in order to provide transverse strength to the ship. The longitudinal stiffeners are welded
to these web frames. Stringers are provided on these transverse webs to provide further
strengthening.

• In 1992 MARPOL was amended to make it mandatory for tankers of 5,000 dwt and more
ordered after 6 July 1993 to be fitted with double hulls, or an alternative design approved by
IMO (regulation 19 in Annex I of MARPOL). 

• Use of Grade E Steel in Tankers :

• Location Thickness

• Stringer plate/sheer

• Strake/rounded gunwale Greater than 15 mm

• Bilge strake/

• Deck strake in way Of L. Bulkhead Greater than 25 mm

• Main deck plating/

• Bottom plating/keel/Upper strake of Longitudinalbulkhead Greater than 40mm

• Construction of Tank Spaces:

Tank spaces have a longitudinally framed double bottom supported by transverse floors and a
longitudinally framed deck supported by deck transverses.The longitudinally framed side shell,inner
hull ,and longitudinal bulkheads are all supported by transverse webs aligned with the transverse floors
and deck transverses.
 • Longitudinal framing:

• Deck and bottom longitudinals have the greatest scantlings since they are stiffening the more
highly stressed flanges of the hull girder.At the side shell ,the upper longitudinals have the least
scantlings, and a uniform increase in size occurs down the side shell until the bilge is reached.

Longitudinal Framing of Oil Tankers

• For product carriers ,the deck longitudinals may be fitted above the deck to provide a flush
internal tank surface for cleaning.

• An important feature of the longitudinal framing system is that ,continuity of strength is

• Higher tensile steel longitudinals are to be continuous irrespective of ship length.

Floors and Transverses:

• To support the bottom and inner bottom longitudinal solid plate floors are fitted.

• Stiffened transverse plate webs support the side shell and inner shell longitudinals,deck

Longitudinals,and longitudinal bulkhead stiffening.

• Transverses are built of a plate web and heavier flat face bar ,the depth being adequate to allow
sufficient material abreast the slots through which the longitudinals pass.

• Within the double-hull side space they form a solid web and are supported by horizontal
stringers .
• In wing tanks ,they support the deck longitudinals and fore and aft bulkhead longitudinals.

Bottom and Deck Girders:

• A centre line girder is required in the double bottom space ,which with the heavy keel plate
constitutes the immediate structure through which docking loads are transmitted when the
vessel is placed on the keel blocks.

Bulkheads:

• Bulkhead spacing throughout the cargo tank space is determined by the permissible length of
cargo tanks.MARPOL requires that the length of each cargo tank shall not exceed the greater of
10 m or a length expressed as percentage of the ships length that is dependent on the number
of the longitudinal bulkheads fitted and the minimum distance from the ships side of the outer
longitudinal bulkhead.

• Tankers of two or more longitudinal bulkheads may have wing and centre tank lengths upto 20%
of the ships length.

• Cofferdams ,which maybe formed with two adjacent oiltight transverse bulkheads at least
760mm apart,are required at the ends of the cargo space . A pumproom ,fitted at the aft end of
the cargo space and a ballast tank is fitted at the forward end,each of the compartments being
accepted in lieu of the cofferdam.

• A cofferdam is also provided between any accomodation and oil cargo tanks.

• Transverse Bulkheads:

• These are oiltight .Vertical stiffeners are fitted ,or corrugated plating is provided with
corrugations running either vertically or horizontally. Horizontal stringers support the vertical
stiffeners and corrugations,and vertical webs support any horizontal corrugations.

• Further support is provided by the vertical centre-line web, which is as a rule deeper on one side
of the bulkhead than on the other, unless the tank is very long and the web may then be
symmetrical either side of the bulkhead.

• Longitudinal Bulkheads:

• These are oiltight ,maybe conventially stiffened or maybe corrugated with corrugations running
horizontally .vertical corrugated center-line bulkheads maybe fitted. Conventional stiffening is
arranged vertically where the side framing is vertical and arranged longitudinally when the side
is longitudinally framed.
• Vertical webs are fitted to the longitudinal bulkhead when this is corrugated or longitudinally
framed. Corrugated longitudinal bulkheads are only permitted in ships of less than 200m in
length.

• Midship Section of Double Hull Oil Tanker