Stress and effect on a vessel in severe weather conditions

Stress and effect on a vessel in severe weather conditions. Recorded during passage from Suez Canal to Singaporre, recorded in June 2008.

Ships in Storm - Terrifying Monster Waves

All right reserved, DO NOT COPY

[rainman]

I had heard that they designed vessels to be flexible, so that they would bend, rather than break, but this is the first time to see it in action. So freaking weird.

[Tirolekafi]

As an naval architect, you are pleased that such a phenomenon receives so much attention :)

[gregc]

Even though we know it's supposed to flex like that, it looks pretty unnerving.

[Bigger-Than-Jesus]

while the interior shots looks scary you have to remember how long those vessels are. Sky scrapers flex in the wind in a similar manner.

[rodanzig]

 I joined the first big ship I was on, the Exxon North Slope in LA in Feb 1986. When I got up the next day after we were underway I looked out the port hole from my room which faced forward. The weather wasn't even bad just a blustery day really the deck was flexing sort of in waves.I remember thinking "I hope they know what they're doing".
  Later when we were loading in Valdez, AK I was on watch out on deck. We had radios to communicate with the mate in the cargo control room . I was walking around the deck singing the one verse from SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW that I knew. As I walked aft in front of the control room the mate was pounding on the porthole . My radio was stuck in the transmit mode and they had been listening to me sing for about 10-15 min.I was mortified.Good days.Thanks for the video.

[deino]

Wow - I always wondered how ships took these stresses, but I never saw it depicted this graphically. They must have to check for metal fatigue periodically, just like on an airliner. Great video!

[etiennedauphin]

Like the wings on a commercial airliner. Amazing video, thank you very much for uploading.

[earnharvick]

I know it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, but it does not make it any less unnerving!

[h-bohm]

Might be normal flexing but I’d be waiting in the lifeboat till the storm passed.

[felixcat]

This is my favorite engineering video!

What more graphic example of designed and engineered in strength, flexibility and durability could one wish for than this marvellous, yet initially slightly unnerving video of a very large container vessel in rough seas?

That's an awful lot of stress to subject a hull to, year in, year out, yet every such hull has to be so rated in order to gain certification and be insurable.

This is so compelling to watch, and not something your average cruise ship passenger would want to see!

I have seen photographs of a cargo ship whose hull failed, splitting the ship lengthways in two, and those crew at the stern thought the approaching hull they could see was that of a rescue ship when it was actually the bow section of their own ship passing them. It was quite an eerie image to see in a book, I can't imagine how the crew felt!

As serving crew, I suppose it's best not to overthink about it too much, or go work ashore.

[shaunmcinnis]

had no idea their was that much flex, wow

[michaelhastie]

In weather like that, it makes you feel alive. I have stood at the helm and watched many a bow ploughing under the sea shaking up and down trying to break through the large waves to come back up. Being in the merchant navy was the happiest 28 years (1962-90) of my life...I still miss it.

[lionelplayford]

This video simply shows what happens to a flexible steel beam (a ship) when a fluctuating load (waves) are applied. The beam flexes like a spring. At leat 6 problems for the naval architect/structural engineer/ marine engineer to solve: 1. excessive loads leading to yielding and/or buckling of steel members, 2. extreme deflections leading to containers smashing together, 3. excessive accelerations of structure leading to uncomfortable living/working conditions for the crew. Add to this 4. roll, pitch and yaw accelerations/angles of the vessel due to the response of the ship to the waves, 5. local water pressure pulses on the steel plate grillages around the bow area (panting), 6. exposure of the prop in extreme pitching leading to over reving of the engines and potential engine shut down and you have a complex engineering problem to solve. Amazing that any of our Christmas presents from China ever arrive on time!

[ktpinnacle]

I've seen other clips of ships flexing, but this one is one of the most impressive. Some great engineering and shipbuilding at work here.

[SuperExcedrin]

That interior shot was scary to say the least.

[mark-]

1:40 - Wow, wasn't aware they flexed that much in that many directions.

[jaime]

And that’s why planes have curtains and short cabins

[sonnydean]

Very informative video. Shows again the extreme tolerances which must be designed into sea-going vessels and large airliners. Scary to watch, but quite normal. If as you say, the craft has been designed correctly. Thanks again for sharing.

[Supernaut]

I won’t complain about my office job anymore, I promise!

[windshieldraindrops]

What an incredibly strong thing a ship is