Landing Craft Stability Standard
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1 Proceedings of the 11th International Ship Stability Workshop Landing Craft Stability Standard Jeremy Atkins BMT Defence Services Ltd Steve Marshall Sea Systems Group, UK Ministry of Defence Nick Noel-Johnson BMT Defence Services Ltd ABSTRACT The same stability criteria are applied to large and small naval ships and have served them well for many years. Landing craft are very different to warships (around which the standard was designed) putting into question the applicability of naval stability criteria and the assumptions regarding the risk of craft loss. A research programme to derive a new stability standard for UK landing craft is described. Detail is provided regarding the method for establishing operational doctrine, the associated landing craft specific stability hazards and the derivation of new stability criteria that will form a key element of the future standard. KEYWORDS Craft; Doctrine; Dynamic; FREDYN; Freeboard; Landing; Stability; Standard. INTRODUCTION achieving the max GZ >30 degrees), the levels of risk and robustness of the individual criteria Landing craft are complex marine vehicles. and criteria set are not known. They are required to operate in a range of sea environments both independently and from The design of landing craft is often motherships and beaches. Whilst doing this challenging as the craft when operated from they must carry a wide variety of payloads motherships (e.g. Landing Platform Docks including passengers. As a consequence of (LPD)) have a constrained size envelope. Some these factors the craft operate under limitations of the other factors influencing the design are: on deadweight and environment. Draught constrained by depth of water over Accordingly, the safety standards for mothership dock sill; landing craft have to adequately address all Weight constrained by davit launch; these roles and activities. Stability criteria Beam constrained by mothership dock applied to Royal Marine landing craft have dimensions; traditionally been a derivative of Def Stan Range & speed requirements; 02:109. These in themselves are derived on Cargo weight & load and offload longstanding criteria developed by Sarchin & arrangements; Goldberg based on WWII frigate hullforms. Crew access. Whilst their applicability to landing craft may not be inappropriate, although challenging (e.g. 2 Proceedings of the 11th International Ship Stability Workshop This paper describes the considerations, Key conclusions specific to landing craft methodology and process for the development operation and design drawn from the exercise of a bespoke stability standard for landing craft. are as follows: The scope of the standard will address all the performance requirements of the Naval Ship There was a consistent approach to landing Code (2009). The key lines of development craft operation across each group of described in this paper are focussed on the operators; unique aspects of landing craft and thus the The coxswains’ recollections of landing aspects requiring special consideration. In craft handling, seakeeping and cues to doing so the foundation of the development has adjust heading and speed are the same; been the doctrine for operation of landing craft. The actions taken by the coxswains following these cues were broadly similar; DOCTRINE The LCU Mk10 does not suffer from regular green seas whilst operating within To inform the development of the standard the prescribed operational envelope; and ensure that it adequately addresses the Green sea events are used as a primary primary stability hazards it was necessary to indicator to the coxswain to change verify the current understanding of landing course/speed. craft operational doctrine. This was done through engagement with Landing Craft Utility Potential stability safety hazards associated (LCU) and Landing Craft Vehicle and with the operational doctrine were identified Personnel (LCVP) coxswains in a series of during the exercise. These hazards are being stability related doctrine capture workshops. used to inform the development of the new stability standard. Some examples of these hazards are illustrated in Table 1, below. Fig. 1: Vignette used in operator doctrine capture workshops. Each of the workshops adopted a common format and question set to ensure a consistent approach and thereby allow comparison to be drawn across the three groups of operators visited. A key element of the workshops was use of a common vignette against which the questions were pitched (Figure 1). These questions were designed to determine the doctrine employed during normal and wartime operation and their experience of landing craft operation. From their responses it was possible to establish a common picture of the evolutions that could be expected to occur. 3 Proceedings of the 11th International Ship Stability Workshop Table 1: Stability hazards identified during doctrine attention due to the design and operation of capture workshops. landing craft. Key Event Hazard(s) The standard will address the need for Interpretation of The provenance of surf height protection of the forward part of the ship from Sea Conditions limits for landing craft is not both collision with floating objects (e.g. whilst known. entering an LPD) and from grounding (e.g. on unsurveyed rocks). Inaccurate sea state assessment. The open nature of the typical craft with Damage / Loss of The internal geometry / high bulwarks requires the drainage of the Watertight constrained compartments of Integrity landing craft prevents effective cargo deck to be efficient as trapped water on damage control. deck leads to a reduction in stability. The study has focussed on researching the sizing of Raking damage that affects two freeing ports stipulated by different compartments (including main Administrations for a variety of craft. A direct engine room). approach to sizing freeing ports relating the Beach Approach Insufficient power or propulsor height of bulwarks, deck area and possible and Departure emergence and subsequent loss reduction in stability has proved unsuccessful. of control in surf zone. No direct relationship to the sizing required by Load Line and stability parameters could be Capsize in surf zone on approach to beach due to wave derived. action. Green water is one of the key cues to Capsize in surf zone during 180 handling of the craft and heading and speed degree turn due to wave action. would be altered to remove the frequency of Green Seas / Effect of green seas and the such events. Current arrangements on UK LCU Water in Well ability to remove entrained Mk10’s are designed to Load Lines rules and it Deck water. was reported during the doctrine workshops that when water enters the deck it drains away Loss of Power / Loss of propulsive power during quickly and efficiently. Steerage operation (transit/open water and surf zone). The design constraints for landing craft results in some challenges for the protection of Payload Embarking unknown vehicle Unloading, weight/VCG (e.g. due to vents. Bespoke arrangements are normal Loading, payload of vehicle). practice and designs must consider the Positioning & operational environment and additional Securing Retraction through surf zone influences such as accidental damage from with unknown trim / list / payload handling, operation in cold weather draught. and damage from debris. STABILITY STANDARD STRUCTURE Reserve of Buoyancy Watertight Integrity A range of areas are being developed to The programme will develop standards for support the requirements for reserve of each of the performance requirements for buoyancy, such as the construct of loading watertight integrity. Whilst most of these are conditions and the subdivision of landing craft. relatively straight forward some require special The programme will also review the damage 4 Proceedings of the 11th International Ship Stability Workshop extents currently applied to landing craft and threaten the stability and buoyancy of the develop requirements that better reflect the vessel; hazards from operation e.g. damage from Remain afloat following the loss of hull grounding. The outcome will also define a integrity resulting from foreseeable damage distinction between safety (damage from and following shipping of green seas. grounding & collision) and capability (damage from hostile action). The second area of development concerned the consistent definition of freeboard. Whilst at A further key line of development face value, this may appear a simple task it is surrounds the performance requirements for much complicated by the variable nature of freeboard. A ship’s freeboard provides a safety landing craft designs. margin for buoyancy and stability above that required for static equilibrium in calm seas to Both the Naval Ship Code and the allow the ship to operate in a seaway. Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulations Freeboard has a direct effect on the relative both use a similar definition for freeboard that height of the gunwale and wave crests; it can refers to freeboard as the distance measured therefore influence the incidence and quantity vertically downwards at amidships from the of green seas. Altering freeboard also allows upper edge of the deck-line to the load line. the designer to influence intact stability, damaged condition reserve of buoyancy and In the case of landing craft, the freeboard damaged stability. definition can become a significant design driver. The lowest deck exposed to the external Construction of the requirements for environment is invariably the vehicle deck freeboard