THE ANATOMY OF TANKER GROUNDING

The destructive effects of the Exxon Valdez grounding achieved worldwi de notice. Yet, few tools exist for the ship designer or classificatio n societies to assess or improve the survival of ships and cargo in ca tastrophic grounding situations. Two models have been developed which provide new insight into the grounding of longitudinally framed tanker s. Several typical failure modes have been identified and calculations support the observed failure pattern in recent tanker groundings. The extent of damage to the bottom has been calculated and related to the kinetic energy of the ship, the geometry of the impacting rock, and m aterial and structural characteristics of the ship.