In today’s highly concurrent shipbuilding projects, structural engineers must work in parallel with the detailed designers. AVEVA Hull Structural Design and Hull Detailed Design maintain two parallel views of the ship 3D model database: a design view for structural engineers and a production view for detailed designers.
The common structural model keeps the two views synchronised; any change to design panels will automatically update their corresponding production panels. These are created from the design panels using automatic block splitting facilities.
AVEVA Hull Structural Design uses efficient parametric modelling functions for hull structures containing plating, holes and stiffeners. Modelling is carried out by adding information to surfaces defined in the ship database. This parametric information forms a 'recipe' for automatically generating steel panels on these surfaces.
A preliminary ship structure can be generated from parameter values in a few hours, and alternative design and dimensioning approaches analysed for details such as steel weight, surface areas or section modulus.
Surfaces can be created in three ways:
- as a major compartment boundary in AVEVA Initial Design
- by direct input in AVEVA Hull Structural Design
- by placing an imported 2D drawing view in the 3D model space.
A 2D drawing can be imported (using DXF) and used as a backdrop for 3D modelling. 2D views can be converted into surfaces and oriented in 3D space. Elements of the drawing view can then be used as references for the 3D modelling of steel structures, the placing of equipment, the routing of pipes, and so on.
Reference Surface Objects may be created by sketching from a drawing and exported using XML.
Once the main longitudinal elements have been modelled, the hull’s section modulus can be calculated within Hull Structural Design.
For full Finite-Element Analysis (FEA), AVEVA Hull Finite Element Modeller may be used as an add-on to Hull Structural Design to convert Hull Structural Design models into optimal meshes for export to third-party FEA software. Interfaces are also provided to classification societies' software for rule checking and strength calculations.
Powerful features are provided for production planning and estimating.
Block division functions allow the hull design to be split, along user-defined seams, into blocks and panels which can be further refined in Hull Detailed Design.
Preliminary block weights, centres of gravity and paint areas can be quickly obtained for any selected part of the model. Alternative block divisions can be analysed quickly, at any stage of the project, to determine the best divisions for available shipyard facilities. This provides valuable flexibility in choosing production locations.
Weld lengths for blocks or assemblies can easily be calculated from a preliminary steel model, and all individual weld lengths reported.
An existing model database containing production panels can be 'reverse engineered' to create design panels through an intelligent merging of production panels. These newly-obtained design panels can then be split to suit alternative production sites.
Built-in drafting functions are closely integrated with the 3D modelling for efficient creation of classification drawings.