Effect of Panting on the Fatigue Strength of Ship Plating

Panting is the name given to out-of plane movement and formation of secondary bending stresses which are produced when a deformed panel is subjected to in-plane edge loads. The role of panting, particularly as it applies to fatigue, is essentially unquantified. There have been reported incidences where fuel/ballast tank tops have cracked as a result of sloshing and pressure fluctuation between adjoining tanks. However, recent interest in advanced unidirectional double hull concepts for both naval and commercial ships has generated interest in the effects of panting on the fatigue strength of these types of ships. The intent of this investigation is to quantify the additional fatigue damage and associated reduction in fatigue life of a plate panel, which can be attributed to panting. These fatigue analyses considered the interaction of axial load and lateral pressure and established a fatigue analysis procedure where none had previously existed. These results help to identify acceptable aspect and slenderness ratios of plate panels, as well as ratios which should be avoided.Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Div Bethesda is the author of 'Effect of Panting on the Fatigue Strength of Ship Plating', published 2001 under ISBN 9781423524755 and ISBN 1423524756.