Trade MoD Centre of Excellence in Marine Structures Mechanics and integrity assessment of damaged structures Context The Centre of Excellence represents a long term, strategic collaboration between MoD and Lloyd’s Register on the one hand and the University of Southampton and University College London on the other. The two main areas of study by researchers and students are analysis of loads on damaged ships and modelling techniques for damaged and aged structure. The strategic aim of the project is to deliver a set of analysis processes and procedures that may be implemented to provide an Emergency Response Service to Warships . The project is being in close collaboration with a number of UK based shipyards, design consultants and naval architectural companies. Example Projects Load determination in damaged ships Ultimate strength of aged and damaged ship structures Collapse strength of orthotropic stiffened structures Computation models for coupled fluid structure modelling of damaged ships Scale model of a container ship in the wind tunnel. Impact The impact of this work, when completed, would be for safer ships operating with enhanced standards for seafarers . The work will also serve to ensure reduced profiles for potential environmental pollution. Beluga Projects was one of the first ships equipped with a full-scale site propulsion system. www.southampton.ac.uk