Dry dock bottom loads of Zvezda shipbuilding complex during constructionof Lider icebreaker
Object and purpose of research. Justification of design loads on the bottom of Zvezda shipbuilding complex dry dock with respect to the target vessel, advanced nuclear icebreaker Lider. Materials and methods. The loads on dock supports were determined as per the method of five moments taking into account the icebreaker’s main data. Main results. Structural responses of dock supports were calculated for the scenario of icebreaker installation to a repair dock for different keel block stiffnesses, with and without initial bending of the keel line. Then, these results were compared with design calculations. The paper also discusses the difference in load distribution for two scenarios (ship construction and ship repair), highlighting the importance of reliable data on the mechanical characteristics of dock support cappings, as well as on scope and shape of the ship’s keel line bending. Conclusion. This paper gives recommendations on load mitigation for dry dock supports through optimization of their strength and stiffness parameters, as well as demonstrates that hull shape imperfections may seriously affect the distribution of loads on dock supports.