Abstract
A practical method of overall finite element analysis of a ship structure is proposed by the present author basing on the theory of a thin-walled beam in 1971. This method was proved to be useful in the initial design of the ship hull.
Effects of the shear deformation as well as the warping-torsion of the ship, however, were not completely taken into account in this analysis.
In 1976 he proposed a family of new discrete elements entitled the Rigid Body-Spring Model (abbreviated as RBSM) which were proved to be powerful in the limit analysis of solids and structures. It was found recently that this beam bending element can take into account influences of the shear deformation as well as warping torsion successfully. In this paper theoretical basis of this beam element is introduced first and then introduction will be made on a method of the discrete limit analysis of a ship structures idealized as a thin-walled beam with the variable cross section. And finally a practical method of the realistic ultimate strength analysis of a ship structure will be discussed.
