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000 lineal feet of electric welding is in large part responsible for the weight saving, but the use of lighter, strong: er, members also contributes to the re- sult,” Mr. Pluymert explained. “When the time comes that steel fabricators provide appropriately-designed shapes for electric welding, I predict new economies that will be even harder to ignore.” Detailed construction of the riveted hulls was taken as the basis for all calculated structural scantlings, so that no difficulty was encountered ir obtaining the approval of the Amer- ican Bureau of Shipping, in which the vessel is classed. Fifty tons of dead- weight was saved, without sacrifice of strength. Flat Bars for Framing For example, in the cargo oil space of the welded ship the framing, beams and bulkhead stiffeners are not the usual angles or channels but, instead, are flat bars. While this, of course, results in the elimination of flanges, that is not its chief advantage. The main advantage is that, in order to obtain an equivalent section of. stif- fener members, the flat bars used are considerably thicker than the standing flanges or webbs of members conven- tionally employed. This results in a substantial increase in corrosion-re- sistance in cargo oil compartments, @ XPANSION trunk and deck framing of the welded _tanker Pough- keepsie Socony —An excellent illustration of the flat bar frame and beam construc tion. May 12 ® where water ballast is used so fre- quently. In like manner, the bracket arrange- ments customary in tanker construc- tion are materially reduced by the use of welded horizontal plate stringers in association with the bulkhead or shell. It is by such means, together with the elimination of connection clips, the reduction of lap and seam widths of plating, rivet heads and the like, that the welded vessel achieves some 50 tons lighter weight than a yiveted vessel of similar dimensions. Many novel applications of welding also were made among deck fittings, such as the all-welded double roller choeks, mast fittings, awning supports, stanchions and such parts—features, 2 Co 2eeee the con- struction of the all-welded tank- er Poughkeep- sie Socony ut- most accuracy was used in the erection of the SUPPDOTETING form for the hull. April 21 4 all, which not only gave greater strength but saved weight and fitting- out time and money. Utility of the welded design, how- ever, may not be considered merely from the viewpoint of form or les- sened weight, for its simplifying ef- fect persists from the time a vessel is laid down on the drafting board until it is delivered from the ways, a com- pleted ship; and in no phase of design or construction is the advantage more apparent than in assembly. One of the accompanying illustrations shows the bottom forms of _ the ® E NGINE room of the welded tanker Pough- keepsie Socony as it looked on June 2. Note the flat bar frames, web frames, floors and en- gine founda- tions 4 MARINE REVIEW—September, 1934 “cradle’ upon which the hull is erected; this cradle is added to from time to time as required and always provides a solid base for the rising structure to grow upon. The cradle as the foundation of a fair ship is erected with the greatest accuracy. This pre- cision is reflected not only in the hull but makes it possible to carry on ground assembly to an otherwise im- possible extent. In fact, large areas, such as complete bulkheads, are as- sembled on the ground and, when hoisted into position fit in place with- out forcing or drawing-up. The fine appearance of these shop- fabricated bulkheads is shown in the accompanying illustration, (page 18) looking aft down the centerline bulk- head, which is 166 feet long and, in its completed state, weighed 35 tons, though limitations in crane capacity made it necessary to handle it in five units. How Distortion is Avoided An excellent idea of the flat bar con- struction, previously mentioned, may be had from the illustration, showing the expansion trunk, as well as the one of the engine room and the sur- rounding strength members. The means by which distortion is avoided in large areas, welded in ad- vance of erection, are clearly shown in the illustration of bulkhead 65.