Guidelines for Reliability-Based, Weight-Optimized Design of Primary Structural Components of Aircraft Carriers CVN(X)

"The objectives of Phase II are to develop guidelines for thereliability-based, weight-optimized design of primary structuralcomponents of aircraft carriers, such as the CVN(X), subjected tovertical and lateral wave loads. The guidelines will providerealistic, extreme primary hull girder load estimates necessaryto facilitate the application of reliability-based methods forinvestigating the possibility of weight savings for aircraftcarrier. An empirical-analytical methodology will be developedbased on sea trials, time-domain histories and extreme valueanalysis that uses empirical data, operation profiles and motionanalysis. Commercial software will be identified anddemonstrated for this purpose. The specific tasks needed toachieve these objectives of the proposed effort can be enumeratedas follows:1. Assessment of primary loads that include vertical andlateral wave loads with their dynamic effects and dependancy;2. Assessment of extreme lifetime loads in a design life todetermine their probabilistic characteristics for design purposes;3. Assessment of load combinations for wave, dynamic,vertical and lateral effects;4. Evaluation of ultimate strength for primary structuralmembers, and fatigue strength;5. Development of weight-optimization procedure;6. Demonstration of the methods and procedures; and7. Identification and demonstration of software needed tosupport such designs.BENEFITS: The marine industry needs gui