Pre-erection joint

A pre-erection joint is the weld that joins two completed hull blocks into a larger grand block at ground level, before the assembly is lifted to the building berth or dock for final erection. Making the joint on the ground gives welders flat, downhand access and easy inspection, instead of the overhead and confined work the same seam would demand at erection height. Combining blocks this way cuts the number of crane lifts and shortens the time the building dock is occupied, which is the most expensive constraint in the yard. The grand block is then set as a single unit and closed out with fewer erection joints.