Ship Science and Engineering
Shipbuilding, Materials, Sea Trials, Retrofits and Recycling glossary
The industrial realization of the design and the lifecycle that follows: block and grand-block assembly, welding processes and non-destructive testing, hull steels (AH36, DH36), LNG containment materials, coatings under the PSPC, and cathodic protection. Covers speed trials under ISO 15016, maneuvering trials, retrofits (BWTS, scrubbers, EEXI, EPL), and end-of-life recycling under the Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation with the IHM.
219 defined terms.
A
- Acceptance trial
- Owner's trial demonstrating contract performance.
- Acoustic emission inspection
- NDT method detecting active crack growth.
- Active bandhandling
- Material flow process in steel pre-processing line.
- Adamite roll
- Roll material used in plate mill, relevant to material supply.
- Aft block (Block construction)
- Stern blocks erected on building dock.
- AH36 steel
- Higher-tensile shipbuilding steel with min yield 355 MPa.
- Air bubble lubrication (ABL)
- Retrofittable Mitsubishi MALS-type system.
- AluMaster
- Aluminum block fabrication.
- Aluminum 5083-H321
- Marine-grade Al-Mg plate.
- Anti-Fouling System (AFS Convention)
- IMO 2001 Convention banning TBT.
- Aqua-blasting
- Wet-abrasive cleaning of hull steel.
- Arrival condition (sea trial)
- Standard loading condition for trial.
B
- Backing strip welding
- Single-sided weld with backing bar.
- Ballast Water Management System (BWMS)
- Type-approved per MEPC.300(72) BWMS Code.
- Bilge block (drydock)
- Side support for hull on docking.
- Block coefficient verification (sea trial)
- Light-condition draft survey.
- Block erection schedule
- Master plan for joining hull blocks.
- Boiler hydrostatic test
- Pressure test at 1.5x MAWP.
- Brackets (structural)
- Connection plates between primary members.
- Building berth
- Inclined slipway for ship launching.
- Building dock
- Drydock used for new construction.
- Built-up girder
- Welded plate girder primary structure.
- Bulb flat profile
- HP standard stiffener cross section.
- Butt weld
- Weld joining two plates in the same plane.
C
- Cargo gear test
- SWL proof load test of cranes and derricks.
- Carry-over (rolling)
- Rolling defect in plate production.
- Cathodic protection (ICCP)
- Impressed current cathodic protection per IMO Res. A.798(19).
- CCS (China Classification Society)
- Member of IACS.
- CE marking (recreational craft)
- EU recreational craft directive marking.
- CEM III/B cement
- Marine concrete binder used in caissons.
- Charpy V-notch test
- Impact toughness test per ISO 148-1.
- Class notations (DNV, ABS, etc.)
- Symbols denoting service and special features.
- CO2 laser cutting
- Plate cutting method in shipyard.
- Coastal Class society
- Domestic recognized organization.
- Coating Technical File (CTF)
- PSPC documentation per MSC.215(82).
- Cofferdam (construction)
- Temporary watertight enclosure during repair.
- Common Structural Rules (CSR-BC&OT)
- Harmonized class rules.
- Container lashing test
- Trial of lashing/twistlock components.
- Containment system (LNGC)
- Membrane GTT Mark III/NO96 or Moss spherical.
- Continuous welding
- Welding without break across panel.
- Conversion (FPSO)
- Tanker conversion to floating production unit.
- Corrosion margin
- Allowance added to net thickness per class rules.
- Crane proof load test
- 1.25x SWL for cranes per ILO C152.
D
- Deadweight survey (sea trial)
- Draft survey verifying lightship weight.
- Detailed design
- Production design phase.
- DH36 steel
- Higher-tensile steel with -20 °C Charpy.
- Direct calculation method
- FE-based strength check per class.
- Distortion control
- Welding sequence/jigs to limit deformation.
- Dock trial (basin trial)
- Pre-sea trial conducted alongside.
- DP capability plot
- Sea trial output for DP class.
- DPST (Drydock Period for Special Survey)
- 5-yearly class major dock.
- Drag chains (launching)
- Chains to limit launch travel.
- Dry-dock interval
- 5-year class survey cycle.
- DST (dynamic shock test)
- Shock trial for naval ships.
E
- EEXI Technical File
- Required documentation per MEPC.333(76).
- EH36 steel
- HT steel with -40 °C Charpy.
- Electromagnetic gauge (UT)
- EMAT ultrasonic thickness gauging.
- End-of-life ship (EoL)
- Vessel destined for recycling.
- Engine commissioning
- Final tests of installed engine in yard.
- Erection joint
- Block-to-block weld during erection.
- EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR 1257/2013)
- EU regulation on recycling.
- Eulerian-Lagrangian welding analysis
- FE method for residual stresses.
- Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS)
- Open/closed-loop scrubber retrofit.
- Extension trial
- Additional sea trial after retrofit.
F
- Fabrication tolerance
- Allowable deviation per IACS Rec. 47.
- Fatigue Class S-N curve
- Stress-cycle curve used in fatigue assessment.
- Final inspection (yard)
- Pre-handover inspection.
- Fire Control Plan
- Required under SOLAS II-2/15.
- First-of-class trial
- Extended sea trial for lead ship.
- Fixed Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS)
- Type-approved system per FSS Code.
- Flange-stiffener
- Built-up T-bar stiffener used in primary structure.
- Flat panel line
- Robotic line for fabricating flat hull panels.
- Float-out
- Operation removing hull from drydock.
- Forecastle block
- Fwd-most block of the hull.
- Friction stir welding
- Solid-state welding of Al panels.
- Fume scrubber (yard)
- Welding fume extraction system.
G
- Galvanic anode
- Zinc/aluminum anode per ASTM B418/F1182.
- Gas-free certificate
- Certificate before hot work in tanks.
- General arrangement (GA)
- Top-level layout plan.
- GoaGoa
- Specific shipyard reference, omitted.
- Goal-Based Standards (GBS)
- IMO Res. MSC.296(87) for bulk and tankers.
- Goose neck
- Vent terminal shape for tanks.
- GTT Mark III Flex+
- Membrane containment with stainless primary.
- GTT NO96 system
- Membrane LNG containment with Invar primary barrier.
H
- Half-block model
- Yard wooden model historically used for fairing.
- Hand-over protocol
- Set of documents at delivery.
- Hardness test (HV/HB)
- Vickers or Brinell hardness check.
- Hazardous Materials Inventory (IHM)
- HKC/EU SRR mandated IHM Part I.
- Heat-affected zone (HAZ)
- Region of microstructural change near weld.
- High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) coating
- Thermal-spray coating for shafts.
- Hold ladder test
- Drop test of vertical ladders.
- Hong Kong Convention (HKC)
- 2009 Hong Kong Convention on Ship Recycling (in force 26 June 2025).
- Horizontal pressure test
- Tank hydrostatic test.
- Hot work permit
- Yard/onboard permit before welding/cutting.
- Hover-craft skirt material
- PVC-coated polyester used in ACV refit.
- Hull cleaning robot
- Crawler underwater hull cleaning unit.
- Hull stress monitoring system (HSMS)
- Strain gauges on deck, used at trial.
- Hybrid laser-arc welding
- Combined laser+MAG welding.
I
- IACS Common Structural Rules
- Harmonized rules for bulkers/tankers.
- IACS Rec. 47
- Shipbuilding and repair quality standard.
- IACS UR W11
- Hull steel grade requirements.
- IACS UR Z23
- Bilge keel arrangement.
- ICCP system
- Impressed current cathodic protection.
- IGS Aug 2014 retrofit
- Inert gas retrofit on chemical tankers.
- IHM Part I/II/III
- Inventory of Hazardous Materials sections.
- Inclining experiment
- Test determining KG per IS Code 2008.
- Indicator power trial
- Engine indicator diagram during trial.
- Inert gas system test
- Trial of IG composition and flow.
- Installation manual
- Manufacturer document used during retrofit.
- Intermediate Survey
- Class survey between Special Surveys.
- Invar (36% Ni)
- Low-CTE alloy used in LNG membrane tanks.
- ISO 15016
- Sea trial speed/power correction procedure.
- ISO 19030-2
- Hull/propeller performance default method.
- ISO 23800
- Voyage data recording standard.
J
- Jacking system (load-out)
- Hydraulic jacks for SPMT load-out.
- Jigs and fixtures
- Tooling supporting block fabrication.
- JIS G3106 SM41B
- Japanese mild ship steel grade.
K
- K-line bilge keel
- Standard bilge keel arrangement.
- Keel laying
- Symbolic placement of first block in dock.
- Kockums system
- Yard panel-line system originally Swedish.
L
- Laser cutting (CO2/fiber)
- Plate cutting method.
- Lashing equipment certification
- GL/DNV approved twistlocks.
- Launch (gravity, side, float)
- Methods of launching the new hull.
- Lay-up (long-term)
- Owner-initiated preservation regime.
- LCS welding consumable
- Low-hydrogen weld metal for HT steel.
- LHV gas heater
- Component of LNG fuel system on retrofit.
- Liner offset class
- Class-approved liner allowance.
- Lloyd's Register IHM Expert
- LR service for IHM compliance.
- Load test (cargo gear)
- Cargo gear proof load.
- Lock-up valve test
- System safety device test.
M
- MARC welding wire
- Common GMAW wire used in yards.
- Margin plate
- Plate at the edge of double bottom.
- MEPC.1/Circ.815
- Guidelines for using ISO 15016 in EEDI verification.
- MIG/MAG welding
- Gas metal arc welding processes.
- Mock-up unit
- Full-scale mock-up for piping/cabling rehearsals.
- Module assembly area
- Yard area for outfitting modules.
- MRBM (membrane LNG)
- Membrane containment system component.
N
- 9% Nickel steel
- ASTM A553 plate for LNG/liquid hydrogen tanks.
- NACE MR0175 (sour service)
- Material standard relevant to FPSO retrofit.
- NDT (Non-Destructive Testing)
- UT, MT, PT, RT, VT methods.
- NK steel grade KA32
- ClassNK ship plate grade.
- NORSOK M-501
- Surface preparation/coating standard.
O
- Oily Water Separator retrofit
- Compliance upgrade to 15 ppm spec.
- One-side welding (FCB)
- Flux-copper backing single-sided welding.
- Operational sea trial
- Charter-acceptance trial.
- Outfitting platform
- Yard area for hull outfitting.
- Overflow pipe test
- Cargo overflow alarm test.
P
- Paint surveyor (NACE Level III)
- Coating inspector certification.
- Panel line
- Robotic panel fabrication line.
- Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC)
- IMO Res. MSC.215(82).
- PetroBras P-class FPSO
- Conversion reference projects.
- Plate edge preparation
- Bevel preparation for welding.
- Plate seam
- Longitudinal plate joint.
- Polar Code modifications
- Retrofit modifications for Polar Code compliance.
- Pre-erection joint
- Joining of two blocks before main erection.
- Pre-outfitting
- Outfitting before block erection.
- Pre-trial inspection
- Yard checks before sea trial.
- Pressure test (tank)
- Air/hydrostatic tank tightness test.
- Production design
- Detailed design for fabrication.
- Progressive trial
- Speed/power runs at increasing speed.
Q
- Quality Acceptance Standard (Yard)
- IACS Rec. 47-based standard.
- Quenched and tempered steel
- Heat-treated steel for high-strength service.
R
- Radiographic Testing (RT)
- NDT method using X-rays.
- Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP)
- Ship Recycling Facility Plan per HKC.
- Refrigeration retrofit
- Conversion from R22 to R134a/R744.
- Repair specification
- Owner-issued repair scope document.
- Repair Yard Stations
- Categorization of repair yards.
- Residual stress measurement
- X-ray diffraction or hole-drilling.
- Riding sea margin
- Sea-trial speed allowance.
- Robotic welding
- Robot arms used in panel lines.
- Routine survey (PSC)
- Port State inspection at port call.
- Rudder horn
- Structural rudder support cast or fabricated.
- Rudder stock
- Forged shaft transmitting rudder torque.
S
- Sandblasting (Sa 2.5)
- Surface preparation standard ISO 8501-1.
- Schettino plot (sea trial)
- Synonymous with course recorder trace.
- Scrubber retrofit
- Installation of EGCS.
- Sea trial measurement plan (STMP)
- Plan per ISO 15016.
- Self-elevating pontoon
- Jack-up vessel used during construction.
- Sequential block welding
- Procedure to control distortion.
- Shaft alignment optical
- Pre-erection alignment of shafting.
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
- Stick welding.
- Ship Recycling Facility (SRF) authorization
- EU SRR list authorization.
- Ship Recycling Plan (SRP)
- Required per HKC and EU SRR per ship.
- Side launching
- Launch transverse to keel.
- SOLAS Ch. II-1/3-2
- PSPC requirements.
- Special Survey (SS)
- 5-yearly class survey.
- SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporter)
- Heavy load mover for block transport.
- Standard speed trial
- Mile run on measured mile per ISO 15016.
- Steel plate (ASTM A131)
- Common ship plate spec.
- Steel-cutting ceremony
- Yard milestone of cutting first plate.
- Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
- High-deposition welding for plates.
- Surface preparation grade Sa 3
- White metal blast standard.
T
- Tank-top doubler
- Doubler plate at column footings.
- Test loading condition
- Trial loading for inclining experiment.
- Thermal spray aluminum (TSA)
- Coating for offshore structures.
- Three-dimensional measurement
- Photogrammetry for hull alignment.
- Towing convoy (delivery)
- Wet/dry tow for newbuild delivery.
- Trial trip
- Builder's sea trial.
- Two-component epoxy paint
- PSPC-compliant ballast tank coating.
U
- UKHO ENC (yard)
- Charts used during sea trial.
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
- NDT thickness and flaw detection.
- Underwater hull inspection (UWILD)
- In-water survey in lieu of drydocking.
- Universal Mill Plate
- Plate rolled with controlled edges.
- Urea storage tank (SCR retrofit)
- New tank for SCR installation.
V
- Vacuum testing (tightness)
- Box test for fillet welds.
- Verisys ECDIS test set
- Type-approval data set.
- Vibration acceptance test
- ISO 6954 measurement at trial.
- Visual Inspection (VT)
- Welder visual inspection per ISO 17637.
- Voith Schneider retrofit
- VSP installation on tugs.
W
- Wave height correction (ISO 15016)
- Sea-trial speed correction.
- Weldability test (CTOD)
- Crack tip opening displacement test.
- Welding consumables (E7018)
- SMAW low-hydrogen electrode.
- Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)
- Approved welding procedure.
- WPQ test
- Welder performance qualification per ISO 9606-1.
- Wreck removal
- Operations under Nairobi Convention.
X
- X-ray radiography
- Standard volumetric NDT method.
Y
- Yard inclining test
- Builder's inclining experiment.
- YS (yield strength) marking
- Plate identification of yield grade.
Z
- Zinc-rich primer
- Anti-corrosion primer for steel.