T&R Bulletin 1-29: Design Considerations and the Resistance of Large Towed Seagoing Barges (1972)

The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers through the work of its Technical and Research (T&R) Program endeavors as part of its assigned task to provide information that could assist the naval architect in designing the most economical and efficient ship hull form.

 

A relatively new field of transportation endeavor is the use of large ocean-going barges. A paper entitled "Notes On the Hydrodynamics of Seagoing Barges" by Messrs. R.B. Couch and J. Moss, presented at April 3, 1964, Gulf Section SNAME Meeting, proved of such interest that Panel H-2 (Resistance and Propulsion), under the direction of the Society's T&R Hydrodynamics Committee, funded a modest project at the University of Michigan to analyze the data obtained from towing tank testing of many types of ocean-going barges for the purpose of preparing guidelines for the barge designer. Additional Industry support was volunteered and the project expanded in scope.

 

The results of the investigation are presented in this Bulletin. It is hoped that it will serve as a guide In the design of large ocean-going barges and encourage more research on this subject.