Concrete ships

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Wood as a building material for boats and ships has faithfully served humanity for many centuries. And it served great! However, for all its advantages, wood as a shipbuilding material also has its disadvantages: it is relatively low strength, susceptibility to decay, fire hazard, labor intensity of construction …

And sometimes there are difficulties with the preparation of combatant ship timber. With the proliferation of steam engines and the growth in the size and carrying capacity of ships, wood ceased to satisfy shipbuilders. Freight traffic on water routes grew rapidly. In the 19th century, an active search for an alternative began. Ships with steel hulls were excellent replacements, but they were expensive and time consuming to build. They needed a cheap and technologically advanced material.

In 1867, Joseph Monier, who is often considered the "author" of reinforced concrete, received a patent for tubs made of reinforced cement. (As always: “whoever has a piece of paper is right.” Although long before the cunning Frenchman, “his” “invention” was already in full use in construction - for example, in 1802, during the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, Russian architects used metal rods to reinforce the ceiling, In 1829, the English engineer Fox realized a metal-reinforced concrete floor. In 1854, Wilkinson in England received a patent for a fire-resistant reinforced concrete floor. In 1861 in France, Coigner published a book about 10 years of experience in the use of reinforced concrete. he built a church of reinforced concrete in 1864. In 1865 Wilkinson built a house of reinforced concrete.)

But back in 1849 in France, Lambo built a boat from reinforced cement. Reinforced cement differs from reinforced concrete in a number of valuable qualities. With a uniform distribution of steel over the cross-section of the structure and with a relatively high content of it, a strong crack-resistant material is obtained. The idea looked very tempting: cheap, fast, requires a minimum of skilled craftsmen, technologically advanced.

Eight years later, his fellow countryman Jose-Louis Lambot presented a rowing boat made of reinforced concrete at the World Exhibition in Paris. Then, both the Americans and Europeans created similar sailing yachts and boats, but in small numbers.

In 1917, the Norwegian engineer Nikolai Fegner presented to the public a self-propelled reinforced concrete ship called "Namsenfijord". Then the Americans built the "Faith" dry cargo ship a year later. During World War II, the United States built 24 reinforced concrete ships and 80 barges.

It turned out that the strength of such ships is much higher than that of metal ships, and it is easier to repair holes in them. Armocement is more durable than wood and metal, and in winter it is not afraid of ice.

During the First World War, a lot of reinforced concrete ships were built. Until 1915, samples of reinforced concrete ships were built in almost all countries, including Turkey and China. In 1915, due to the huge need for tonnage, lack of steel and the possibility of quick construction, all countries began to feverishly build them and developed this shipbuilding until the beginning of 1919. These works were carried out in America, England, Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Holland.

The S. S. Atlantus is probably the most famous concrete boat. It was built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Brunswick, Georgia. Launched on December 5, 1918. The ship was the second concrete ship in the world built during the Emergency Preparations for the First World War.

The war had ended a month earlier, but Atlantus was used to transport American soldiers home from Europe and also to transport coal to New England. In 1920, the ship was decommissioned and left in the port of Virginia.

In 1926 Atlantus was acquired by Colonel Jesse Rosenfeld. He was going to build a dock for all concrete ships, so that in case of danger he could quickly activate the forces, as well as for convenience.

In March 1926 Atlantus was rebuilt and towed to Cape May. However, on June 8, a storm hit and the ship was wrecked 150 meters off the coast of Sunset Beach. There were attempts to get the ship for repair, but they were unsuccessful.

Since that time, "Atlantus" has become a tourist attraction. People dived from its deck into the water until one young man was killed. After that, a warning sign was posted on the shore. In the late 50s, the ship split in two.

Location

S. S. Atlantus is 150 feet from Sunset Beach, Cape May, NJ.

Vessel characteristics

Length: 250ft

Weight: 2, 500 tons

During the Second World War, steel was a scarce material in our country, so Soviet specialists also created ships from reinforced concrete. In Riga, at the pier of the port of Voleri, there is just such a ship - made of concrete. Absolutely safe and afloat, though without deck superstructures. The preservation is excellent, given the venerable age of this miracle of engineering. At the stern, the foundations of the superstructures remained. Some of the rooms were tiled (most likely a ship's latrine and galley). On the deck, the foundations of some structures have been preserved (perhaps nests for attaching anti-aircraft guns or a crane). The vessel has its own steering system and propeller mechanisms; there are haws for anchors in the nose. It looks more like a dry cargo ship than a barge.

Many reinforced concrete ships were built in Germany during the Second World War: tankers with a carrying capacity of 3000 and 3400 tons, lighters with a carrying capacity of 700 and 1000 tons, dry cargo vessels with a carrying capacity of 3700 and 4200 tons, as well as fishing trawlers. All these vessels have shown good performance. The ships were built using a monolithic or precast-monolithic method.

Transports of the "Liberty" type with reinforced concrete hulls (in addition to the massive "Liberty" with steel hulls) were built in the United States during both world wars due to a shortage of steel.

The ships were intended for short-term use, however, due to the fact that reinforced concrete, unlike steel, does not corrode, some of these ships are still (eighty years later!) Used, for example, as a floating breakwater pier in Canada.

During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson approved the construction of 24 reinforced concrete ships. Of the 24 planned, only 12 were built, with a total cost of $ 50 million. By the time they were launched, the war had already ended.

In the USSR, the first serious experiment was made by the Leningrad Court of Justice; Since 1925, in three years, he has built: a self-propelled ferry for 20 cars, two barges, a pontoon for large steam headframes, a mud scow, four landing stages and two sections of a three-section dock (with a total carrying capacity of 6000 tons). The results of three years of work led to the conclusion about the feasibility of building reinforced concrete ships and the possibility of reducing the weight of reinforced concrete ships against foreign ones.

In 1942, the United States Maritime Commission awarded a contract with McCloskey & Co. Philadelphia, PA, to build 24 reinforced concrete ships. For three decades, reinforced concrete production technologies improved and the ships of the new fleet were lighter and stronger than their predecessors during the First World War. The ships were built in Tampa, Florida by July 1943.

Construction was carried out at a very fast pace - one vessel per month. Two ships were sunk as barriers during the Allied landings in Normandy. Seven are still afloat in a giant breakwater on the Powell River in Canada.

The S. S. Polias was the first to be built during WWI, although the S. S. Atlantus had been launched a month earlier. It was built by Fougner Shipbuilding, NY in 1918. Since the war ended, the ship has been used to transport coal to New England.

In 1920, the ship was caught in a storm and was thrown onto the reefs near the coastline of Maine. Panicked crew members (11 people), not listening to the instructions of Captain Richard T. Coghlan'a, tried to get off the ship in a lifeboat, but drowned. The rest of the team was rescued the next morning.

Several attempts to free the ship were in vain, and soon, in the summer of 1924, a hurricane hit the ship, breaking it in two.

Location

The ship rests about 30 meters from the port of Clyde Maine. At low tide, an insignificant part of the ship becomes visible for a while.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 250 feet

Length: 2,500 tons

One of the concrete ships is the legendary " Quartz "Tail number IX-150, which participated in Operation Crossroads, when the atoll was tested on the Bikini Atoll in 1946. The US government placed several ships at the epicenter of the explosion to assess the damage done by this terrible weapon.

Launched in May 1944, four months later transferred to the army. Acquired by the Powell River Company in 1948 and used as a breakwater breakwater.

Location

Still afloat as part of a breakwater on the Powell River in British Columbia, Canada.

The S. S. Dinsmore was an oil tanker built by A. Bentley & Sons in Jacksonville, Florida and launched on June 30, 1920 at 2:25 pm.

The Dinsmore was used as an oil tanker, and was decommissioned in April 1932 due to inoperability.

Location

The Dinsmore probably sank in Texas. The exact location is unknown.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 3.696 tons

Length: 420ft

The S. S. Moffit was an oil tanker constructed by A. Bentley & Sons in Jacksonville, Florida and launched on September 28, 1920.

The last mention of "S. S. Moffit" dates back to 1925. It was then most likely converted into an oil barge in New Orleans.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 3.696 tons

Length: 420ft

The S. S. Cuyamaca was an oil tanker built in 1920 by the Pacific Marine Construction Company in San Diego, California.

For several years the ship was owned by the Canadian-French Oil Company "New York", and served to transport oil between the cities of Tampico, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Finally, in 1924, it was converted into an oil barge operating in the vicinity of New Orleans.

In 1926 it was decommissioned for unusability.

The further fate of the ship remains unknown: it could have sunk or was altered.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 4,082 tons

Length: 434ft

The S. S. San Pasqual was built as an oil tanker by Pacific Marine Construction in San Diego, California and launched on June 28, 1920.

In March 1921, the ship was damaged during a storm, and was put in for repairs for three long years.

In 1924 it was acquired by the Cuban trading company Old Times Molasses and used as a warehouse.

During the war years, the ship was used as an observation post for German submarines, was repeatedly fired upon, both from machine guns and cannons.

During the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto Che Guevara used the ship as a prison for captured enemy soldiers.

Since then, the vessel has served a variety of purposes, from a sports club to a fishing club.

Finally, in 1990, it was finally converted into a comfortable hotel.

Location:

The vessel has been anchored for almost 20 years off the coast of Cayo Las pujas, Cuba.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 4,082 tons

Length: 434 ft.

The S. S. Cape Fear was a cargo ship built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Wilmington, North Carolina. Launched in 1919.

On October 30, 1920, it collided with another vessel, "City of Atlanta", and swiftly sank under water, in just three minutes, taking 19 crew members with it.

Location

Remains of S. S. Cape Fear rests at a depth of 170 feet, at the exit of Narragansett Point, Rhode Island.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 2.795 tons

Length: 86 meters

The S. S. Sapona was a cargo steamer built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Wilmington, North Carolina. Launched in January 1920.

Sapona was acquired by Karl Fischer in Miami, Florida, who used the ship as an oil storage facility.

In April 1924 Sapona was sold to Bruce Battell, who lives in the Bahamas. He used the ship as a storehouse for rum and whiskey, despite the fact that in those days alcohol was prohibited.

In 1926 the ship was thrown onto a reef by a violent storm. All attempts to repair it were unsuccessful. Battell himself, who lost his entire business, died in poverty in 1950.

During the Second World War, the ship was used as a target for aircraft and navy gunfire. On December 5, 1945, after the bombing of the vessel by Air Squadron 19, all aircraft disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. This was considered a warning sign, and after that any manipulation of the vessel was prohibited.

But by that time, only its concrete base remained from the ship.

Location

S. S. Sapona lies 4 miles south of Bimini Island in the Bahamas.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 1.993 Ton

Length: 86 meters

The S. S. Latham was an oil tanker designed by F. F. Ley & Company in Mobile, Alabama. The vessel was purchased by American Fuel Oil and Transport. Launched on May 6, 1920.

However, already during its first voyage, the ship collided with a smaller vessel and nearly sank. All the same, having reached the port, it was under repair, and only in 1926 was it converted into a floating oil storage in New Orleans. Further information is missing.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 4.25 tons

Length: 125 meters

The S. S. Selma was an oil tanker manufactured by F. F. Ley & Company in Mobile, Alabama and launched on June 28, 1919.

On May 11, 1920, the ship collided with a dock in Tampico, Florida and was damaged. It was tidied up and transported to Galveston, Texas for further refurbishment. Unfortunately, the repairers in Texas had no experience with concrete ships, so the government decided to write it off. The place of the last resting place of the ship was chosen in a bay near Pelican Island, Texas, and on March 9, 1922, the ship was anchored.

In 1992, the ship was declared a historical property, and now its remains are carefully guarded.

Vessel characteristics

Weight: 4.25 tons

Lenght: 125 meters.

Concrete is the best material for sedentary boats, those that stand most of the time. Metal ones need to be pulled out, painted and so on … But this one costs how many years and how new. All marinas for cruise ships and water taxis from St. Petersburg are made of concrete. The boats were experimental, but did not go.

In Vyborg, on the shore not far from the castle, there is a concrete boat. On "Wikimapia" it is not, but if you enter the coordinates in "Yandex": Longitude: 28 ° 43'31.56 ″ E. (28.725433) Latitude: 60 ° 42′50.48 ″ N sh. (60.714021), and in this place turn on the panorama, then it will be very clearly visible.

In the Kaliningrad region. in the town of Mamonovo, on the coast of the bay, there are two German concrete barges.

A remarkable example of shipbuilding has survived on the Luga River - a ship made of reinforced concrete. Looks like a German project lighter from the 20s.

Yacht "Nefertiti" - a sailing-motor cruising yacht built of reinforced cement in the early 70s of the last century. Based on the territory of the central yacht club in Nizhny Novgorod. Currently, this is the only surviving sailing ship in the basin of the river. Volga, with a body built of reinforced cement.

The idea of building ships from this material belongs to the inventor of reinforced cement, the Italian engineer Pier-Luigi Nervi.

Due to the stability of the yacht's hull to various kinds of deformations, "Nefertiti" is used as a training and support vessel. Large habitability (up to 16 people) allows you to go on an autonomous voyage for a long time.

Specifications

Displacement of the yacht is 11 tons, Length from transom to bowsprit 12.5 m, Width amidships 3.6 m, Mast height 9 m

Sailing rig type kech with an area of 65m2.

A compromise yacht hull with a minimum draft of 1.1 m and a maximum draft of 2.1 m.

Maximum sailing speed 15 km / h.

Maximum speed under diesel engine 10km / m

Ultimately, these ships could not compete with steel in commercial transportation of goods. However, reinforced concrete is now actively used in the construction of floating oil storage facilities, docks and drilling platforms. An example of a reinforced concrete vessel of later years is the Andjuna Sakti tanker: it was built in 1975 to store liquefied gas. The vessel was operated in the Java Sea.

In the modern world, there are enthusiasts who make yachts from this non-standard material. The Kiev Yacht Club has several such vessels. "Cement" yachts now ply along the tourist routes of the Dnieper. The creator of the ships "Nord" and "Rif" was Konstantin Lvovich Biryukov, co-author of the book "Small ships from glass cement and reinforced cement".

There were photographs of a concrete barge, moreover, in a fairly decent condition, docked in the village of Goryachy Ruchyi - the former base of the Northern Fleet reconnaissance ships, 5 km from ZATO Polyarny.

However, this is by no means the end of the story: technologies are developing and it is likely that we will again see ships made of concrete, plowing the vastness of the world's oceans.