Prediction of transitional behavior of out-of-plane welding distortion by solar radiation in upper deck of hull structure

During hull construction, solar radiation in summer is one of the major factors hindering productivity because it induces unnecessary correction work due to the excessive out-of-plane distortion on the decks exposed to the Sun. Therefore, it is crucial to establish rational criteria for correction works in consideration of the transitional behavior of out-of-plane distortion by solar radiation. The purpose of this study is to establish a methodology for predicting solar radiation-induced distortion on the upper decks. For this goal, firstly the temperature distribution on the upper decks caused by solar radiation was evaluated through heat transfer FE analysis and measurement. And then, the solar radiation-induced distortion was predicted using non-linear bucking FE analysis and its validity was checked by a comparison with the measured results in the actual deck. In addition, a predictive method of welding distortion excluding the solar radiation effect from the measured solar radiation-induced distortion was proposed using the developed prediction techniques and verified in comparison with the measured results. Based on the results, it was possible to make the appropriate decisions about the correction work of upper decks irrespective of the hull quality inspection time in summer.