Ship construction is greatly speeded and simplified by a novel method used by Avon- 

 dale Shipyards of New Orleans, La. The hull, mounted in huge rings, can be rotated 

 to any angle, so that construction welding can be done working downward rather 

 than overhead (men working in lejt foreground indicate scale). 



2. Research in ship operations and shipping systems focused on social, 

 economic, and technical problems involved in ship and terminal operation, 

 and maintenance and cargo movement, such as labor displacement and 

 changes brought about by containerization and other new shipping con- 

 cepts; automation, man-machine relationships, and crew reduction; delays 

 and damage of cargo while at terminals due to port congestion and inter- 

 modal transfer; and maintenance and reliability of shipboard equipment. 



3. Advanced ship engineering and development covers engineering stud- 

 ies and development of hardware for ship, port, and feeder subsystems 

 which are needed to produce and maintain lower cost, more productive 

 ships, cargo handling and flow, and port operations. 



4. Research on shipping economics and requirements carried out by 

 systematic analysis of ship cargo movements from source to destination 

 to determine the most desirable maritime system. This study incorporates 

 technological advancements in ship design, ship operation, and cargo han- 

 dling as they are developed, and forecasts estimated total system performance 

 for shipping concepts under projected conditions. 



Research and development related to ocean shipping carried out by other 

 Government agencies includes the following: 



1. A Polar Transportation Requirements Study,^ completed and published 

 by the Coast Guard. It considers the commercial, social, research, and 



^ "Polar Transportation Requirements Study Report," U.S. Coast Guard, Novem- 

 ber 1968. 



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