METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE SHIPS.* 

 By R. J. Wig, Esq., Visitor. 



[Read at the twenty-seventh general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, held 



in New York, November 13 and 14, 1919.] 



INTRODUCTION. 



This paper is confined to a description of the methods employed in the construc- 

 tion of concrete ships for the United States Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet 

 Corporation. 



The complete program of the Fleet Corporation comprises the construction of 

 fourteen ships of five dififerent types. The characteristics of these ships are given 

 in Table i, Plate i. Two of the above ships were considered of experimental char- 

 acter and constructed under contract in private yards. One of 3,000 tons deadweight 

 was designed by the Liberty Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, N. C. The hull 

 was built by them in a private yard at Brunswick, Ga. The outfitting and installa- 

 tion of machinery were done under contract by the American Shipbuilding Company 

 of Brunswick, Ga. The other ship was of 3,500 tons deadweight and was designed 

 by the Fougner Cbncrete Shipbuilding Company of New York. The hull was con- 

 structed by the designers at Flushing Bay, N. Y., but the outfitting and installation 

 of machinery were done by the Lord Construction Company of Providence, R. I. 



• The remaining twelve ships were constructed in yardsf owned by the Emer- 

 gency Fleet Corporation and especially designed and built for the purpose. The 

 yards were built and operated by contractors who acted as agents for the corpora- 

 tion. Following is a list of the contractors and a statement of the location of the 

 yards and the number and type of ships built. 



The San Francisco Shipbuilding Company, operating the yard at Oakland, 

 Cal., are constructing complete two 7,500-ton deadweight concrete oil tankers (Type 

 70) (Figs. la and ib, Plate 5), and one 7,500-ton deadweight cargo ship (Type 

 69) (Figs. 2a and 2b, Plate 7). The Pacific Marine and Construction Company are 

 operating the yard at San Diego, Cal. They are constructing complete two 7,500- 

 ton deadweight concrete oil tankers (Type 70). Fred T. Ley & Co., Inc., of Boston, 

 Mass., are operating the yard at Mobile, Ala., and are constructing complete two 

 7,500-ton deadweight concrete oil tankers (Type 70) and one 7,500-ton deadweight 

 cargo ship (Type 69). The A. Bentley & Sons Company of Toledo, Ohio, are oper- 



*It was necessary, on account of the cost of printing, to omit many illustrations furnished by the author, 

 showing details of the construction work and the equipment used. 



fFor description of yards, see paper by A. L. Bush, "Layout and Equipment of the Government Concrete 

 Shipyards," Pro. Am. Concrete Institute, 1919. 



