36 DEVELOPMENT OF SHIPYARDS IN THE 



Climatic conditions are particularly important in shipbuilding, as a large part 

 of the work is done out of doors. It is sufficient to say that so great was the 

 demand for ships that the climate, though deterrent, was not found to be a determin- 

 ative feature. In the case of the five concrete yards, however, climate was the 

 deciding factor in locating the yards where the winters were decidedly mild. 



In selecting the character and type of construction to be used in the new ship- 

 yards, an effort was made to determine the possibility of their use after the war. 

 Some of the yards were treated as existing only for war emergency, and the char- 

 acter of construction selected provided only for the life of the ship contracts 

 awarded. Others were constructed more permanently with the idea that they would 

 continue in operation indefinitely. Still others were constructed with the idea that 

 they would continue to operate on a reduced scale, after the completion of their war 

 contracts, and that certain alterations would be made to enable them to compete 

 under commercial conditions. 



The shipyards in which steel, wooden or composite ships were to be con- 

 structed were fairly well determined as to type and equipment by previous experi- 

 ence. Effort then was made to improve the design of these yards by studying their 

 construction methods and introducing new types of machinery and equipment of such 

 character as would increase their output per way over pre-war standards. 



The concrete shipyards presented special problems which were so unusual in 

 shipbuilding that an entirely new type of building talent was utilized. The contracts 

 for building the concrete ships were, in fact, given to firms which had had no ex- 

 perience in shipbuilding, but which were experienced in reinforced concrete work. 

 The only activity adaptable from the hull division of the ordinary shipyard was 

 the mold-loft. The forms for molding the concrete involved carpenter work of a 

 very high grade and necessitated employment of mechanics accustomed to form 

 work, that is, who could build a structure "inside out." The remainder of the work 

 involved the handling of concrete materials and the placing of reinforcing steel. It 

 is clear that none of the ordinary shipyard machinery for either wood ships or steel 

 ships could be utilized. 



The Emergency Fleet Corporation established five concrete shipbuilding yards 

 at various points. It was unfortunate from the technical standpoint that the number 

 of ships originally contemplated was greatly curtailed because of the ending of the 

 war, and that the resulting data as to costs of building concrete ships will not rep- 

 resent the lowest cost obtainable. Within limits, the concrete floating craft, whether 

 in the form of ships, lighters, barges, pontoons or floats, undoubtedly has a future, 

 and the importance of the experience of the Fleet Corporation in developing this 

 type cannot be too greatly emphasized. 



The ways upon which a ship is built perform a double function. The building 

 ways are a foundation for the ship while it is a land-borne structure, and as soon as 

 it is sufficiently far advanced the launching ways provide the means for transferring 

 the hull to the water. Necessarily a part of the launching ways must be built below 

 the surface of the water. The ways structure depends first on the class of ships to be 



