Estimation methods for the steel weight of inland tank ships

In this paper, two methods to estimate the steel weight of inland coated tank ships during the earliest design stages are presented: the first is a set of simple functions that are valid for ships with common dimensions and length-to-beam ratios of European inland ships. The second is a single more elaborate function that covers a larger range of dimensions and length-to-beam ratios. Both methods are based on the calculated weights of a large series of computer-generated ship designs. To calculate these weights, a computer program was developed that generates ship structures on the basis of Lloyds Register's rules for inland ships and estimates the steel weight of those ship structures. The approach to generate the ship structures as well as a validation of their scantlings and steel weight are also discussed.