Integrating ship design and personnel simulation

When designing a ship, the traditional driving issues are seen to be powering, stability, strength and seakeeping. Consequently it is only when the broad form of the layout has been finalised that issues relating to crewing, ship operations and evolutions, such as evacuation, tend to be investigated within the overall design constraints. This can result in significant operational inefficiencies and potentially hazardous environments on board. The overall objective of this UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Reseasrch Council (EPSRC) funded multidisciplinary research project, which commenced in October 2004, is to show the advantages of integrating the cutting edge technologies of Escape Simulation and Ship Configurational Design. This will enhance the guidance for all parties in the design, regulation, construction and operation of ships with regard to the main aspects of personnel movement on board. To achieve this, the project draws on the well-established expertise of the University of Greenwich in the area of fire and evacuation modelling and of University College London (UCL) in the area of ship architecture design.