Ship Vulnerability Assessment by Forensic Investigation of Critical Damage Scenarios

Forensic level flooding analysis offers the ability to gain a detailed understanding of the manner in which a vessel floods and the mechanisms through which a vessel may be lost. This is made possible through the use of numerical flooding simulations, which provide a wealth of information on the flooding process. However, difficulties arise in processing and handling this information in a manner that allows maximum utility to be gained from the results, without sacrificing time-efficiency. This drives the need to establish a clear and rational methodology for conducting flooding forensic analysis, which forms the focus of this paper. In order to demonstrate the methodology developed, a case study on a large modern cruise vessel is presented. The vessel is subjected to dynamic flooding vulnerability analysis, allowing critical damage scenarios to be identified. These scenarios are then subject to further scrutiny at the forensic level, leading to a comprehensive account of the manner in which the vessel may flood and ultimately be lost. The process culminates in the identification and ranking of critical openings and spaces, providing crucial input in the process of RCO implementation.