The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-04-02
DOUBT Permanently
OF CONCRETE SHIPS.
British Journal Thinks Such Con-
struCti0n Temporary War
time Expedient

The concrete ships usefulness i,
limited TO the present r"riod 81 alb
normal shipping c'nGit:o1e. unless radi
cal and unexpected im,lov"ments in
design produce much moe efficient
vessel than can now be crlsrructet
Is the conclusion reached by the Liver.
pool JOnrnnI Of Commerce. It is diffi
cult TO f0rsre the time when the con
crete vessel will BE real competition
Of the steel vessel, says the paper.
In an article discussing the situation
It is stated; -
at is o well known fact that orders
have been placed in this country for
thnnsaraS Of tons Of concrete vessels
principally on-prOpellius barges and
.lgs. Ot"er countries, notably Sweden
and Norway, have also pud consider,
able attention, to concrete ship construe,
tion. Consequently many people tail
g'ibly OF after the war competition lie
tween the steel and the reinforced con,
crete ship, arguing that the present
rapid growth of the concrete ship.
building industry proves its genera
Utility. To such persons the follow
ing points may be of some interest:
" Concrete is being used for ships
solely because it is vitality necessary
that every desirable means of inareas
ing our tonnage shall be fully develop
ed. During q period If scarcity q
steel and skilled workers in steel con
crete enables the ship designer to OBJ
tain,a greater lightweight per ton OF
steel worked into the structnre, and Il
also renders possible the employment
of q new class of labor. So far NJ
ship construction is concerned concrett
Is practically an untried material, Gnd
the risks involved in its use are oniy
justified by the present tonnage situo
.tidh.
Tonnage the Dominant Factor .r
"F0n the other hand, it can be said
quite deliberately and without fear u
standardization. that concrete il not be
ing nsed bee ause it is more economical
and efficient than steel, or on account
Of its greater life and reliability. Com
mefcial considerations are not even oil
secondary. importance. The need fol
tonnage Overpowers oil other factors
in the mutation. A few years afte-
the war is over a new level Of com
mereial competition will probably b,
fairly well established, and il the coli
crete ship is to become! d permanent
marketable article is win have "
demonstrate it's efficiency in the harsh
|unyielding light of open competition
unaided by artificial circumstances.
s"As at present designed the light
tta,uhf 80 he 80 l.. e. -,
concrete vessels is considerably greater
than that Of \ steel vessel of the sam,
dimensions, Consequently the dead
weight carrying capacity is less, 'ant
there is practically no difference in tn,
present first cost of the two types, tn,
unit cost of transportation per tor
lightweight is greater for the concret,
vessel than for a similar size steel YES
sci. Hence, the concrete vessel is no
at present a likely competitor with tn,
steel vessel under normal conditions.
1.-THE question Of reliability is ais,
irUrotant, although it is somewha
'ifriCult to discuss, as the comparison
= between the known and the practical
" unknown. True is it that Lloyd
Register Of shipping has seen At TO Civ
these vessels, built to their require
ments, the recognition Of an expert
mental class; but, as one of the ignor
ant hut interested, speaking to other
in similar situations, the opinion ma,
he expressed that the vibration of ma
chin"ry in a concrete vessel will ten
TO displaee pieces Of gravel in the con
crete, and pitting will result. If thi
actually occurs, then further, researcl
will be necessary, with the view eithe
" producing a more homogeneous anc
less easily disintegrated material, o
Of discovering some means of binding
the concrete. Time alone will revea
the true state. Of affairs in this particu
lar direc ton,
at may. be urged for the concret
ship that the whole subject is, in tn
'mbryonic state, and that experienc
will undoubtedly result in improve
ments both in the design of these yes
sells and in the nature and properties o
the material employed.
"This is extremely likely. but it i
lifFicult to fOresee the time when tn
concrete ship win be capable of carry
ing the same amount Of cargo as
tcel ship Of the same dimensions, o
llternatively will embody such advan
tages as will compensate for some nee
e,sarv loss of lightweight.
"Therefore, the only conclusion
which can at present be drawn is tina
the commercial life of the coueret
vessel is likely to be limited to tn
2criod of abnormal freights, .unles
lrNstic and unanticipated Improvement
design produce q much more efieien
vessel than can be constructed at pres
emf.
at is worthy of note that the in
reduction Of concrete. built ships is
eduCtion Of the normal progress o
VoNution in industry. The stone ag
30 remote that it is probably til
urli"st of which any record exists, We
,"re we are in the scientific twentiet
cntury utilizing stone for shipbuild
NJ for the first time
-- W. 8. s,