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This article is based on a study, ‘Ocean’s Shipbuilding Experience’, undertaken in April 1976 and updated in January 1977 and January 1978, which investigated the company’s experience in ship const...

The shipbuilder William Pickersgill & Sons of Sunderland focused on building dry cargo ships for British shipowners, particularly from Liverpool. Some insights into that market early in the twentie...

This article reports on work done to arrive at a reliable estimate of British shipbuilding output in the twentieth century. Three datasets are considered: the annual figures of the Shipbuilding Conference, those of Lloyd's Register and those of the British Shipbuilding Database (BSD). Differences between the figures are explored and reconciliation attempted by examining the sources used by compilers of the datasets in order to arrive at what is believed to be the most accurate estimate yet attempted of British shipbuilding output in the twentieth century. The article is notable in that for the first time a table of completions has been compiled for the entire century.

Methods of improving the level of pre-contract design definition and the quality of information relating to steelwork are described. This information is combined with a comprehensive database of manufacturing process information to provide a system for estimating the work content of the main structural steelwork of ships such as roll-on/roll-off vessels. Procedures are described which facilitate consistent estimates to be made while minimizing data-handling requirements and increasing the flexibility of the method at the concept design stage. Applications are described which demonstrate the use of the system in investigations which examine the variation of factors which influence labor cost. The factors examined include the effect of changing midship block breakdown and length of productive day. Suggestions are made as to how the system can be used to assess the importance of those factors which may improve overall yard production efficiency and assist in the planning function.

Methods of improving the level of pre-contract design definition and the quality of information relating to steelwork are described. This information is combined with a comprehensive database of manufacturing process information to provide a system for estimating the work content of the main structural steelwork of ships such as ro-ro vessels. Procedures are described which facilitate consistent estimates to be made while minimizing data handling requirements and increasing the flexibility of the method at the concept design stage.