A Panamax size bulk carrier ship with seven cargo holds was chosen by DNV as the benchmark for the sandwich cellular concept. The ship is reinforced with sandwich coaming beams along the hatch openings and has longitudinal steel girders and transverse sandwich cells in the bottom structure, cellular composition of the bulkheads, and a simple sandwich for the deck.

The Panamax sandwich ship design was thoroughly analysed using the finite element program SESAM, applying specified load cases and other requirements from DNV’s Rules for Steel Ships.

The steel was checked against Rule requirements for steel, and core stressing was checked against Eurocode requirements for concrete. Moreover, the deck structure was analysed with respect to the buckling condition in sagging.