Lifetime Corrosion Loss of Bulk Carriers

This paper analyzes the total steel replacement due to corrosion degradation in four Handymax-class bulk carriers, based on corrosion measurements recorded throughout their operational lifespan. Each ship was divided into 11 lightship mass subgroups, enabling detailed examination of cumulative lifetime corrosion losses for both entire ships and individual subgroups. Utilizing similar ship data obtained from the shipyard, the study also provides estimations of the total steel weights of each of lightship subgroups. The findings offer valuable insights into the overall aging effects on ship structures, crucial for maintenance planning, structural integrity assessments, and recycling, especially from the perspective of sustainable shipping. Additionally, the estimated weights of lightship subgroups can serve as reference data for preliminary ship design, aiding in the estimation of lightship weights and potential steel loss due to corrosion.