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KR (Korean Register) and HD Hyundai Samho have jointly developed a program that enables rapid assessment of hull structural safety during partial launching in the shipbuilding process.
The two companies carried out the eight-month joint development project, titled “Automated Structural Analysis Program for Partial Launching Conditions Based on Direct Strength Analysis (DSA),” from February 2026. KR presented HD Hyundai Samho with a project completion certificate on September 14 at Gastech 2026 in Bangkok.
Partial launching is a shipbuilding method in which a vessel is launched before construction is fully completed, with the remaining work carried out afterwards. This allows shipyards to make more efficient use of dock capacity and provides greater flexibility in construction schedules.
However, because partial launching is carried out before hull block welding is fully complete or before certain structures are installed, the hull's weight and buoyancy distribution can differ from that of the completed vessel. This requires a close review of structural safety to confirm the hull can safely withstand the loads generated during launching.
Until now, engineers had to build a separate structural analysis model excluding structures not yet installed at the time of partial launching and recalculate the resulting changes in loads and buoyancy, making the review process time-consuming.
The newly developed program automates this process. Starting from the structural analysis model of the completed vessel, it automatically accounts for structures that are not yet installed or connected and generates an analysis model corresponding to the vessel’s actual construction status at the time of partial launching.
The program also automatically calculates loads and buoyancy considering changes in hull weight and trim, enabling structural safety assessments to be carried out more quickly and efficiently.
Under the project, HD Hyundai Samho provided the data required for program development, including partial launching scenarios and load conditions based on actual shipbuilding operations.
Drawing on this information, KR developed functions based on Direct Strength Analysis to assess the loads acting on the hull and evaluate its structural strength and safety. HD Hyundai Samho subsequently applied the program to an actual vessel to verify its practical applicability in the field.
Hakmu Shim, Executive Vice President of HD Hyundai Samho, said: “Partial launching is a critical process for a shipyard's dry dock efficiency and construction schedule, which makes it essential to confirm safety quickly and accurately. We expect this program to shorten the time required for structural safety reviews during partial launching and provide greater flexibility in dock operations and shipbuilding schedules.”
Daeheon Kim, Executive Vice President of KR, said: “Through this joint development, we have secured the technology and standards to efficiently assess hull strength during partial launching. Building on this achievement, we will further strengthen our technical review and approval capabilities and continue to actively support safe and efficient shipbuilding at shipyards.”
Going forward, the two companies plan to expand the scope of the newly developed assessment program to a wider range of ship types and partial launching scenarios, and to continue upgrading its capabilities for stability prediction and flexible response across different launching conditions.
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