Bulkhead: structural or not?

[Nopollution]

Hi everybody!

I have a 32 ft steel boat that I have decided to modify completely. The interiors layout will be very different from now, but there are a couple of questions that I was not able to answer. One of them is:
how to know if a plywood bulk head is or not structural? Indeed in my new layout vision I would like to modify it: at the present the entrance to the front cabin is in the center of the boat -namely at the center of the mentioned bulk head- and I would like to move it aside. Could it be a dangerous thing to do or should not be any problem?

Thank,
Nopollution

[nero]

Guessing that a plywood bulkhead in a steel hull is not structural. How thick is the piece of plywood? How is it fastened to the hull? Is it supporting a deck structural member? Are the other bulkheads in steel?

Post some pictures. Will have a better guess for you. smile

[Nopollution]

The plywood is about 2cm thick and it is fastened to the hull in this way:
1) plywood connected to wood blocks by means of nails;
2) wood block fastened to "T frames" by means of rivets;
3) the T frames are along the hull

There are not steel bulk heads. The deck is supported by two steel poles of 6cm diameters that start from the keel to the ceiling.

In attachment follows a picture of an area where you cans see the T frames.

Thanks,
Nopollution

[danielro]

I think that in this case the plywood bulkhead isn't structural, in a steel hull the reinforcements normally are stiffeners welded to the hull plate, L frames o simply steel bands, for the calculations (according normally to a Classification Society rule) the panel probably has a lenght unlimited and a width the space between knuckles (in other cases the boat has transverse frames)
Regards.
Daniel.

[safewalrus]

I'm inclined to agree with the Gentlemen above - steel boats tend to have steel structural bulkheads/members! I'd go so far as to say that if that is structural you've got a big problem with the boat which should by now be under water having sunk!