Intact Stability

Can anyone offer a short definition of INTACT STABILITY ? I require a short definition for a paper I'm writing. I have looked in many texts and looked at douzens of websites, and every potential source I've checked talks around the term, but never defines it. Can anyone even suggest a good website to check ?
Thanks if you can help.

 

In my mind the words intact stability refers to the stability properties of an undamaged ship or boat. If some damage such as a leak occurs one speaks of damaged stability.

 

Good question. As everybody I know what intact stability is, but I also cannot find a definition in written, after consulting several books, papers and internet sites (!)

A possible definition could be: "The stability of a body in watertight integrity condition"

 

Maybe "The capability of an undamaged vessel to resist a heeling force" or "The righing characteristics of a vessel in the abscence of any downflooding"

 

Well, here's a good website but it's not in it either. Sam

http://taylormadegroup.com/glossary/index.html

 

Maybe here somewhere....
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=stability&as_q=intact

I found this...

"Intact Stability Package - If you are interested only in the undamaged (intact) condition calculations, you can select our Intact Stability Package. It contains all of the same programs, except for the Longitudinal Strength Module. It can define appendages, but no internal compartment shapes and no compartment calculations are allowed."

at this site...
http://www.newavesys.com/prod02.htm
and that is as close to a definition as I can find. Sam

 

Stability as defined by Introduction to Naval Architecture (Gilmer and Johnson p313 Naval Insititute Press, Annapolis Maryland 1982 in case you need a cite for your paper), is "The tendancy of a ship to remain upright or the ability to return to her upright position when heeled by the action of waves, wind, etc.)

I'll expand on that a little, as you specifically asked about intact stability. Intact stability evaluates stability in an undamaged condition from a transervse perspective at small angles of heel (initial stability), longitudinal perspective (longitudinal stability), and again transverse at large angles of heel (sometimes called general stability also evaluates free surface effect, swashing, etc).

Damage stability represents the stability characteristics of a vessel when damaged, generally considered in the form of compartmnental flooding. This is an iterative process (guided by class society and government regs) that helps the designer locate watertight bulkheads. Ultimately this will result in a damage stability booklet that ship masters and salvors can use to keep a vessel upright in a damaged condition.

I hope this helps you. All of this is answered from a large steel ship perspective, if anyone has a more user friendly small vessel definition I'm all ears.

 

Thanks my fellow sailors for your contributions to my search for a definition of Intact Stability. You's have ended an elusive search of texts and websites.