Bent But Not Broken: Lighter Icebreakers

To meet simple but strict strength formulas, one option is to simply add more steel.
At Aker Arctic, however, we have developed a smarter method for reinforcing a ship’s hull structure.
Instead of adding unnecessary steel across the entire hull, we can accurately identify the weakest points and optimize the steel strength only where it is truly needed. Although this approach is more labor-intensive, the resulting weight and cost savings and additional benefits—such as easier repairs—more than justify the extra effort.

The Canadian Polar Icebreaker is one of Aker Arctic’s latest references. Using Aker Arctic’s nonlinear FEM tools, the construction team was able to apply commonly available high-strength steel instead of specialized extra high-strength steel and achieve steel weight savings.

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