Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
This professional diploma gives you the specialist knowledge and tools to design, analyze and optimize the decks and supporting structures of ships and marine platforms. You will learn to apply classification society rules and international conventions to load calculation, scantlings and finite element modeling, and to specify the hatch covers, deck machinery, cranes and helidecks that sit on them, so that your projects are safe, efficient and ready for approval.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering?
This professional diploma follows the deck of a ship from its structural foundations to the equipment and operations it has to carry. You will start with ship geometry, the mechanical properties of marine steels, aluminum and composites, corrosion protection, non-destructive testing and the structural rules of the main classification societies; move on to design loads, longitudinal and transverse strength, plate buckling, welded joints and finite element analysis of the main deck; and then study weathertight closures and hatch covers, anchoring and mooring machinery, deck cranes and launching appliances, helidecks and the effect of deck cargo on stability and operational safety.
What sets this diploma apart: it treats the deck as an integrated engineering system rather than as plating alone, linking structural calculation with the foundations and reinforcements required by winches, windlasses, cranes, davits and helidecks; it works with the real regulatory references of the sector, such as class rules, the Load Line Convention, the CSS Code and CAP 437; and it closes with an integrating project in which you redesign or engineer the deck of a ship or offshore platform, from loads and scantling plans to FEA validation, equipment specification, fabrication plan and budget.
Program highlights
- Naval structural foundations: marine materials, corrosion protection, NDT and classification society rules.
- Hull girder and main deck design: design loads, longitudinal and local strength, buckling and scantlings.
- Finite element analysis of deck structures under static and dynamic loads, including slamming and green water.
- Weathertight closures: hatch covers, cleating, watertight doors, scuppers and tightness testing.
- Deck equipment: windlasses, mooring winches, cranes, davits and helidecks with their structural foundations.
- Integrating project: structural engineering of a ship or platform deck, from loads to fabrication plan.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of naval architecture and mechanics of marine materials
- 1.1. Ship geometry: lines plans, form coefficients, underwater body and principal dimensions
- 1.2. Mechanical properties of marine materials: high-tensile shipbuilding steels, aluminum alloys and composite materials (FRP/carbon)
- 1.3. Mechanics of deformable solids: shear stresses, bending moments, torsion and fatigue in structures subject to marine loads
- 1.4. Corrosion and environmental degradation: galvanic and pitting corrosion mechanisms, cathodic protection (anodes/ICCP) and epoxy coatings
- 1.5. Classification society rules: application of DNV, ABS, Lloyd's Register and Bureau Veritas rules to structural design
- 1.6. Non-destructive testing (NDT): ultrasonic, radiographic, magnetic particle and dye penetrant inspection of decks
- 1.7. Structural failure criteria: yield limits, local and global buckling and fracture theory applied to ship structures
- 1.8. Deck loads and sea pressure
Structural design and analysis of the hull and main deck
- 2.1. Ship design loads: static loads (lightweight, deadweight) and dynamic loads (wave impact, slamming, green water)
- 2.2. Hull girder and longitudinal strength: section modulus, weight distribution and calculation of bending moments in a seaway
- 2.3. Transverse and local strength: analysis of frames, floors, longitudinals, deck beams and watertight bulkheads
- 2.4. Main deck structure: reinforcement of highly loaded areas, hatch openings and stress concentrations
- 2.5. Finite element modeling and analysis (FEA): simulation of static and dynamic stresses in deck structures with specialist software
- 2.6. Buckling of plates and stiffeners: elastic and inelastic stability analysis of deck panels under compression
- 2.7. Design of structural joints: ship welding details, bevel types, bolted connections and transitions between dissimilar materials
- 2.8. Scantling calculation
Engineering of decks, hatches and weathertight closures
- 3.1. Integrity and weathertightness: requirements of the International Convention on Load Lines (ICLL) for exposed decks
- 3.2. Hatch covers: hydraulic and mechanical opening systems (side-rolling, folding, lift-away) and their supporting structures
- 3.3. Seals and cleating systems: hatch sealing, hose tests, ultrasonic tests and bearing pads
- 3.4. Bulkheads and watertight doors: structural design of deck doors, skylights, portlights and escape hatches
- 3.5. Drainage systems and scuppers: calculation of deck water freeing rates, drainage channels and non-return valves
- 3.6. Decks for specialized ships: requirements for container ships, Ro-Ro vessels, bulk carriers, tankers and passenger ships
- 3.7. Deck maintenance and repair: renewal of wasted plating (insert plates) and of stiffeners and alignment
- 3.8. Hatch cover tightness testing
Deck machinery, maneuvering and anchoring equipment
- 4.1. Anchoring and mooring systems: design and load calculation for anchor windlasses, mooring winches and capstans
- 4.2. Anchor lines and chains: anchor types, chain specifications (steel grade), stoppers, chain compressors and chain lockers
- 4.3. Geometry and reinforcements for maneuvering: design and installation of hawse pipes, bollards, cleats, fairleads and roller chocks
- 4.4. Drive systems: hydraulic, electric and electro-hydraulic deck machinery; high- and low-pressure circuits
- 4.5. Wire ropes and mooring lines: mechanical properties of steel wire ropes, synthetic lines (HMPE, polypropylene) and minimum breaking load (MBL)
- 4.6. Load testing and certification: test protocols for deck equipment according to port State control (PSC) and class requirements
- 4.7. Automation and remote control: remote operation of winches, line tension monitoring and self-tensioning systems
- 4.8. Maintenance of windlasses and capstans
Lifting systems, deck cranes and cargo gear
- 5.1. Design principles of marinised cranes: knuckle-boom, telescopic and gantry cranes; resistance to the saline environment and ship motion
- 5.2. Structural analysis of crane foundations: integration of crane pedestals with the deck structure and underdeck reinforcement
- 5.3. Lifesaving launching appliances: davits for rescue boats and inflatable liferafts (gravity, hydraulic and pivot systems)
- 5.4. Calculation of overturning moments and dynamics: effects of ship accelerations (pitch, roll, heave) on offshore lifting operations
- 5.5. Steel wire ropes for lifting: selection, safety factor, winding drums, sheave blocks and wear prevention
- 5.6. Lifting safety systems: load moment indicators (LMI), limit switches, fail-safe disc brakes and emergency stop
- 5.7. Inspection of lifting gear and accessories: shackles, slings, spreader beams and rated load/proof load tests
- 5.8. Certification of cranes and lifting gear
Helidecks, flight decks and special platforms
- 6.1. International rules for offshore helidecks: CAP 437, the IMO MODU Code and ICAO annexes for helideck design
- 6.2. Landing impact loads: assessment of static, dynamic and emergency landing loads for different helicopter classes
- 6.3. Supporting structure and hybrid solutions: design of riveted/welded aluminum platforms and steel truss structures on the superstructure
- 6.4. Helideck safety equipment: landing nets, lighting systems (status lights, TD/PM circle), foam hoses and rescue equipment
- 6.5. Fuel drainage systems: perimeter containment gutters and rapid drainage in the event of spills or fire
- 6.6. Airflow and turbulence analysis: computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies to avoid turbulence from funnel exhaust gases
- 6.7. Friction testing and certification: measurement of the surface friction coefficient, non-destructive testing of structural nodes and recertification
- 6.8. CAP 437 requirements for helidecks
Deck dynamics, stability and operational safety
- 7.1. Effect of deck cargo on stability: high weights, shift of the center of gravity (KG) and initial stability margin (GM)
- 7.2. Cargo lashing and securing: the IMO CSS Code and calculation of lashing forces for containers, Ro-Ro vehicles and project cargo
- 7.3. Deck strength under point loads: maximum permissible load per square meter (t/m²) and load spreading with dunnage and sleepers
- 7.4. Personnel safety on deck: design of walkways, guardrails, jackstays, non-slip areas and lighting
- 7.5. Decks of offshore vessels: features of PSVs/OSVs, hydraulic towing pins, shark jaws and stern rollers
- 7.6. Severe dynamic phenomena: shipping of green water, design of breakwaters/wave deflectors and armored hatches
- 7.7. Management of heavy lift operations: planning of special lifting maneuvers at sea, compensating ballast and risk matrix
- 7.8. Deck cargo and stability
Integrating project in deck engineering and naval structural analysis
- 8.1. Project definition: choice of the redesign, modification or structural engineering of a deck for a ship or offshore platform
- 8.2. Calculation of loads and requirements: determination of loads from weights, maneuvering, helideck or heavy machinery according to class rules
- 8.3. Three-dimensional modeling and scantling plan: preparation of arrangement drawings for plating, longitudinals, deck beams and deck stiffeners
- 8.4. FEA simulation and validation: assessment of stress concentrations in the designed structure under critical operating scenarios
- 8.5. Technical specification of machinery and fittings: selection of winches, bollards, hatch covers or cranes with their foundations
- 8.6. Fabrication plan and budget: definition of welding sequences, NDT inspection plan, materials budget (CapEx) and man-hours
- 8.7. Project presentation
- 8.8. Final presentation: technical defense of the structural design and the deck operating plan before a panel of naval engineers and classification specialists
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Ship Deck and Structural Engineering
With ship decks. The program focuses on the decks and supporting structures of ships and marine platforms, together with the equipment they carry: hatch covers, mooring and anchoring gear, cranes and helidecks.
All three. You study design loads and scantlings, structural analysis with finite element methods, and the practical side of fabrication, welding, inspection, maintenance and repair.
The rules of the main classification societies (DNV, ABS, Lloyd's Register and Bureau Veritas), the Load Line Convention, the IMO CSS Code, the MODU Code and CAP 437 for helidecks, among others.
No. The diploma introduces FEA applied to deck structures, although basic knowledge of strength of materials and structural calculation will help you get more out of it.
Yes. Many structural principles are shared, and the first module covers the naval architecture fundamentals you need; the admission interview confirms that the program fits your profile.
Through practical exercises and case studies in each module and an integrating project in which you engineer the deck of a ship or platform, from load calculation and scantling plans to FEA validation, equipment specification and fabrication budget.
A professional diploma issued by Navalis Institute, together with the project work you develop during the program, which you can use as a technical portfolio.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7 with live sessions that are recorded and personalized tutoring. The diploma comprises 800 hours across 8 modules of 100 hours each.
More programs in Hull and naval architecture
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at naval architects, marine, civil and mechanical engineers, structural designers and shipyard or offshore professionals who want to specialize in ship decks and structures; a degree in engineering or a related field, or demonstrable experience in structural design, calculation or ship construction, is recommended, together with basic knowledge of strength of materials and structural analysis.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date web browser and a PDF viewer; access to structural analysis software is helpful but optional.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.