Profession of Naval Architect

A Naval Architect is a professional engineer who is responsible for the design, construction and repair of ships, boats other marine vessels and offshore structures, both civil and military, including:

• Merchant Ships - Oil/Gas Tankers, Cargo Ships, Cruise Liners etc.
  
• Passenger/Vehicle Ferries
  
• Warships - Frigates, Destroyers, aircraft Carriers, Amphibious Ships etc
  
• Submarines and underwater vehicles
  
• Offshore Drilling Platforms, semi Submersibles, FPSO's
  
• High Speed Craft - Hovercraft, Multi Hull ships, Hydrofoil Craft etc
  
• Workboats - Fishing Vessels, Tugs, Pilot Vessels, Rescue Craft etc.
  
• Yachts, Power Boats and other recreational craft
  
  

Some of these are amongst the largest and most complex and highly valued moveable structures produced by mankind. Without them to provide for the safe and efficient transport and recovery of the world's raw materials and products, modern society, as we know it could not exist.

Modern engineering on this scale is essentially a team activity conducted by professional engineers in their respective fields and disciplines. However, it is the Naval Architects who integrates their activities and take s ultimate responsibility for the overall project. This demanding leadership role requires managerial qualities and ability to bring together the often-conflicting demands of the various professional engineering disciplines involved to produce a product, which is 'fit for the purpose'.

In addition to this vital managerial role, the Naval Architect has also a specialist function in ensuring that a safe, economic and seaworthy design is produced.

To undertake all these tasks the Naval Architect must have an understanding of many branches of engineering and must be in the forefront of high technology areas such as computer aided design and calculation. He or she must be able to utilise effectively the services provided by scientists, lawyers, accountants and business people of many kinds.

A Naval Architect requires a creative, enquiring and logical mind; the ability to communicate clearly in speech and writing with others inside and outside the engineering profession, sound judgment and qualities of leadership. The education and training given to the Naval Architect are designed to develop these skills and to lead him or her to recognised qualifications and professional status.

Modern engineering on this scale is essentially a team activity conducted by professional engineers in their respective fields and disciplines. However, it is the Naval Architect who integrates heir activities and takes ultimate responsibility of the overall project. This demanding leadership role requires managerial qualities and ability to bring together the often-conflicting demands of the various professional engineering disciplines involved.

Naval Architects have a wide range of employment opportunities, both in the UK and worldwide. They are involved in such a wide variety of work that it is difficult to categorize it comprehensively. However, the main areas are as follows:

• Design
  
• Construction and Repair
  
• Consultancy
  
• Marketing and Sales
  
• Operations
  
• Regulations, Surveying and Overseeing
  
• Research and Development
  
• Education and Training
  
  

Each type of work has its own distinctive character and offers opportunities for initiative and imagination in a wide variety of technical and managerial posts as well as opportunities for foreign travel. The work place may be a large company, a small group, a consultancy or a government department.

Depending mainly on the type of qualifications held and personal inclination, Naval Architects may become specialists in one field or develop broad experience in several. Eventually they may find themselves in senior executive positions using their knowledge and experience of general management as well as their professional skills in engineering a project leadership. Indeed, aided by the breadth of their education, training and experience, professional Naval Architects are successful in top management posts in government, industry and commerce quite outside the maritime field.

The Royal Institution of Naval Architects

Founded in 1860, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects is an internationally recognised professional engineering institution whose members are involved at all levels in the design, construction, repair and operation of ships, boats and marine structures. Members of the RINA are widely represented in industry, universities and colleges and maritime organisations worldwide. There are classes of membership to suit all those who are professionally qualified in naval architecture, or who are involved or interested in the maritime industry.

The RINA enjoys an outstanding reputation for the quality and range of its technical publications covering all aspects of naval architecture and the maritime industry. The RINA also organises an extensive and successful programme of international conferences and training courses and training courses covering a broad range of experience and opinion on research, development and operation of all aspects of naval architecture. The RINA also provides advice and assistance on all aspects of naval architecture. The RINA also provides advice and assistance on all aspects of academic study, training and professional development.

Students at schools and colleges who are studying to enter university and are interested in career as a Naval Architect may also join the RINA.

Further information can be obtained from The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, 10 Upper Belgrave Street, London, SW1X 8BQ Tel: +44 (0) 207 235 4622 Fax: +44 (0) 207 259 5912 or log onto their website www.rina.org.uk E-mail: hq@rina.org.uk

The Job of a Naval Architect

Job description

A naval architect is a professional engineer who is responsible for the design, construction and repair of ships, boats, other marine vessels and offshore structures, both civil and military.

Modern engineering on this scale is a team activity conducted by professional engineers in their respective fields and disciplines. However, it is the naval architect who integrates their activities and takes ultimate responsibility for the overall project. They must also ensure that a safe, economic and seaworthy design is produced.

Naval architects must have an understanding of many branches of engineering and must be at the forefront of high technology areas such as computer aided design.

Typical work activities

Depending on the type of qualifications held and personal interests, naval architects may become specialists in one field or develop broad experience in several. Eventually they may find themselves in senior executive positions using their knowledge and experience of general management as well as their professional skills in engineering and project leadership.

Naval architects have a wide range of employment opportunities, both in the UK and worldwide. They are involved in a wide variety of work so it is difficult to categorise it comprehensively. However, the main areas are as follows:

• Design. Naval architects must have an understanding of the many aspects of ship design - function, appearance and, especially important at sea, safety. Activities include using complex mathematical and physical models to ensure that the ship's design is satisfactory technically and that it meets the safety rules and standards.
• Construction. A naval architect specialising in construction usually holds a management post, taking responsibility for the management of the whole shipyard or for sections of it such as planning, production or the complex operation of fitting out.
• Consultancy. Typical activities include providing clients with engineering solutions, technical and commercial guidance, support and project management for concept design studies, new vessel constructions, refits and conversions.
• Research and development. Naval architects are involved in undertaking maritime research in universities and industry.
• Regulation, surveying and overseeing. Naval architects employed by classification societies as ship surveyors are engaged worldwide in evaluating the safety of ships and marine structures using the societies' rules and those of intergovernmental organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation. Typical activities include the approving of aspects of design such as strength, stability, and lifesaving.
• Marketing and sales. Activities include giving professional advice and technical support to customers of the maritime industry.
• Operations. Many shipping companies have technical departments in which naval architects are responsible for the many phases of ship and equipment procurement and for solving problems affecting the economics of maritime operations.
• Education and training. There are also opportunities for naval architects with good qualifications to work in universities and colleges as professors and lecturers.

Naval Architecture Cadre in Indian Navy

The Indian Navy offers job opportunities to outstanding Engineers for recruitment in Technical Branches (Naval Architecture Cadre) in its Engineering Branches.

Eligibility conditions: Unmarried male & female Indian citizens, aged between 19l/2 to 25 years.

Educational qualifications: BE/ B.Tech. degree from, a recognized university (or equivalent) with minimum 60% marks in aggregate. Calculation for aggregate percentage should be based on total marks obtained in all the semesters (including I 85 II semester) divided by total number of semesters in any of the following disciplines: (a) Navy Architecture (b) Mechanical © Civil (d) Metallurgy (e) Aeronautical.

Physical Standards: Minimum height - 157 cms for men and 152 cms for women with correlated weight. Eye Sight: 6/60, 6/60 correctable to 6/6, 6/12 with glasses. Colour/night blindness is a disqualification.

Selection Procedure: (a) Short-listed candidates are likely to be detailed for Service Selection Board (SSB) interviews at Bangalore, Bhopal or Coimbatore followed by a medical examination,

(b) The duration of SSB interview is 5 days. During their stay at the SSB, candidates are assessed in Psychological Tests, Individual Tasks, Group Tasks, Group Discussions and Interview. On the first day of the interview, candidates undergo an Intelligence Test and only
those who qualify this screening test, participate in subsequent tests.

Training: Successful candidates are enrolled as officers in the rank of Sub Lieutenant and undergo Naval Orientation Course at the Naval Academy, Goa, followed by professional training in other Naval Training Establishments/Ships. Full pay and allowances are admissible to officers whilst under training. They would be in probation for a period of two years, during which they are liable to be discharged. Only unmarried candidates are eligible for training.

Pay & Perks: On entry, total emoluments of about Rs. 13,000/- pm in the rank of Sub Lieutenant. Officers are entitled to 60 days annual leave and 20 days casual leave besides Leave Travel Concession, free medical services for self and family including dependent parents, Group Insurance of Rs. 7 lakhs, canteen facilities and other concession.

Short Service Commission is granted for a term of 10 years, extendable to 14 years, subject to service requirement and performance /willingness of the candidate. On completion of tenure of SSC, officers are released with gratuity as admissible under the rules.

How to Apply: Application Forms in accordance with the prescribed format and complete in all respect should reach Post Box No. 4, RK Puram (Main) New Delhi 110066 on or before the date as notified. Last Date: November.

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE COURSES IN INDIA

The course deals with the design, construction, maintenance and repair of all types of marine vehicles and can play a major role in the economic development of a country

There is no harm in being a bit futuristic. After all, the world survives on dreams. If space is considered to be the final frontier, then there is another frontier that is yet to be explored to its full. It is much within our grasp and it has immense potential. Well, the inference is about water – the oceans, the seas, the rivers and the lakes.

A senior professor from the Department of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in Andhra University noted that a lot remains to be explored about the water bodies in the world and with the rising crunch on the land resources; the seas and the oceans could be the next destination. “Floating cities would become a reality one day,” he said.

Be it floating cities or floating international airports or for that matter bulk transportation of goods by marine vessels, across continents, water bodies serve to be a useful medium, and the engineering and science needed to understand its dynamics is in demand. The demand opens up new vistas in the discipline of Naval architecture.

Naval architecture is an engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, maintenance and repair of all types of marine vehicles.

It practically deals with any body that has to work on water, just like civil engineering that has to deal with anything on land.

Naval architects say that the discipline is part of the core industries and it can play a major role in the overall economic development of a country.

Course

The course is a four-year B.E. or B.Tech degree programme that covers the aspects of ship design, ship construction, ship theory, ship maintenance, ship hydrodynamics, ship hydrostatics and ship structure. All the four years are interspersed with practical and hands-on training. The basic idea is to make the students employable from day one after passing out.

Institutes

Naval architecture is classified as a specialised course and only a few institutes in India offer the course. Here are the details:

Andhra University College of Engineering – 4-year BE course- qualifying examination- EAMCET.

IIT – Kharagpur – 4-year BE course – qualifying examination- IIT-JEE

IIT- Chennai- 4-year BE course – qualifying examination- IIT–JEE

Kochi University of Science and Technology - 4-year B.Tech course- qualifying examination- Cusat-CAT

Institute of Ship Building, Goa: Four-year Diploma in Ship Building Engineering (organises its own examination) Naval College of Engineering, Lonavla, Pune, also admit 50 male students having minimum 70 per cent marks in physics, chemistry and mathematics put together and 50 per cent marks in English in the Plus Two or equivalent examination. Adequate professional training will be given in different branches, including naval architecture. Those who successfully complete the four-year course will be awarded a B.Tech degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Since all the courses imparted by the above mentioned colleges focus on the merchant ship design and construction, qualified Naval architects can join the Indian Navy to undergo specialised two-year training in Naval ship design at the Naval College of Engineering. Indian Navy recruits a good number of naval architects every year to serve its requirements.

In the post-graduation level, IIT-Kharagpur offers a PG course called Marine Technology and IIT-Chennai offers a PG course called Ocean Technology. There are facilities for research at both the IITs.

Career options

Since Naval architect is an engineer who is responsible for the design, construction or repair of ships, boats and all types of marine vessels and offshore structures like merchant ships, oil tankers, gas tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, passenger ships and ferries, cruise ships, frigates, destroyers, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, submarines, underwater vehicles, icebreakers, offshore drilling platforms, semi-submersibles, high speed crafts, hovercrafts, multi-hull ships, fishing boats, tugs, platform supply vessels, pilot vessels, rescue crafts, yachts, power boats and other recreational crafts, the opportunity is immense. There is a huge demand for naval architects in the countries where ship building industry is in a large format like US, Korea, Singapore, UK and Netherlands. Naval architects can not only fit in the ship building industry but also in Naval dockyards and ship design and research centres. They are in demand both in the private and government sectors.

Naval architects can also join ships for onboard duty after undergoing the one-and-a-half-year practical training on a ship and after receiving the MOT certification from DG Shipping.

Naval architects are considered to be professionals who not only understand the design, construction and running of ships but also the commercial aspects involved in building a ship. This puts them in a niche segment over others.