673. Proposed Weight Control Program for Navy Ships

Paper

Abstract

Current weight control programs appear to have one basic failure in that they tend to report weight rather than control it. This is true today despite specification requirements in current Navy contracts making the contractor responsible for delivering the completed ship within specified limits of weight and KG. Contractors are reluctant to spend money for weight control program unless it appears that the agreed upon limits will be xceeded. By the time weight reports have established this trend, the ship is well along in the construction stage and corrections are costly and often cause delays in delivery.
This paper proposes a weightc ontrol program based on continual updating of the design weight estimate using information provided by the engineers and designers as they develop the detail design. Proposed changes from contract guidance plan concepts can be quickly estimated and their effect on weight and KG established prior to any appreciable work on the part of the contractor. Weight estimates fore lectrical, piping and ventilation systems would be based on diagrammatic plans prepared by the engineering sections. Comparison with the Accepted Weight Estimate would establish adverse trends prior to the preparation of working plans and the ordering of material. By having this type of knowledge available early in the design stage, the weight engineers together with the design engineers can effect true weight control.