Abstract
This paper descirbes a series of numberical simulations of grounding accidents of four 40,000 DWT Conventional and Advanced Double Hull tanker bottom structures using LS/DYNA3D. The overall objective of this study is no understand the structural failure and energy absorbing mechanisms during grounding events for candidate double hull tanker bottom structures, which lead to the initiation of inner shell rupture and cause the kinetic energy dissipation to bring the ship to a stop. These nuberical simulations of the grounding events will contribute to future improvements in tanker safety at the design stage.