🔍 Key Concepts

• Transverse vs. longitudinal framing members in ship construction • Where the vertical keel and margin plates are located in the double bottom • Differences between floors, girders, intercostals, and stringers in function and orientation

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Which member is primarily a transverse plate tying the vertical keel to the margin plates across the ship’s bottom? • Which of these terms usually refers to longitudinal strength members running fore-and-aft rather than side-to-side? • Picture a cross-section of the ship’s double bottom: what are the vertical plates you would see spanning from the centerline (keel) out to the sides?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which term in the choices is defined as a transverse structural member in standard ship construction texts • Confirm which items are normally longitudinal strength members (running fore‑and‑aft) and therefore can be eliminated • Make sure the correct choice specifically connects the vertical keel to the margin plates as flat vertical plates, not beams or longitudinals