🔍 Key Concepts

• Primary structural members in ship construction (pillars, girders, bulkheads) • How deck loads are transferred down into the ship’s structure • Difference between vertical supports and longitudinal/transverse supports

💭 Think About

• For each option, ask yourself: Does this member help carry the weight or loads of the deck and transfer them to the rest of the hull? • Which of these are specifically designed to support the deck vertically, and which support it by tying the structure together horizontally? • Do any of these members have more than one function (e.g., strength plus watertight subdivision) but still contribute to deck support?

✅ Before You Answer

• For pillars: verify whether they are vertical members placed under decks to carry deck loads to the structure below. • For girders: check if they run under the deck plating (longitudinally or transversely) to stiffen and support the deck. • For bulkheads: confirm whether these vertical walls also help support decks and tie the hull structure together, not just subdivide spaces.