Q&A · 2:43:38-2:44:34

Titanic's effect on naval subdivision

A ship-safety answer explains how Titanic exposed the weakness of bulkheads that water could simply overtop.

Question

Did naval design change after the sinking of Titanic?

Short answer

Yes; designers paid more attention to subdivision that stopped water moving vertically and horizontally, including stronger deck-level watertight boundaries.

Notes

Earlier subdivision often focused on transverse bulkheads rising only to a selected deck. Titanic demonstrated that flooding could overtop those boundaries and progress through the ship. Naval architects consequently strengthened deck-level and longitudinal watertight division so damage would be contained in more than one direction.