An Analytical Cost Assessment Module for the Detailed Design Stage

The main goal of the project is to implement a “real time” and automatic cost assessment model of
the ship hull construction, which integrates the design criteria and production parameters. The
presented method for short-term cost assessment promises to increase the productivity.
Nowadays, cost assessment is a key task of an integrated ship design. The various methods to estimate
the production cost differs with the required information (input data). The less information is needed,
the earlier this method can be used in the design process. The more information is used, the better we
can assess the differences between design alternatives. This means:
− At the basic design stage: validate the budget and give a reliable bidding price,
− At the detailed design stage:, plan the deadlines and establish the production schedule,
− At the scheduling production stage: distribute the workload between the various production
workshops and assess the productivity.
A first prototype of cost assessment module reaches the validation stage at the Alstom Marine St
Nazaire shipyard (Chantiers de l’Atlantique) within the framework of the European project InterSHIP
which has partly financed the study. In the future, cost assessment will become increasing important.
It is proposed to assist/help the designers by a “real time” follow-up of the cost, starting at the
earliest conceptual design stage up to the latest detailed design stage. The development such a cost
assessment tool requires considering simultaneously the design criteria and the production
parameters. Designers will consequently be able to choose the least expensive options at each step of
the design procedure (earlier is of course better).