KDS Offshore
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Capability · 02 / 09 · Naval architecture

Naval Architecture & Offshore Engineering Design

From small craft to major offshore installations.

Lead time · 8–16 weeksFixed-fee, fixed-scopePrincipal-ledAuthor · Sérgio Ribeiro e Silva, PhDLast reviewed ·
✦ TL;DR

Naval architecture and offshore engineering design is the classical discipline of turning a vessel concept into a buildable, certifiable package — stability books, structural FEA, intact and damage analyses, GA drawings, and class-society liaison. KDS Offshore delivers it principal-led, fixed-fee, and signed by a chartered engineer registered with the Ordem dos Engenheiros.

Overview

What this service is

The classical naval-architecture work — stability books, structural FEA, intact and damage analyses, GA and profile drawings — done by the principals, signed by the principals, defended by the principals in front of the class society.

We work across cargo ships, passenger vessels, offshore platforms, and renewable-energy installations. The discipline does not change with the vessel; the standard does, and we calibrate the package to the flag and the class.

When the design is wrong, we say so. When the budget cannot pay for what the standard requires, we say so. The reputation we are building is worth more than any single fee.

See our methods →

Outcomes

Numbers we expect to defend

5
class societies in active liaison
DNV, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, RINA, GL
50+
stability books delivered
across cargo, passenger, offshore, and renewables (2016–2026)
90 days
post-handover support included
standard on every engagement
8–16 wk
typical lead time for a full package
GA, stability, FEA, class liaison
Deliverables

What you get

01
Stability book (intact & damage)
02
Damage stability simulation
03
Structural FEA analysis report
04
General Arrangement & detail drawings
05
Class-society approval
06
Hydrostatic & damage curves
07
Tonnage & freeboard calculations
Fit

When this is the right call

✓ When to use
  • A new build, capacity uplift, or conversion that requires a fresh stability book and class submission.
  • A damage-stability rebuild after structural modification or compartmentation change.
  • Probabilistic damage stability assessment to SOLAS Chapter II-1 for new or modified vessels.
  • Owner-side engineering signature required (chartered engineer, Ordem dos Engenheiros).
✗ When not to use
  • A pure dock-supervision job with no design work — use Supervision of New Constructions instead.
  • A CFD-only study with no structural or stability scope — use Hydrodynamic Optimisation instead.
Methodology

How we run a project

  1. 01 / 04

    01 · Discovery & scoping

    A 30-minute call to understand the vessel, the operator, and the constraint that triggered the project. We tell you up-front whether we are the right firm.

  2. 02 / 04

    02 · Technical proposal

    A fixed-fee, fixed-scope proposal with named principals, deliverables, classification path, and risks. Within five working days.

  3. 03 / 04

    03 · Engineering

    Weekly working sessions with the operator. Stability books, structural FEA, GA drawings, and class-society liaison delivered against a published Gantt.

  4. 04 / 04

    04 · Handover & support

    Final report, documented model, and 90 days of post-handover support included.

Tools & methods

Software stack we use

  • Maxsurf · stability
  • Ansys Aqwa · seakeeping
  • AUTOHYDRO
  • NASTRAN · structural FEA, noise & vibration
  • SESAM · GeniE · structural modelling
  • SESAM · HydroD · hydrodynamic loads
  • STAR-CCM+ · CFD validation
  • DNV · class liaison
  • Lloyd's Register
  • Bureau Veritas
  • RINA
Regulatory context

Frameworks we help you satisfy

  • SOLAS Chapter II-1Subdivision, intact and damage stability, watertight integrity.
  • MARPOLPollution-prevention design requirements (oil, NLS, sewage, garbage, air).
  • IACS Common Structural RulesStructural scantlings for tankers and bulkers in IACS class.
  • DNV-OS-C101Design of offshore steel structures (general).
  • International Load Line Convention 1966 / 1988 ProtocolFreeboard and reserve buoyancy.
  • Decreto-Lei 96/2017 (Portugal)Portuguese maritime safety transposition; DGRM liaison for PT-flagged vessels.
Vessel types

Where this discipline applies

  • Cargo: container, bulk, multi-purpose
  • Passenger: ferries, cruise, RoPax
  • Offshore: FPSO, platforms, supply vessels
  • Renewables: floating wind sub-structures, wave-energy converters
  • Specialist: tugs, dredgers, pilot, working boats
Selected work

Where this discipline was used

·01Belize I remotorisation & capacity upliftNautiber2023↗·02Libries scientific-tourism conversionBlue Geo Lighthouse2022↗
Common questions

FAQ

Which class societies do you work with regularly?

DNV, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, RINA, and GL. We have active liaison files with each and we know their reviewers.

Do you sign deliverables as chartered engineers?

Yes. KDS principals are members of the Ordem dos Engenheiros (Portugal) and provide chartered-engineer signatures on deliverables that require them, in compliance with the Ordem's rules.

How do you handle damage stability for a vessel that is being modified?

We rebuild the damage cases from the original lines and the new internal subdivision, then run a probabilistic damage stability assessment to the relevant SOLAS or class rule. The output is a damage-control plan that the operator can use on board.

Other capabilities

Eight other disciplines, one office

✦ Brief this service · Naval architecture

Tell us about the vessel.

A 30-minute call with a principal. No deck, no sales engineer. Two engineers, your problem, an honest answer about whether KDS is the right firm.

Start the conversation