Fatigue Course for Steel and Aluminium Hulls
Online 300-hour course in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls. 6 modules covering IACS Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, DNV-CG-0129 Fatigue assessment of ship structures and ANSYS Mechanical. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Fatigue Course for Steel and Aluminium Hulls — studying from Malta
Maritime activity is central to Malta's identity, with the Grand Harbour and Freeport at Marsaxlokk handling significant cargo and transhipment. Ship repair, yacht building and marine services form a important part of the sector, supported by a long tradition of shipbuilding and maritime engineering. Offshore and sports nautical activity, including yacht refit and marine leisure, provides further opportunities. Engineers typically work with shipyards, classification societies, port authorities and marine service providers.
Fees for Malta: €546 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Which bodies in Malta regulate naval and offshore engineering, and how does SEIUM fit in?
Malta is a major maritime nation, with the Transport Malta authority overseeing maritime affairs and the Malta Maritime Authority regulating shipping and registration. SEIUM Institute's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and are not accredited by any national body. Recognition for maritime roles is decided by employers or the relevant regulator, so confirm this before enrolling.
Do employers in Malta's maritime and yachting sectors value this type of training?
Malta's maritime cluster, including shipping services, ship management and yacht-related businesses, employs engineers and technical staff. Hiring in these sectors often prioritises practical experience and relevant certifications. Whether a private online qualification helps depends on the employer, so asking prospective employers in Malta is the best way to judge its value.
Can I study this part-time while working offshore or on rotation, and what is the language requirement?
Programmes are 100% online, so you can study from anywhere with internet access, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Teaching is in English, so you need a good working level of technical English. Hours range from 300 to 1,900 depending on the programme. Fees are payable in instalments and employer sponsorship is possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the fatigue mechanisms in welded joints.
Determine cyclic loads on the hull from sea conditions.
Apply the nominal stress and hot spot methods.
Calculate cumulative damage using S-N curves and Miner's rule.
Assess the particularities of fatigue in marine aluminium.
Propose detail improvements and post-weld treatment techniques.
Prepare in-service crack inspection plans.
Who it's for
- Naval structures engineer seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Fatigue and fracture analyst seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Welding inspector seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Classification society engineer seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Structural integrity manager seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Naval repair engineer seeking to specialise in fatigue in steel and aluminium hulls.
- Graduates in engineering or science looking to enter shipyards.
What you'll work with
- IACS Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers
- DNV-CG-0129 Fatigue assessment of ship structures
- IIW Recommendations for Fatigue Design of Welded Joints and Components
- EN 1999-1-3 Eurocode 9: fatigue of aluminium structures
- EN 1993-1-9 Eurocode 3: fatigue
- BS 7910 Guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures
- ISO 10042 Welding: arc-welded joints in aluminium, quality levels
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Load cycles, stress range and R-ratio1.2S-N curves and fatigue limit1.3Crack initiation and propagation1.4Effect of mean and residual stresses1.5Stress concentration in structural details1.6Influence of corrosion on fatigue life1.7Differences in behaviour between steel and aluminium1.8Low- and high-cycle fatigue1.9Palmgren-Miner cumulative damage rule1.10Case study: cumulative damage in a bulkhead detail
2.1Vertical bending moments in waves2.2External and internal dynamic pressures2.3Wave scatter diagrams and routes2.4Long-term Weibull distribution2.5Spectral analysis of fatigue loads2.6Loading and ballast conditions2.7Contribution of whipping to damage2.8Loads on superstructure connections2.9Thermal and refrigerated cargo loads2.10Practice: stress spectrum of a frame
3.1Nominal stress method3.2Hot spot stress method3.3Effective notch stress3.4Fracture mechanics and Paris law3.5Finite element modelling of details3.6Stress extrapolation at the weld3.7IIW FAT classification of details3.8Thickness correction factors3.9Simplified and spectral assessment3.10Laboratory: hot spot stress in a bracket using FEM
4.1Marine alloys 5083 and 60824.2Loss of strength in the heat-affected zone4.3S-N curves for welded aluminium joints4.4Eurocode 9 for aluminium fatigue4.5Friction stir welding (FSW)4.6Extruded profiles and joints in fast ferries4.7Galvanic corrosion and sensitisation4.8Crack repair in aluminium4.9Mixed steel-aluminium joints4.10Case study: fatigue life of an aluminium ferry
5.1Design of details with low stress concentration5.2Weld toe grinding and TIG dressing5.3Hammer peening and HFMI (high-frequency mechanical impact)5.4Weld quality control5.5Crack inspection by NDT5.6Risk-based inspection plans5.7Repair and reinforcement of cracked details5.8Lessons from historical ship failures5.9In-service stress monitoring5.10Workshop: redesign of a reinforcement bracket
6.1Vessel and material selection6.2Identification of critical details6.3Definition of loads and wave spectrum6.4Local finite element modelling6.5Cumulative damage calculation6.6Steel vs aluminium comparison6.7Proposal for detail improvements6.8In-service inspection plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ANSYS Mechanical, Femap with Simcenter Nastran, DNV Sesam, nCode DesignLife, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real assessment procedures for hot spot evaluation of welded details by finite elements, cumulative damage calculation with a wave spectrum, and crack inspection by non-destructive testing. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Understand the fatigue mechanisms in welded joints.
Determine cyclic loads on the hull from sea conditions.
Apply the nominal stress and hot spot methods.
Calculate cumulative damage using S-N curves and Miner's rule.
Assess the particularities of fatigue in marine aluminium.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow the reading of technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
The course uses ANSYS Mechanical, Femap with Simcenter Nastran, DNV Sesam, nCode DesignLife. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the higher programme. Check the recognition policy when enrolling.
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