Block Construction
Block Construction is the standard modern shipbuilding method, in which the hull is divided into large three-dimensional sections called blocks (or grand blocks when several are joined). Each block is fabricated, welded and substantially outfitted — with pipes, cables, machinery foundations and coatings — in the workshop, then transported to the building dock and erected into the complete hull.
Building and outfitting blocks under cover, at ground level, is far more efficient and safer than working aloft on an open hull. It lets many parts of the ship be built in parallel, shortening the time the vessel occupies the building dock and improving weld quality and dimensional control.
Block construction is what makes modern shipbuilding fast and capital-efficient. Because the capacity constraint is the building dock, moving as much fabrication and outfitting as possible into parallel block workshops is the single biggest lever on build time and yard throughput.
What is a grand block?
A grand block is several individual blocks pre-joined into one very large section before erection, reducing the number of lifts and joins needed on the building dock.