Hull construction is the structural backbone of every newbuilding project. Tracking blocks from fabrication through assembly to erection — and inspecting every joint along the way — requires a system that matches the complexity of the work.
A modern vessel is built from dozens — sometimes over a hundred — prefabricated steel blocks. Each block is fabricated in the workshop, moved to the assembly area, joined with adjacent blocks, and erected in the dock or on the slipway. At every stage, the structural work must be inspected: fit-up, welding, dimensional accuracy, NDT, and coating.
Tracking this process — which blocks are fabricated, which are in assembly, which erection joints are welded and inspected — is fundamental to understanding where the project actually stands. Yet many supervision teams still do it with a wall chart or a spreadsheet.
What block tracking involves
- Block identification — each block has a unique number tied to the structural drawing and the construction plan.
- Fabrication status — tracking whether the block is in cutting, sub-assembly, or grand assembly.
- Dimensional inspection — recording fit-up and dimensional checks before and after welding.
- Erection — logging when each block is placed in the dock and joined to adjacent blocks.
- Erection joint inspection — tracking welding, NDT, and coating of each erection joint separately.
- Completion tracking — a visual overview showing which blocks and joints are complete, in progress, or outstanding.
Why a visual approach matters
Block tracking is inherently spatial. A list of block numbers in a spreadsheet does not tell you whether the aft section is ahead of schedule while the engine room is behind. A visual block map — colour-coded by status — gives the supervision team and the owner an immediate, intuitive view of structural progress. ShipInspect Pro provides exactly this: a visual block status display with completion percentages, linked to the underlying inspection records.
Connecting blocks to the ITP
In a well-structured inspection system, block tracking is not a standalone feature — it is integrated with the ITP. Each block's fabrication and erection inspections are activities within the Inspection & Test Plan, with their own witness points and acceptance criteria. ShipInspect Pro links block status directly to ITP completion, so you have a single source of truth for structural progress.
See block tracking in action
Request a free trial of ShipInspect Pro to explore the block tracking module with sample data — visual status maps, erection joint tracking, and ITP integration included.
See ShipInspect Pro in action
Request a free 7-day trial with sample data and see how it fits your newbuilding project.