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Ship container with lips

make shipping container ships with lips on all four sides + to put more containers on.
 
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Think of a container ship. It is full of containers, stacked high, but with only the room of the ship to sit on.

Why not put side areas (lips) on all 4 sides to pile more containers on. They could be very strong to bear up under the weight. Improved computer control of the ship could minimize rocking if necessary.

Another improvement would be to weigh the containers prior to placement and then place the heaviest ones at the bottom to minimize rocking

<[::::::::::::::]>

becomes

[| |:::::::::::::| |] except on all four sides

beanangel, May 29 2018

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       The size of modern container ships is often limited by the sizes of critical waterways. If it weren't, they'd just make the ships wider or longer, or both.   

       Also, loading and unloading are highly controlled processes, and the placement of individual containers is computer- chosen based on weight and also on the need to be able to make multiple offloadings at different locations.
MaxwellBuchanan, May 29 2018
  

       //just make the ships wider or longer//

Good thinking Max. Someone should build a ship that stretches all the way across the ocean*. Stick a conveyor belt up the middle of it & you can load at one end & unload at the other without having to do any of that dangerous ocean travel that seems to cause so many problems.

* The Atlantic, obviously.
DrBob, May 29 2018
  

       // Stick a conveyor belt up the middle of it //   

       An engineering nightmare. Much better to build a massive trench across the deck, fill it with water and operate as a transatlantic canal. You could drop a bunch of ordinary cargo ships in it, along with some rubber ducks to keep it cheery.
mitxela, May 29 2018
  

       It's when the laden ship (with its ingeniously raised centre of gravity) first comes abeam of a heavy swell that the full brilliance of this idea will become apparent. If it survives that, try packing the containers tighter, and landing aircraft across them.
pertinax, May 29 2018
  
      
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