The calculation of resistance of barge hulls according to ITTC'78 correlation line method turns out to be scarcely reliable because of the high values of the form factor. Therefore, it was decided to carry out a survey by means of a series of trials of 4 barge models characterized by geometric similarity. The objective was to measure scale effect on form factors. The results emphasize a trend for the form factor which, sometimes, is contrast with classical theories; the reason for this phenomenon lies in the high resistance induced by the flow separation. Some recent calculation proposals have been examined, which could solve these problems.
The resistance increase due to the application of appendages has also been studied according to some recently developed procedures.
