U.S. NAVY SHIPBOARD FURNITURE-DESIGN FOR NEED

Hundreds of commercial companies manufacture furniture, and thousands of retail stores display and sell hundreds of thousands of different furniture items for home and office. Yet with very few exceptions, none of these items are acceptable for use on board U.S. Navy ships. Why is this so? Why is Navy furniture so different that special designs must be created and special procurements contracted? This paper attempts to clarify what makes Navy shipboard furniture unique. The discussion addresses various aspects and characteristics of furniture provided to the Fleet. Primarily, the types of materials used and the matter of "approved" materials are discussed. Other topics include weight considerations, maintenance, size, strength, safety, shock, standardization and special purpose designs. The author also briefly presents his opinions about the Navy's furniture program shortcomings and identifies major areas for future development and improvement.

• Corporate Authors:

  Department of the Navy

  Association of Scientists and Engineers of NASSC
  Washington, DC  United States  20360
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Furniture; Shipbuilding materials
• Subject Areas: Design; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167750
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of Scientists and Engineers of NASSC
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 13 1978 12:00AM