Porthole antonym windows#
It can refer to a variety of small windows or openings in a building's roof or wall, ranging from simple ventilation holes to ornate decorative elements. The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared, or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight.A lucarne is a versatile architectural feature that can serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendations on any course of action to be followed by the reader. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for it. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. Maritime Accidents: The Sinking of Britannic Hospital Shipĭisclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Marine Insight.
What are the materials used for making portholes? Much of their weight is of the glass, which should be less than two inches thick for safety purposes. Some are several inches to over two feet and weigh from several pounds to more than a hundred pounds. A circular window is tougher and also suits the overall design. Oceans and seas put immense pressure on the ship’s body, and square or rectangular windows are more susceptible to stress and might become weak at the corners. Why are ship portholes round?Ī round shape is preferred to maintain a vessel’s structural integrity. They are bound in a frame and allow one to see outside. What is a porthole?Ī porthole is a small circular opening or a glass window in a ship, aeroplane, submarine or spacecraft. But just because of their utility, they are still used extensively on ships worldwide.
One can find numerous antique maritime portholes for decoration purposes. The heaviness of the ship’s portholes also ensures that no damage is caused at any time on the boat. They offer resistance not only from sunlight but also from sea and rainwater. Ship portholes are generally because of the durability factor. Hence, the watertight glass cover protects the ship windows from breaking or damage.Ī ship’s porthole measures around two feet in diameter, while its weight can go up to around 100 pounds. The glass is put in a metal cover or steel frame with a shaft or screw to keep it firm. Brass portholes and bronze remain effective for a longer time. Materials such as brass and bronze are preferred over iron and steel because iron rusts because of seawater, and steel bends after a certain period. This process is called tempering, providing the glass does not break or shatter. Then this mixture is laid on top of a melting tin, ensuring that the proper shape of the glass is achieved. The process further involves constantly re-heating the mixture in huge furnaces so that the glass reaches its appropriate thickness. To make the glass, a mixture of silica, lime and ash is mixed, heated and cooled until the right consistency of glass is achieved. Making glass is known as sand-casting silica sand is the primary material for this process. The glass used in the portholes is compulsorily made involving sand. The materials used for building ship portholes are stainless steel, aluminium, brass, bronze, and iron. However, later on, portholes came to be built on every room and cabin on the ship. This construction pattern immensely helped the people working in these areas to work continuously for long hours. This allowed light and fresh air to enter those parts. Representation Image – Photograph by Flavio MestrovichĪ porthole was initially constructed to be a window in those areas of the ship where airing was a significant problem.
For this, the height of the portholes is strategically decided, and one end of the portholes is hinged. The portholes are designed so that when a ship cruises into the middle of the seas, one can get the best possible ocean view from the ship’s porthole. They have retained their circular form and are unique compared to windows in other means of transportation. Portholes have been a part of ships since the beginning.
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