This engineering work computes the wave-induced bending stresses upon the Ark, and then evaluates a series of internal trusses to carry the entire bending load. The joints, notably the metal dowels resisting lateral loads, govern the design. For a small-cubit Ark with trusses at a 45 degree web/chord angle, and 0.8 wood density (g/cm3), the required trusses consumed 12% of the volume of the Ark and 20% of its displacement, and required 25,000 board feet of structural wood. The large-cubit Ark is more efficient than the small-cubit one in terms of percentages taken by interior trusses, but requires much larger timbers for the construction of these trusses.
