clearance for positioning units. The greatest disadvantage of the building
dock is its high initial cost.
Many yard re-constructions have incorporated undercover construction
facilities in the form of docks or slipways within building halls. Others
have building halls at the head of the slipway with advanced transfer systems
installed so that the hull can be extruded out of the hall onto the
slipway for launching. Such facilities permit ship construction in a factory
type environment providing protection from the worst effects of weather
and darkness.