Bulkhead (partition)

The term bulkhead, among other things, originally denoted upright walls within the hull of a ship. For other meanings, see Bulkhead.

Bulkheads in a ship serve several purposes. They increase the structural rigidity. They create watertight compartments that can contain leakage in the case of an accident.

The term was later applied to other vehicles, such as aircraft or spacecraft, as well as to containers, such as fuel tanks. In some of these cases bulkheads are airtight to prevent air leakage or the spread of the fire.

Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads .