Building Berth

a structure that is located on the shore of a sea, a river, or a lake and that is equipped for shipbuilding. A building berth is a major component of a shipyard.

Building slips, which are ways that slope toward the water, are located in building berths. Keels are laid and hulls are assembled on building slips, and ships are launched from them. The distinction between a building berth and a building slip has largely disappeared; the term “building berth” has come mainly to mean a shed over a building slip.

Uncovered building berths sometimes have a horizontal building platform on which a ship is moved by means of carriages (seeSLIP). In large modern shipyards, ships are assembled in building berths that resemble dry docks.