Structural Integrity Field
Structural integrity fields (also called integrity fields or hull integrity fields) are energy fields designed to maintain the shape and integrity of ships and buildings. Developed before the discovery of FTL, they are a mature technology among all species of the galaxy. A derivative of shield and gravity manipulation technologies, they serve a similar purpose (protecting the integrity of a ship or building) in the opposite way. Instead of deflecting incoming objects, these invisible fields drastically increase the macro and micro integrity of structures contained within. Unlike shields, however, they have a much more localised effect, and emitters must be placed throughout a structure, instead of the single emitter that energy screens typically use.
The stresses involved in spaceflight maneuvers place incredible strain on starships. Even with the advanced alloys that make up a starship hull, they can easily break apart under intense, repeated maneuvers. This was not a problem in initial spaceflight, as the organic crews of ships could not withstand the same g-forces that ships could. The development of gravity manipulation technology changed that, as inertial dampeners protected crews from intense g-forces. However, these same forces would cause larger ships to deform and eventually suffer critical failures. Structural integrity fields were developed from a combination of deflector and anti-gravity technology to hold ship shapes together, preventing these catastrophic malfunctions.
The history of starship design has been heavily influenced by the history of integrity fields. As species first took to space, the ships they built were heavily limited in size by the strength of integrity fields. As these fields became more mature, larger and larger ships were able to be designed and constructed. Even if the facilities and resources to construct a ship the size of a modern titan were available to a society at the dawn of FTL travel, the lack of a powerful structural integrity field would cause the ship to break apart as soon as it underwent any sort of maneuver.
In addition to stresses caused by maneuvers, structural integrity fields can maintain ship hulls while under fire. Modern warships with latest-generation integrity fields can continue fighting with significant non-critical damage, including large segments of the ship exposed to vacuum. Crews, however, still require space suits or separate force field generators to protect themselves from hard vacuum.
The stresses involved in spaceflight maneuvers place incredible strain on starships. Even with the advanced alloys that make up a starship hull, they can easily break apart under intense, repeated maneuvers. This was not a problem in initial spaceflight, as the organic crews of ships could not withstand the same g-forces that ships could. The development of gravity manipulation technology changed that, as inertial dampeners protected crews from intense g-forces. However, these same forces would cause larger ships to deform and eventually suffer critical failures. Structural integrity fields were developed from a combination of deflector and anti-gravity technology to hold ship shapes together, preventing these catastrophic malfunctions.
The history of starship design has been heavily influenced by the history of integrity fields. As species first took to space, the ships they built were heavily limited in size by the strength of integrity fields. As these fields became more mature, larger and larger ships were able to be designed and constructed. Even if the facilities and resources to construct a ship the size of a modern titan were available to a society at the dawn of FTL travel, the lack of a powerful structural integrity field would cause the ship to break apart as soon as it underwent any sort of maneuver.
In addition to stresses caused by maneuvers, structural integrity fields can maintain ship hulls while under fire. Modern warships with latest-generation integrity fields can continue fighting with significant non-critical damage, including large segments of the ship exposed to vacuum. Crews, however, still require space suits or separate force field generators to protect themselves from hard vacuum.
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