Structural integrity field

The structural integrity field is the technology aboard a starship that helps maintain the integrity and shape of hulls and bulkheads against the extreme stresses caused by warp fields, weapons, and other motion.

Montgomery Scott found himself impressed by the structural integrity of Klingon vessels, having taken two Klingon bird-of-preys on gravitational slingshots through time, and was uncertain that a comparable sized Federation craft would be able to hold together, especially burdened with water and two whales.