DESIGN OF SHIP SUPERSTRUCTURES IN FIBRE-REINFORCED PLASTIC

A study is made of the use of glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) in ship superstructures. The advantages of GRP superstructures (or of hybrid superstructures involving selective use of GRP in association with steel or aluminum) are: the virtual elimination of fatigue cracking associated with hull-superstructure interaction; a weight substantially lower than that of steel construction and comparable with that of light-alloy construction; better fire- resistance than that provided by an aluminum structure; better ballistic protection (weight for weight) than that provided by steel or aluminum; and reduced cost, depending on the form of GRP fabrication, to possibly less than that of welded aluminum. Alternative GRP configurations are examined and compared with conventional steel and aluminum designs as to strength, stiffness, weight and cost. Stress distributions associated with hull- superstructure interaction are studied. Consideration is given to fire resistance, performance under air-blast loading, and attachment to steel. The problem of electromagnetic compatibility resulting from the electromagnetic transparency of GRP is also discussed.