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Composite Materials for Marine Applications: Key Challenges for the Future

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Composite Materials

Abstract

This chapter presents the key challenges for the future use of composite materials for marine applications. Five technical challenges have been identified: load transfer mechanisms, safety, life cycle assessment, concurrent engineering and structural health monitoring. These are discussed in the following sections of the chapter. The mechanical behaviour of layered orthotropic structures is considered for both adhesively bonded and hybrid joints, and the strength, fatigue, failure prediction, ageing and optimisation of the connections are described. The safety section discusses the challenge of managing variability and uncertainty when constructing bespoke marine craft, where extensive testing and prototyping are not possible, considering fabrication, strength and through-life behaviour. In the life cycle assessment section, environmental impact is considered using an embodied energy approach. Concurrent engineering approaches that incorporate both the design and production functions in a non-sequential manner are particularly important in the marine industry. A future requirement in this field will be the ability to incorporate design history in optimised design solutions. The structural health monitoring section focuses on state-of-the-art inspection techniques such as vibration-based damage identification approaches and other data-rich experimental mechanics techniques for use in repair intervention strategies. The chapter concludes with comments on the future use of polymeric composite materials for structural marine applications.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the following individuals and organisations for their financial support for this research and/or their collaboration:

Aalborg University, particularly Professor Ole Thomsen

AWE, particularly Mr Paul Tatum

British Marine Federation, particularly Mr Nik Parker and Mr Adrian Waddams

Dstl, particularly Professor. Alan Groves

European project EUCLID RTP3.21

Fiberline AS

Fibreforce

Flemmings industrial fabrics

Lloyds Register Education Trust, particularly Mr Vaughan Pomeroy and Mr Michael Franklin

MOD, particularly Professor Jagath Mawella, Mr Bill Gass and Dr. Chris Cole

National Composites Network

Permabond

QinetiQ through the MAST program

RNLI, particularly Mr David Brook, Mr Steve Austen and Dr. Holly Phillips

Streamline Waterjet Cutting

Strongwell (USA)

UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

UK Technology Strategy Board

University of Sheffield, particularly Professor Keith Worden

Vantico

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

    R. A. Shenoi, J. M. Dulieu-Barton, S. Quinn, J. I. R. Blake & S. W. Boyd

Authors
  1. R. A. Shenoi
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  2. J. M. Dulieu-Barton
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  3. S. Quinn
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  4. J. I. R. Blake
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  5. S. W. Boyd
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. A. Shenoi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. IMAST Scarl, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, Portici, 80055, Napoli, Italy

    Luigi Nicolais

  2. , Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom

    Michele Meo

  3. IMAST Scarl, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, Portici, 80055, Napoli, Italy

    Eva Milella

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Shenoi, R.A., Dulieu-Barton, J.M., Quinn, S., Blake, J.I.R., Boyd, S.W. (2011). Composite Materials for Marine Applications: Key Challenges for the Future. In: Nicolais, L., Meo, M., Milella, E. (eds) Composite Materials. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-166-0_3

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