Glass Reinforced Plastic (Grp) Piping for Shipboard Applications

Abstract

The widespread acceptance of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Piping by industry has not been paralleled by Navy shipboard applications due to lack of technical information concerning performance characteristics of the material in the shipboard environment. The need for a corrosion—free, lightweight, low cost alternative to metallic piping materials aboard advanced Navy ships provided an opportunity to begin investigations with GRP Piping in the areas of fire performance, mechanical properties, cyclic fatigue characteristics, shock performance, flexible compatible couplings, erosion resistance, marine fouling control systems, and joint inspection techniques. Results of investigations to date have provided encouragement for current applications of GRP Piping in advanced Navy ships, and for future applications throughout the entire surface—ship fleet. Several diversified GRP pipe, fitting, and joining concepts employed by various manufacturers are currently being investigated to provide the performance criteria necessary to develop a military specification ensuring required characteristics for general shipboard service.

Fire Safe Materials for Navy Ships

“…Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) pipe of the epoxyresin filament-wound type has been extensively investigated for shipboard use for over a decade [22]. Since 1969, GRP piping has been installed and tested on NAVY hydrofoils Highpoint (PCH-I), Flagstaff '(PGH-I) and Plainview (AGEH-I).…”