Ship builders are always trying to design lighter, more cost efficient vessels. However, this can be challenging because ships are used in the most corrosive, physically demanding environments – aspects which could lead to high lifetime maintenance costs.
When choosing what products to use for the walkways around the ship, Vard Søviknes, the designer of Skandi Africa, decided to use fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) grating, also known internationally as glass reinforced plastic (GRP) grating. FRP is an extremely reliable and durable material for the marine industry. It is growing in popularity because it is lightweight yet strong, corrosion resistant, UV resistant, and has a long product life-cycle. The corrosion resistant properties carry extra importance in the marine industry because of the high corrosion rates associates with salt water climates. FRP is also very impact resistant. Even in extremely cold climates often encountered by ships, FRP will not bend or break the way steel and other metals will upon impact. All of these aspects lead to significant cost savings for vessels. In addition, the lightweight and strength of the FRP material makes it a much safer product for ship employees to use and handle.
The shipping industry in Norway requires grating delivered for the offshore industry to be Det Norske Veritas (DNV) certified. DNV certified products comply with international standards and the DNV rules for classifications of ships. DNV certifications verify the high quality and safety standards of materials. Fibergrate Composite Structures manufactures extremely high quality FRP grating – making Fibergrate one of only a few FRP grating suppliers who has DNV Type Approval Certificates. These aspects led to the clear decision to use Fibergrate on the Skandi Africa vessel.
Sino supplied both the FRP molded grating and the FRP pultruded grating used on the ship, and Astrup safely delivered the material to Vard Soviknes shipyard. Light gray molded grating with an anti-slip meniscus surface was installed for the walkways around the ship. Yellow pultruded grating was installed on the deck where equipment is handled. Due to the heavy weight demands the ship's deck will endure, the load bars of the pultruded grating are close together. The gritted, slip resistant surface of the pultruded grating reduces the risk of slips and falls.
The corrosion resistance, lightweight, and impact resistance of FRP products made FRP grating the perfect fit for the walkways and decking on board the Skandi Africa while being backed by associations such as DNV, demonstrates that Fibergrate the right choice in suppliers.
