STRUCTeam, a leading independent composite engineering consultancy, has announced a successful collaboration with 3A Composites Core Materials, a global leader in sandwich composite technology.
The companies joined forces to address challenges posed by the revised ISO 12215-5:2019 standard. This technical partnership marks a significant advancement in providing support for 3A Composites Core Materials’ customers and the broader marine industry, as they navigate the amended structural design guidelines for small craft.
Sandwich core materials have been used successfully by the marine Industry for almost 60 years and naval architects want to increase the use of sandwich construction, but in most geographies, ISO compliance remains paramount for vessels less than 24m.
The 2019 edition supersedes ISO 12215-5:2008 and introduces more stringent core strength requirements and changes in methods to compute structural compliance. These modifications have a notable effect on flat sandwich panels, resulting in a potential increase in weight by up to 30% for hull and deck plating. Consequently, vessels that adhered to the 2008 edition may not meet the criteria of the 2019 edition.
Recognising the importance of addressing these challenges, 3A Composites Core Materials and STRUCTeam presented their findings to Grégoire Dolto of CTN Conseil. Dolto, an engineer and naval architect with experience drafting multiple ISO standards, and convener of ISO WG 18 that drafted ISO 12215 standards from 2003 to 2021, further engaged Beneteau, the world’s leading sailboat builder and institutional contributor to ISO.
The primary focus was on rectifying the shortcomings of the 2019 framework and exploring optimal design approaches with foam and balsa core materials.
Although mitigating the weight penalty within the 2019 edition is possible, it requires the allocation of extra engineering resources and budget, using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). In response, 3A Composites Core Materials has initiated a dedicated test program aimed at enhancing material data for FEA analysis of their materials. Simultaneously, STRUCTeam and Beneteau are actively developing long-term solutions and proposals, with the goal of submitting them to the ISO Working Group.
Eric Gauthier, 3A Composites Core Materials’ CEO stated: "This joint work, with leading and recognised companies from our industry, allows us to better support our clients in professional and pragmatic compliance with the ISO 12215-5:2019 standard which drives the best choice of core material versus requirements.”
Nico Voorzee, STRUCTeam’s marine sales lead added: "Our collaboration with 3A Composites Core Materials, Beneteau and Grégoire Dolto strongly aligns with our mission to lead in engineering services within the marine industry. This project resulted in a major update to our commercially available software solution, CompoSIDE, seamlessly integrating the 2019 edition of the ISO 12215-5 into our ISO compliance module, YACHTScant."
