Application of Sandwich Panels in Design and Building of Dredging Ships

The main objective of this paper is to assist shipyards and ship owners to actually decide to examine and implement sandwich panels in ship structures. The awareness that the application of sandwich panels may lead to substantial lower production costs, relatively shorter product delivery times, improved ship performance due to a lower structural weight, and improved fatigue and corrosion characteristics is increasing. As a builder and supplier of dredging ships and dredging equipment, IHC Dredgers (Member of the IHC Merwede Group) is continuously seeking ways to improve the performance of its complex and special ship designs to further reduce production costs and shorten delivery times. Sandwich panels have already been applied in commercial vessels, but on a rather modest scale. After some exploratory studies, IHC is convinced of the potential benefits for the shipyard and its customers, mainly dredging companies. However several factors affect the potential use of sandwich panels in the design and building processes including acceptance by clients, class societies, and the shipyard's own personnel.