Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of High Speed Crafts and Light Crafts - 2016

Page 1 of 7

Chapter 3

Materials of Construction

Contents
Section
1 General
2 Structural Steel
3 Structural Aluminium Alloy
4 Glass Reinforced Plastic Materials

Section 1

General
1.1 Scope
1.1.1 These Rules provide for use of steel, marine
grade aluminium alloys and glass fibre reinforced
plastics in the construction or repair of hull
structures. These materials are to be tested and
inspected according to the requirements given in
Sections 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
1.1.2 Materials used for the construction or repair of
machinery systems or components are to be
manufactured tested and inspected according to the
relevant requirements given in Part 2 of the Rules
and Regulations for the Construction and
Classification of Steel Ships.
1.1.3 Materials complying with recognised national
or international standards giving equivalent
requirements may also be accepted.

Section 2

Structural Steel

2.1 Manufacture, inspection and testing
2.1.1 All steel rolled products, castings and forgings
used in the construction or repairs of the hull
structures are to be manufactured and tested in
accordance with the requirements of Chapters 3, 4
and 5, respectively of Part 2 of the Rules and
Regulations for the Construction and Classification
of Steel Ships.
2.2.2 Steels having a yield stress of 265 [N/mm2]
and higher, are regarded as higher tensile steels.
Where higher tensile steel is used, the hull girder
section modulus and the local scantlings may be
reduced in accordance with the relevant requirement
of the Rules. For this purpose, a material factor ‘k’,
is to be taken as follows:
k = 0.78 for steel with a minimum yield stress of 315
[N/mm2].

2.2 Material factor ‘k’ for steel
2.2.1 Ordinary hull structural steel is a hull structural
steel with a minimum yield stress of 235 [N/mm2]
and a tensile strength generally in the range of 400-
490 [N/mm2].
For ordinary hull structural steel, the material factor
‘k’ is to be taken as 1.0.
k = 0.72 for steel with a minimum yield stress of
355 [N/mm2].
2.3 Grades of steel
2.3.1 In general, grade A or AH steel would be
acceptable. Where the thickness of material exceeds
15 mm, the required grade of steel would be
specially considered depending on the thickness and
the proposed use.

Indian Register of Shipping

Chapter 3
Page 2 of 7 Materials of Construction

Section 3

Structural Aluminium Alloy

3.1 Manufacture, inspection and testing
3.1.1 All aluminium alloy rolled or extruded
products, castings or aluminium/steel transition
joints used in the construction or repairs of the hull
structure are to be manufactured and tested in
accordance with the requirements of Chapter 9 of
Part 2, of the Rules and Regulations for the
construction and Classification of Steel Ships.
3.1.2 Wrought aluminium alloys are to have a
satisfactory resistance to corrosion in marine
environment. Grades for welded structures are to be
weldable, applying one of the welding methods
approved by IRS.
3.1.3 The alloy grades 6005A, 6061 of the 6000
series should not be used in direct contact with sea
water unless protected by anodes and/or paint
system.
3.2 Material factor ‘k’ for aluminium alloys
3.2.1 The material factor ‘k’ to be used for
determination of required scantlings of aluminium
structures is to be taken as:
k = 235/σy
where,
σy = guaranteed minimum 0.2% proof stress of the
alloy in the welded condition or 70% of the ultimate
strength in the welded condition, whichever is the
lesser [N/mm2].

Section 4

Glass Reinforced Plastic Materials

4.1 General are attached to, or encapsulated within the GRP

4.1.1 The requirements given in this section are
based on the use of an unsaturated polyester resin
system with glass fibre reinforcement and
employing hand lay-up or spray lay-up contact
moulding production techniques. Other types of
resin systems and reinforcements may be accepted
based on testing and approval in each individual
case.
4.1.2 The following base materials used in the
construction or repair of GRP crafts are to be
approved in accordance with the approval procedure
given in this sub-section and the requirements of
sub-sections 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5, as relevant.
construction, they are to be such as not to affect
adversely the cure of plastic materials.
4.2 Procedure for approval of base materials
4.2.1 The following information is to be submitted
by the manufacturer for each base material product
for which the approval is sought.
a) Detailed specifications for each grade, giving
Manufacturer’s Nominal Values (MNV) and
corresponding acceptable tolerances.
b) An outline of the production process giving
details of all important stages in production.

- Glass fibre reinforcements c) A brief description of the plant and equipments.

- Polyester resins
- Sandwich core materials d) Details of systems employed for production and
- Sandwich adhesives. quality control.

4.1.3 Materials other than GRP, are to be of good e) Details of the systems used for the identification
quality, suitable for the purpose intended and where of raw materials, semi-finished and finished
applicable, are to comply with the Rule requirements products.
appropriate to the material. Where these materials
Indian Register of Shipping
Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of High Speed Crafts and Light Crafts - 2016
f) The number and qualifications of all staff
engaged in quality control duties.
g) Details of test equipment, testing procedures,
stages at which tests are carried out by the
Manufacturer and frequency of testing.
h) Manufacturer’s test results for a period of at
least 3 months covering testing on at least 10
production batches.
The Manufacturer’s works and equipment are to be
inspected to examine all aspects of production and
quality control as per the above mentioned details
and the actual testing for approval of product may
commence only after they have been found
satisfactory.
4.2.2 The base material products are to be tested in
accordance with the recommended test methods
given in 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5, as relevant. Other
equivalent test methods may be individually
considered. The test equipment used is to be kept in
a satisfactory and accurate condition and calibrated
annually. The tests are to be carried out by
competent personnel and are generally to be
witnessed by Surveyors. In case of testing by
reputed independent test house, the witnessing may
be waived at the discretion of the attending
Surveyor.
4.2.3 The test samples and specimens are to be
prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations and the relevant recommended
test methods. When tests on GRP laminates are
required, the laminates are to be moulded by the
hand lay-up method at an angle of 45 deg. to the
horizontal and under environmental conditions
specified in Chapter 7, Section 2.
4.2.4 On the satisfactory completion of all testing a
type approval certificate valid for a period of five
years shall be issued which shall be subject to the
conditions of approval given in 4.2.5 and 4.2.6 and
satisfactory annual inspections as per 4.2.7. Any
alteration in the composition of the product or in any
of the production details which affect the quality
may warrant new approval testing.
4.2.5 The type approval is given on the condition
that the product material, when correctly examined
will give test results reasonably close to the
submitted properties. Should the properties of the
base materials or those of well made laminates using
these materials be found to deviate significantly
Indian Register of Shipping
Page 3 of 7
from the submitted properties, or should the quality
control procedures not be adhered to consistently,
approval will be withdrawn.
4.2.6 Each delivery of raw materials is to be suitably
marked with following details:
- Approval Certificate No. and date
- Designation of product
- Batch No.
Properties to be tested for each delivery or batch to
which the delivery belongs are specified in Tables
4.3.4, 4.4.2 and 4.5.4 (marked (D)). The values
resulting from testing are to be recorded and made
available for inspection.
4.2.7 Manufacturers’ works and quality control
systems are to be subjected to annual inspection.
The scope of inspection and testing at the annual
inspection is limited to ensuring that the conditions
of approval given in 4.2.4 to 4.2.6 remain valid.
Quality control records and Manufacturer’s test
results are to be made available to the Surveyor and
random tests are to be carried out in the Surveyors’
presence to adequately demonstrate that the
consistency of the approved grade is satisfactorily
maintained.
4.3 Glass fibre reinforcements
4.3.1 The Rule requirements in respect of the
following types of glass fibre reinforcements are
given in this section.
- Chopped strand mat
- Unidirectional
- Woven roving
- Woven cloth
Other types of glass fibre reinforcements will be
individually considered.
4.3.2 Reinforcement features
The following details are to be provided as
applicable, for each type of reinforcements:
a) Reinforcement type
b) Fibre tex value
c) Fibre finish and/or treatment
Chapter 3
Page 4 of 7 Materials of Construction

d) Yarn count in each direction

Reinforcement type Glass fraction
e) Width of manufactured reinforcement
Chopped Strand-mat 0.3
f) Weight per unit area of manufactured Unidirectional 0.6
reinforcement Woven Roving 0.5
Woven Cloth 0.5
g) Weight per linear metre of manufactured
reinforcement The laminates are to be tested in air in the
directions indicated below:
h) Compatibility (e.g. suitable for polyesters,
epoxides, etc) Type of Test orientation
reinforcement
i) Constructional stitching (details of yarn, type, Unidirectional 0o
frequency and direction) Chopped Strand Mat any direction
Woven Roving 0o and 90o
j) Weave type Woven Cloth 0o and 90o

k) Binder type and content. 4.4 Polyester resins

4.3.3 The glass fibre reinforcements are to be 4.4.1 Scope

manufactured from low-alkali borosilicate “E” glass.
A chemical analysis is to be carried out and the The Rule requirements in respect of the following
chemical composition (%) is to comply with the unsaturated polyester resins suitable for lamination
following requirements: by hand lay-up are given in this section.

SiO2 CaO AL2O3 B2O3 MgO Na2O + - Isophthalic polyester resins

K2O
52-56 16-25 12-16 6-12 0-6 0-1
Binders where used are to be soluble polyester resin.
Sizes and finishes are to be of the silane type, and
are to be compatible with the laminating resins.
4.3.4 The glass fibre reinforcements and laminates
prepared from them are to be tested in accordance
with Table 4.3.4 and are to comply with the
requirements specified therein.
For the purpose of this approval testing, the
laminates are to be prepared as follows:
a) An approved resin of suitable type is to be used.
- Orthophthalic polyester resins.
It may be noted that orthophthalic polyester resins
are not to be used in the main hull.
The resins are to have good wetting properties and
are to cure satisfactorily under environmental
conditions specified in Chapter 7.
4.4.2 Properties
For each grade of resin to be approved, resin in
liquid and cast conditions and the laminates
prepared from it are to be tested in accordance with
the Table 4.4.2 and are to comply with the
requirements specified therein.

b) A minimum of three layers of the reinforcement
is to be laid with parallel ply to give a laminate
not less than 4 mm thick.
c) The weights of resin and reinforcements used
are to be recorded together with the measured
thickness of the laminate.
d) The following glass/resin ratios by weight, are
to be used:
For the purpose of approval testing, the laminates
are to be prepared in accordance with 4.3.4 using the
resin under consideration and an approved chopped
strand mat reinforcement.
4.4.3 The resins to be approved for application in
gelcoats are to satisfy the requirements for
isophthalic polyester resin given in Table 4.4.2 for
liquid and cast conditions. Testing of laminates
prepared using the resins need not be carried out.

Indian Register of Shipping

Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of High Speed Crafts and Light Crafts - 2016
Page 5 of 7

Table 4.3.4 : Properties for acceptance purposes : Glass fibre reinforcements

Property Required values Recommended Test Methods

(A) GLASS FIBRE REINFORCEMENTS
Moisture content (D) Max. 0.2% (max. 0.3% for emulsion ISO 3344
bonded CSM)
Av. weight per unit area (D) MNV ± 8% BS 3749
BS EN 14118
% max. variation in weight per unit 19% of MNV BS 3749
area (D) BS EN 14118
Loss on ignition (D) MNV* ISO/R 1887
Mat binder solubility (for CSM MNV* BS EN 14118
only)
Wet-out time MNV* BS EN 14118

(B) LAMINATES
Ultimate Tensile Strength Subject to approval in each separate ISO 527-4
Tensile Modulus case
Ultimate Bending Strength
- do -
Bending Modulus ISO 178
Glass Content - do - ISO 1172
Notes:

MNV : Manufacturers Nominal Value (As given in the product specifications)

D : To be tested for each delivery/batch
* : Tolerance limits are subject to approval in each separate case.

Table 4.4.2 : Properties for acceptance purposes : Polyester resins

Property Required values Recommended Test

ISOPHTHALIC ORTHOPHTHALIC Method
(A) LIQUID RESIN
Density (D) MNV ISO 1675
Viscosity (D) MNV ± 20% ISO 2555 OR ISO 2884
Acid value (D) MNV ± 10% ISO 2114
Monomer content (D) MNV ± 10% ISO 3251
Gel time (D) MNV ± 20% ISO 2535
Shrinkage during cure (D) MNV ISO 3521

(B) CAST RESIN

Density MNV MNV
Hardness (Barcol) 35 35 ASTM D2583
Heat deflection temp. 75 (°C) 62 (°C) ISO 75
Water absorption (mg) (28 80 (mg) max. 100 (mg) max. Method A ISO62
days immersion)
Ultimate tensile strength 45 [N/mm2] 45 [N/mm2] ISO 527-4
Tensile modulus 3000 [N/mm2] 3000 [N/mm2] ISO 527-4
Elongation at fracture 2% (2.5% for gelcoat) 1.5%
Ultimate bending strength 80 [N/mm2] 80 [N/mm2] ISO 178

Indian Register of Shipping

Chapter 3
Page 6 of 7 Materials of Construction

Table 4.4.2 : (Continued …)

Property Required values Recommended Test

ISOPHTHALIC ORTHOPHTHALIC Method
(C ) LAMINATE
Ultimate tensile strength 85 [N/mm2] ISO 527-4
Tensile modulus 6500 [N/mm2] ISO 527-4
Ultimate bending strength 152 [N/mm2] ISO 178
Bending modulus 5206 [N/mm2] ISO 178
Glass content (by weight) 0.3 ISO 1172

Notes:
MNV : Manufacturer’s Nominal Value (as given on the product specifications)
D : To be tested for each delivery/batch

4.5 Sandwich core materials
4.5.1 The Rule requirements in respect of the
following core materials to be used in sandwich
constructions are given in this section.
• Rigid expanded PVC foam
• Balsa wood.
Where plywood is proposed to be used as core, it is
to be of a marine grade meeting the requirements of
Chapter 7.
Other core materials such as honeycombs, etc., will
be individually considered. Expanded polystyrene
foam is attacked by the styrene in the polyester resin
and is not recommended for use as core.
4.5.2 Rigid expanded PVC foams are to have closed-
cell structure and be impervious to water, fuel and
oils and are to be compatible with the polyester
resin. The foam is not to shrink with time, the
shrinkage strains if any, not exceeding the tolerances
on linear dimensions.
4.5.3 Balsa wood is to be end-grain and to have
moisture content not exceeding 12%. Where
manufactured into formable sheets of small blocks,
the open weave backing material and adhesive are to
be compatible and soluble, respectively, with the
polyester laminating resin.
4.5.4 The core materials and the sandwich panels
prepared with the core material under consideration
are to be tested in accordance with Table 4.5.4 and
are to comply with the requirements specified
therein. The skin laminates used in the construction
of the sandwich panel are to be prepared from
approved resin and CSM reinforcements.

Indian Register of Shipping

Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of High Speed Crafts and Light Crafts - 2016
Page 7 of 7

Table 4.5.4 : Properties for acceptance purposes : Sandwich core materials

Property Required values Recommended Test Method

(A) CORE

Density [Kg/m3] (D) MNV + 15% ASTM C-271 specimen 1000 x

- 0% 1000 x thickness of sheet [mm]
Compressive strength [N/mm2] (D) 0.7
0.53 (after 4 weeks immersion in ISO 844
salt water)
Compressive modulus [N/mm2] 30
22.5 (after 4 weeks immersion in ISO 844
salt water)
Shear strength [N/mm2] 0.69 ISO 1922
12 ISO 1922
Shear modulus [N/mm2]
Water absorption [Kg/m2] (1 week 1.5 max. ASTM C272
immersion in salt water) 40 deg. C
Styrene resistance Resistance ISO 175

(B) SANDWICH PANEL

Shear strength [N/mm2] 0.69 Failure not to occur in bond ISO 1922
between skins and core
Shear modulus [N/mm2] 12 ISO 1922
Notes:
MNV : Manufacturer’s Nominal Value (as given in the product specification)
D : To be tested for each delivery/batch.

End Of Chapter

Indian Register of Shipping