The cost effective use of fibre reinforced composites offshore Prepared by the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne for the Health and Safety Executive 2003 RESEARCH REPORT 039

The results of a major research programme into the cost effective use of fibre reinforced composites offshore, undertaken as a Joint Industry Project by a consortium of universities and contractors are presented in this report. The report includes a detailed (54 page) summary of current offshore composite applications, followed by a review of the 43 projects conducted during the programme which spanned 13 years and four phases of research and considered the following performance issues – fire, blast/impact, environmental durability, elevated temperatures, jointing, long term behaviour, non-destructive inspection and structural design. These are related to the use of pipes, panels, secondary structures e.g. gratings, walkways etc. and top-side structures. The report is intended for use as an information source for engineers involved in the use of composites offshore. The most significant advances have been in the areas of pipework and fluid handling, driven by their light weight and corrosion resistance compared to metals. Until recently, interest focussed on the use of glass fibre-based composites and on the topsides of offshore platforms. However, the prospect of deepwater production is generating a new impetus for high performance composites for demanding subsea applications. The probable scale of some new subsea developments, such as rigid risers and tethers is likely to result in greatly increased demand for carbon based composites as well as for the manufacturing facilities to process them. Composite down-hole tubing is also beginning to find applications subsea and in well intervention. The original barriers to the use of composites offshore were regulatory requirements, lack of design information and the fragmented structure of the composites industry. The project has made significant progress in their removal, as well as generating increased awareness of the major economic, safety and environmental benefits that a wider use of composite materials can bring. The Composites Offshore programme provided valuable underpinning information for a number of applications, including glass reinforced plastic (GRP) piping, offshore structures, repair systems and composite fire protection of the oil and gas industry. This report and the work it describes were funded in part by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without …