Repair of FPSO with Composite Patches

Structural defects on ships, like cracks or corrosion are typically repaired by welding. However, welding is unwanted hot work on an FPSO. The related fire hazard requires shutdown of parts of the FPSO causing very expensive production delays. Composite (fibre reinforced plastic) patch repairs can be used as an alternative without any fire hazard. The patches are bonded over the defect and restore the integrity of the original structure. This paper will describe some of the critical failure mechanisms demonstrated by experimental test results. Methods to control these failure mechanisms will be shown. The results will be used for the development of a recommended practice for the use of composite patch repairs.