Evaluation expérimentale et théorique du comportement de panneaux de superstructures en composites

Composite materials represent for shipbuilding industries a possible way to improve the competitiveness of products, particularly in the field of high technology vessels where high strength and stiffness to weight ratios allow increased payload capacity to be obtained, improved performances and lower propulsion costs. In fact with these materials the designer can obtain considerable saving in structural weights, easier production and assembly techniques for complex shapes structures, and better long term performances of the structures when exposed to the marine environment. Unfortunately potentially wide application of F.R.P. structures is restrained by a general lack of knowledge on the mechanical and physical behaviour of these structures. In this context the development of theoretical and experimental investigation is of utmost importance for the definition of structural design and analysis procedures that allow to be exploited all the potential benefits deriving from the use of these materials. In this paper a part of the numerical and the experimental activities, aimed at studying the behaviour of composite panels to be employed in ship superstructures, is described.