Assessment of filament-wound glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) pipe technology for RAN surface ship application

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is continuously searching for solutions to reduce ship maintenance and decrease through-life costs. One serious maintenance issue on board the RAN surface fleet is keeping piping systems healthy. Piping systems are predominantly metallic and are used in transporting corrosive fluids such as seawater and oily waste water. Metallic piping is subjected to corrosion attack from flowing seawater and other corrosive fluids, and to blockage from accumulation of marine organisms found in the seawater. These problems cause systems to fail and require frequent remedial action, thereby increasing through-life maintenance costs. The Maritime Platforms Division (MPD) of DSTO commenced exploring the use of non-metallic piping to address such issues and, in particular, the use of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) piping. Following the acceptance of the advice given by MPD to Anzac Sustainment Management Office on the potential benefits of GRP pipe technology, it was agreed to conduct a trial on an Anzac Class surface ship. Tenix Defence Systems Pty, Ltd. also participated in this trial due to their role as the in-service support provider for the Anzac Class ships. Reporting on the trial outcomes is covered under a Task sponsored by NAVSYSCOM. This document provides an overview of the problems in metallic piping systems on board Navy ships, the selection of ship piping systems for the trial, risk analysis conducted to obtain approval for a GRP pipe technology trial on a Navy combat ship, technical challenges with the GRP pipe installation on HMAS Anzac, a cost comparison between metallic and GRP piping, and some early trial outcomes describing the GRP pipe's performance based on resistance to seawater corrosion, marine growth, and outdoor elements. After 6 months into the trial the installed GRP piping in HMAS Anzac was in good condition with no report of visible signs of corrosion, condensation, or cracking.