SERVE YOUR SHIP NOT YOUR LOUVER

FRP COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS BY CECO PEERLESS

“You need to buy these things, guys. It’s going to save you money in the end.”

Mike Zirpolo

Principal Port Engineer, USNS Port Cesar Chavez

Savings Calculator

According to feedback from Military Sealift Command Port Engineer, Michael Zirpolo, the acquisition cost for a full shipset of thirty-eight new FRP composite louvers for the USN Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-12) was comparable to one maintenance cycle for half a shipset of painted steel louvers. An analysis of full shipset installation and multi-year operating maintenance costs presents an even more compelling argument for FRP composites. This review shows a balance of initial cost of goods for FRP louvers versus a much higher lifetime cost of maintenance for steel louvers with a payback period of less than 5 years.

Considering a 20-year operating lifetime and a shipset of thirty T-AKE class louvers of varying sizes, the following assumptions were made:

2% annual inflation rate
New steel louvers would need blast, paint and blade replacements starting in the 3rd year
New FRP louvers would not experience corrosion, but would require touch-up painting starting after 5 years