K03 – Composite Materials in Marine Structures
This course is for engineers and marine professionals who need a practical foundation in composite construction and structural application. By the end, learners will be able to select appropriate composite materials, explain yacht structural systems, evaluate manufacturing and defects, and apply basic principles to design, inspection, and repair decisions.
£299.00
20 hours
Focused, self-paced learning designed to fit around professional schedules.
Online, self-paced
Study online at a pace that fits your schedule.
10 sections
Structured curriculum sections.
English
Language of instruction for this course.
Quiz count: 8 total
Knowledge checks and assessed activities.
40 lessons
Focused lessons organised into a clear learning path.
Course overview
Relevance to CPD: Strengthens the composite material selection, laminate, sandwich and inspection judgement engineers use when designing, building or repairing yacht structures.
1. Explain how fibres, resins, cores, and interfaces contribute to composite marine structures.
Designed for: engineering graduates looking for refresher courses in niche expert areas.
Entry requirements: an engineering degree or equivalent experience, plus basic mechanics of materials (stress, strain, bending and shear); no prior study of composites is assumed.
What you will learn
Explain how fibres, resins, cores, and interfaces contribute to composite marine structures.
Select suitable composite material systems for yacht structural requirements and operating conditions.
Interpret laminate schedules, sandwich panels, and basic structural load paths.
Evaluate manufacturing, bonding, inspection, durability, and failure risks in composite construction.
Develop and defend a preliminary composite structural concept for a yacht application.
Skills and knowledge
Marine composites
Laminate design
Sandwich structures
Yacht structural design
Composite manufacturing
Failure analysis
Inspection
Course curriculum
Composite Foundations
1.1 Welcome
Constituent Materials
2.1 Reinforcement Forms and Roles
2.2 Resins, Cores, and Interfaces
2.3 Quiz 1 (quiz)
Laminate Behaviour
3.1 Fibre Direction and Anisotropy
3.2 Ply Properties and Laminate Response
3.3 Stacking Sequences and Symmetry
3.4 Loads Through a Laminate
3.5 Quiz 2 (quiz)
Sandwich Structures
4.1 Sandwich Panel Mechanics
4.2 Core Types and Selection
4.3 Skins, Cores, and Shear
4.4 Edges, Inserts, and Openings
4.5 Quiz 3 (quiz)
4.6 Local Reinforcement Strategies
4.7 Sandwich design check
Structural Design Practice
5.1 Yacht Load Paths
5.2 Hull and Deck Structures
5.3 Bulkheads, Floors, and Webs
5.4 Masts, Keels, and Appendages
5.5 Connections and Terminations
5.6 Designing for Impact Loads
5.7 Preliminary structure task
5.8 Quiz 4 (quiz)
Manufacturing Processes
6.1 Moulded Composite Workflows
6.2 Wet Layup and Infusion
6.3 Prepreg and Controlled Cure
6.4 Quiz 5 (quiz)
6.5 Defects and Process Causes
Bonding and Assembly
7.1 Adhesive Bonded Joints
7.2 Bonding Surface Preparation
7.3 Mechanical Fasteners and Hybrids
7.4 Quiz 6 (quiz)
Durability and Failure
8.1 Marine Degradation Mechanisms
8.2 Damage, Cracks, and Delamination
8.3 Inspection and Repair Decisions
8.4 Quiz 7 (quiz)
Standards and Safety
9.1 Design Allowables and Rules
9.2 Quiz 8 (quiz)
Integrated Yacht Concept
10.1 Key Takeaways
Ready to enrol?
£299.00