The revolutionary Sandwich Plate System (SPS) is superior in every practical way to conventional, stiffened steel plate. A totally new concept in heavy engineering construction, SPS, a steel-elastomer-steel structural laminate, is a new-generation building material bringing the shipbuilding and civil engineering industries to the threshold of a new era. Lloyd’s Register Special Report (September 2000) describes this concept.

In a seven-year development period, Intelligent Engineering Limited (IE), in conjunction with industry partner, Elastogran GmbH – a member of the BASF Group – has given the marine and civil engineering industries a new concept in steel construction. The unique physical properties of the composite material and the structural simplification enabled by SPS are at the heart of remarkable benefits in performance, cost and safety relative to conventional stiffened steel plate structures. Senior industry representatives who have watched the development of the Sandwich Plate System believe that it has the potential to change the face of shipbuilding.

Dr John Parker, chairman of Babcock International Group plc, first became interested in SPS during histerm as president of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA). He is also Chairman of the Technical Committee of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LR). Dr Parker describes SPS as “an exciting new development in materials, which is very suitable for shipbuilding applications”. He believes SPS will make its mark in the history of shipbuilding, “first as an excellent material for flat panel-type construction and, secondly, it will evolve through other applications towards full ship construction potential”