Expanded metal core with fiberglass

Anyone have any experience with this? Steel is heavy so this would help save weight. Wrap the expanded steel with fiberglass/epoxy to complete the hull. Inside and outside would be glassed so it would be sticking to the steel and to itself. Maybe solid steel below the waterline? The framing would have to be reinforced but overall I think it would work for a 1-off sailboat.

I've done some small test pieces and it looks promising. I not sure how well it would work on say a 30-40 foot sailboat or larger.

Thoughts please.

 

What properties do you expect to enhance with this combination?

 

Expanded steel in what form ?

 

It’s more about saving weight and building ease/time than enhancing anything.

 

You have options.

I tested with 3/4 inch flattened.

Stainless Steel 304/304L Expanded Metal | Metal Supermarkets - Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Hot-Rolled, Cold-Rolled, Alloy, Carbon, Galvanized, Brass, Bronze, Copper https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/metals/stainless-steel/stainless-steel-304304l-expanded-metal/

 

How are you going to get it to follow compound curvature ? A blow-torch ?

 

you mean this one?

 

Google Boat Building In C Flex glass if you are trying to save some labor in frame building if that is what you are trying to do

 

It will be heavier. If you want light weight, a foam or balsa core is the way to go.

 

I don't see much hope, for this idea, the function of a core is to keep the two skins apart, so that the tensile strength of the skins can be exploited, not so much as the structural strength component. It seems like an all-round nightmare to me !

 

Also, if there ever is any water intrusion, the whole thing will rust and come apart.

 

The structure will be neither stronger nor more durable. It will also be heavier. A structure with a light weight core that separates the inner and outer skin, as Mr E has suggested, will be much stiffer.

 

Aluminum Honeycomb Core, Custom Honeycomb https://www.plascore.com/honeycomb/honeycomb-cores/aluminum/

Important to note, the cube rule here as well. Some good links on issues with metal cores...corrosion.

Core Materials https://netcomposites.com/guide/core-materials/

 

valid remarks.
- You could also add the electrical aspect. Steel conducts, frp doesn't. A lightening strike or short circuit could be 'interesting'... your boat might be like a large capacitor.
- Some years ago I saw an electrical 'contact' from 14,000V overhead power lines on a 40' racing sailboat (nicknamed 'Sparky). Looked like minimal damage at first but with carbon fibre reinforcement, testing indicated that the entire boat's structure & outfitting was compromised.

 

Galvanized steel expanded metal we found to be ideal when making ferrocement hulls, compound curves were easily possible. Seems like what you are proposing is to make a hull with the expanded metal only to hold the fiberglass and epoxy in place during construction. Probably would work OK, but as others have indicated, strip planking with fiberglass/epoxy skins is a better option.