Companies: Ampelmann, Solico Engineering B.V., Rondal, Vuyk Engineering, Gurit
In the offshore access industry, stability is the ultimate constraint. For Ampelmann, extending the capability of their gangway systems presented a physics problem: a steel boom would be simply too heavy. It would raise the vessel's center of gravity to unacceptable levels, potentially requiring a much larger ship for the same operation.
The solution lay in composites, but the path was not standard. It required a joint effort from industry leaders to rewrite the rulebook on offshore engineering. The result is the world’s first Composite Telescopic Boom (T-Boom), a structure that achieved a 30% weight reduction and established a new certification standard with Lloyd’s Register.
Here is how Solico Engineering, Rondal, Vuyk, and Ampelmann moved from "impossible" to operational.
The Challenge: One-Shot Manufacturing
To be commercially viable, Ampelmann’s composite boom had to be infused in a single process—no secondary bonding. Solico and Rondal solved this by designing a U-shaped carbon structure that eliminated glue lines, reduced weak points, and cut manufacturing cost.
Hidden Engineering
The boom uses a carbon-epoxy sandwich with PET foam cores: UD fibers take tension, the core prevents buckling. Critical steel-to-carbon interfaces were reinforced internally with varying foam densities, distributing loads without external fittings.
Rethinking Steel Assumptions
Composite behavior didn’t fit traditional steel safety logic. Solico’s interaction models with Vuyk Engineering proved lighter designs were safe, avoiding over-engineering.
Setting the Standard
With no existing rules for composite offshore booms, Solico developed a damage-tolerance framework approved by Lloyd’s Register—creating a new industry benchmark.
Results
• 30% weight reduction
• Up to 7% lower energy use
• No corrosion, far less maintenance
