Working Load to Break Load: Safety Factors in Composite Yacht Structures

摘要

The loads imposed on yacht structures fall broadly into two categories: the distributed forces imposed by the action of the wind and waves on the shell of the yacht, and the concentrated loads imposed by the rig and keel to their attachment points on the structure. This paper examines the nature of the latter set of loads and offers a methodology for the structural design based on those loadings. The loads imposed on a rig attachment point vary continuously while the yacht is sailing. Designers frequently quote "working load", "safe working load", "maximum load" or "break load" for a rigging attachment, but the relationship of this value to the varying load is not always clear. A set of nomenclature is presented to describe clearly the different load states from the maximum "steady-state" value, through the "peak, dynamic" value to the eventual break load of the lining and of the composite structure.