Flooring for passenger ships has evolved and some of the latest solutions include water-based technology, deck heating for expedition cruise ships and LED lighting
Flooring for passenger ships has evolved and some of the latest solutions include water-based technology, deck heating for expedition cruise ships and LED lighting
Developing environmentally-friendly solutions has been a priority for SikaFloor Marine.
It has launched the latest of its visco-elastic solutions,VEM X, a one component polymer modified cementitious technology that can be used instead of polyurethane-based products for damping structure-borne noise.
SikaFloor Marine sales director Per Eskildsen says “This technology is very environmentally friendly compared to systems generally used today for structure-borne noise. Polyurethane-based products are two-component systems [which include chemicals]. The issue with that, is it must be stated if hazardous chemicals are used. With VEM X, because it is environmentally friendly, this is not needed – you can write ‘nil’ everywhere.”
Using VEM X also means that delivery is easier at the shipyard. SikaMarine explains there are no dangerous goods to transport from factory to shipyard, and it is the only one delivering visco-elastic in a paper bag. Polyurethane-based products have to be delivered to waste stations because they are a chemical product.
VEM X is also cleaner and easier to use, as PU-Red is a sticky resin, while VEM X can simply be washed off hands with water.
Mr Eskildsen adds “The 2C polyurethane-based product contains a chemical that may create an allergic reaction when working with it. That was another reason we wanted to get rid of it and have a pure product line of environmental solutions.”
VEM X is patented by SikaFloor Marine, which is in the process of phasing out its polyurethane-based PU-Red solution and replacing it with VEM X.
SikaFloor Marine first came up with the idea of using a water-based visco-elastic product five years ago. Its latest VEM X product is a visco-elastic adhesive used to bond steel tiles to the steel deck, to dampen structure-borne noise and was launched in April this year.
Mr Eskildsen comments “Everybody is very interested in an environmently friendly technology that uses one component and is water-based. When you talk about damping effects, it is actually better than using the old (PU-Red) technology. The secret of a visco-elastic system is that it has a built-in memory. It is absorbing energy movement and kills the vibration velocity level. PU-Red did this too, but the VEM X technology has improved damping effects in low frequencies.”
He says that all cruise ships currently being built in Finland are using the VEM X solution, with orders up to 2027. The company is also supplying this technology to cruise ships being built in France and Italy.
Another solution launched by SikaFloor Marine is a range of fast-curing mortars, which although they can be used in the newbuild sector, are especially aimed at the refurbishment sector.
Mr Eskildsen says “We developed a complete range of fast curing mortars, as drydocks only last from one to two weeks, so there is a need to finish the job quickly.”
These fast-curing mortars can be walked upon within two hours, as opposed to traditional mortars which need eight to 10 hours to dry. Resin can also be laid upon the mortar after 24 hours versus four to five days for traditional mortars.
SikaFloor Marine has also developed extra-strong mortars for floating floors. These have very high compressive strengths of more than 30 megapascals (an equivalent of three tonnes per square metre).
Mr Eskildsen says “Especially in the construction of a cruise ship there is a heavy traffic load, for example, when rolling our prefabricated cabins, which can easily weigh three to five tonnes per cabin.” He says using these mortars in the floating floor systems prevents the floor being destroyed in construction.
As well as extra-strong mortar solutions, the company has also developed ultra-light mortar for cruise ship cabins. It has a density of 0.7 (0.7 kg/m2/mm).
Elsewhere, the company has developed a complete product line of artificial teak exterior floors and interior decorative floors, constructed from resin. These have recently been installed on the passenger tourist ship Enhydra in San Francisco, carried out with Canada-headquartered A&A Installations.
Mr Eskildsen says “It is much easier and cheaper to maintain and install compared to teak. Lots of owners are in favour of these types of floors.
SikaFloor Marine has already launched its SFM interior decorative flooring, while its exterior teak has been used on a series of Viking river cruise ships.
Recent cruise ship projects for SikaFloor Marine include retrofit work on Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Summit and Navigator of the Seas. These started in January and finished in March and involved flooring in the penthouse suite floors for the two sister ships and installing floating A60-rated acoustic flooring for the crew mess area in Navigator of the Seas.
Bolidt has also been busy developing its flooring solutions. One of its recent projects involved creating a piece of artwork on the flooring of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 2, which involves LED lights in the shape of diamonds. Bolidt creates a piece of artwork in the floor for every TUI ship – but this is the first that includes LED lighting.
Bolidt maritime division director Jacco van Overbeek says “The LED is seamless with floor, there is no interruption so cleaning and maintenance are much easier.”
Indeed, Bolidt is developing the combined use of LED lighting with sensors. “It is a safety issue – you can have the LED light follow the track of the path to walk on deck so if light is scarce, you can have LED installed in the deck.”
Decks for expedition cruises
Another new initiative Bolidt has launched are heated decks aimed at the expedition cruise sector, where trips include to the Poles. Mr van Overbeek says “This ensures that the deck stays free from ice.” A flick of a switch will heat the deck up to 60°C, although Mr van Overbeek points out “But of course in these cold temperatures, it will not reach that temperature.”
The appearance of the deck is exactly the same, but underneath there is a 20-mm system of cables Bolidt developed with an electronics company. “You push the button, there is no extra work and the deck remains free of ice.”
Elsewhere, Bolidt has been busy with a raft of newbuild projects, which include Hurtigruten’s new battery-hybrid cruise ships currently being built, where it is supplying all outdoor decks (Future Teak) Mystic Cruises’ World Explorer and Lindblad Expeditions’ new cruise ships.
It is also supplying all outdoor decking (Future Teak) for Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Flora. Mr van Overbeek singled out one feature as being the sound insulation used in the decking on this ship. He says “They wanted good sound insulation, so passengers are not disturbed by people walking on the deck. So, we had thicker systems with better sound insulation.”
He explains that this was achieved by using a special compound that is flexible, into which steel plates are inserted when it is still wet. Levelling then takes place and the top layer is added.
Mr van Overbeek explains that luxurious cruise lines require better sound insulation and that to achieve the comfort class notation, sound insulation is needed on deck.
Bolidt also provided the decking for Celebrity Edge. This was an interesting project as around the swimming pool, the edges of the decking face in different directions, making it very striking. The decking for the jogging track also stands out as it is turquoise.
P&O Iona is also going to have an interesting design round its pool area. Mr van Overbeek explained that planks follow the pool around, something not done before for such a large swimming pool.
As well as the newbuild market, the refit market is booming for Bolidt, making up just under half of turnover. Mr van Overbeek says “The refit market has grown a lot – we have been in Miami 18 years and at the start it was US$1M and now closer to US$25M.”
Global Marine & Hotel Interiors president Anna Jenei has seen trends change over the years when it comes to cruise ship carpet design.
She set up the company in 2000, following a career steeped in cruise ship operations and design, after working in Princess Cruises for 13 years; seven of those years in the design department. Global Marine & Hotel Interiors arranges the fitting and installation of carpets and flooring for cruise ships, procuring the installation supplies such as adhesives, manages projects and offers value-added services such as quantifying materials to ensure there is no oversupply.
While the company has worked on newbuilds, it predominantly works on refurbishment, including many ships for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Princess Cruises, TUI and Holland America. Recent projects include Norwegian Breakaway, where Global Marine Interiors installed 40,000 m2 of carpet in a two-week drydock in May 2018. A recently completed project was Ruby Princess, involving carpeting the corridors and cabins. Its next project will be Oceania Insignia where the vessel will be renovated, and all areas will receive new carpet.
Ms Jenei said “We are a global company that carries out jobs all over the world, and we are always looking for ways to control cost – that is everyone’s issue. We can add value here by sourcing goods and installation supplies in many places.”
As drydocks become increasingly short, scheduling and planning refurbishment jobs is ever-more important. “We carry out project team co-ordination and take care of where materials should be loaded, thereby keeping the job moving.”
Commenting on trends, Ms Jenei said “There has been a big innovation in the patterns and designs of cruise ship carpets. In the past they were more traditional and now cruise lines are adopting modern carpets and using a lot of designs like stripes, with bolder colours and more detailed patterns.”
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.