When buying marine plywood, you will see some products described as BS1088 Marine Plywood, while others are sold as Lloyd’s Register certified BS1088 Marine plywood. So what’s the difference?
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>> What is BS1088?
BS1088 is the British standard covering marine plywood. It sets the minimum requirements for the quality and construction of plywood intended for demanding marine applications. This includes requirements relating to the core and face veneers, permitted defects and bonding quality. However, simply calling a panel ‘marine plywood’ does not automatically mean it meets BS1088.
Products carrying a BS1088 claim should have appropriate independent third-party testing and certification to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the standard. BS1088 also includes identification and marking requirements, so buyers should check the panel itself as well as the supporting documentation.
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>> What does Lloyd’s registered certification mean?
Lloyd’s registered certification provides an additional level of independent assurance.
A marine plywood that’s ‘Lloyd’s registered & certified’ has been assessed through an independent certification process. This gives specifiers and buyers additional confidence inn the consistency of the product and its manufacture.
It is important to understand that Lloyd’s Registered and BS1088 are not two different grades of marine plywood. BS11088 sets the minimum requirements for the plywood, while Lloyd’s registered certification provides additional third-party assurance against the applicable requirements. For some marine projects, Lloyd’s registered certification may be specifically requested by customers, designers or specifiers.
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>> Does BS1088 mean structural?
No. this is an important distinction.
BS1088 relates to the British Standard for the manufacture/production of marine plywood. It does not automatically demonstrate that a panel is suitable for structural use. It’s important to check the panel’s separate structural classification and supporting documentation to see whether a panel is structural or not. You can do this by consulting the Declaration of Performance (DoP), which you should request when purchased.
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>> Which should you choose?
The right choice depends on the application and specification.
For many applications, certified BS1088 marine plywood may meet the requirements. For projects where Lloyd’s registered certification is specified (or additional independent assurance is wanted) a Lloyd’s registered panel will be required.
The important thing is not to rely on the word ‘marine’ alone. Check the standard, certification, panels markings (on the face of the board or stamped on the edge of the board) and technical documentation before choosing marine plywood. DHH Panel products stocks a range of BS1088 Marine plywood, including Lloyd’s Registered certified options. Speak to our team if you need help choosing the right panel.
