Materials of construction for secondary marine structures must exhibit an optimum combination of saltwater corrosion resistance, mechanical reliability, high strength-to- weight ratio, reliable fabricability and maintainability, and low life cycle cost. To minimize life cycle costs, design and materials selection must include engineering for reduced maintenance.

Titanium provides a unique combination of these features. Titanium exhibits:

Excellent corrosion resistance in all sea water environments
Non-toxicity to people, aquatic life , or the surrounding environment
Strength-to-weight ratio unmatched by any other common engineering metal
Structural stiffness comparable to the best other common engineering metals
Non-magnetic in all alloys and forms
Simple and reliable forming, fabrication, and welding processes
Reliable near net shape casting and forging processes
Reliable commercial availability in sheet, plate, tube, pipe, and bar form
Established industry standards worldwide

The greatest impediment to the increased use of titanium in marine structures is a lingering, age-old misconception that titanium is an expensive, exotic, difficult to process metal. Undeniably titanium is more expensive than most steel and aluminum alloys. It is cost comparable to many copper alloys and is lower cost than many of the nickel alloys. The key to cost effective use of titanium is to utilize its unique properties and characteristics in the design rather than to simply substitute it for another metal.