What potential disadvantage is associated with using woven roving?

Using woven roving can indeed necessitate multiple layers to achieve adequate strength. This stems from its construction, which typically involves large, heavy strands woven together. While woven roving provides an excellent surface for bonding and can be ideal for certain applications, its stiffness and relatively low fiber to resin ratio mean that a single layer may not deliver the desired load-bearing capacity. Consequently, building up additional layers is often required to ensure the part can withstand mechanical stresses, resulting in increased material usage as well as potential challenges with overall weight and thickness.

The other options highlight characteristics of woven roving but do not align as closely with the primary practical concern regarding its application in composite structures. For instance, while it can be heavy, making it cumbersome to work with (the first option), it is not inherently problematic in every application, especially where weight is not the main constraint. The second option touches on strength consistency; however, woven roving generally provides stable performance under properly controlled manufacturing processes. Lastly, while it has specific marine applications, its usage is not strictly limited to that field, as it can be utilized in various industries where its properties are advantageous.