This paper deals with the structural assessment of metallic and non-metallic stiffened/monocoque plated marine structures under a lateral pressure load to identify appropriate combination of material and section configuration, especially at the preliminary marine structural design stage. A generic rectangular plated structure is exemplified from the metallic superstructure of a marine vessel and its structural topology is varied for the structural assessment. In total 13 different structural topologies are proposed and assessed using appropriate elastic solutions in conjunction with a set of stress and deflection limits obtained from practice. The geometry dimensions and weights of the structural topologies are calculated, and subsequently, the costs of the materials used in the structural topologies are reviewed to discuss the cost-effectiveness of the materials. Finally, conclusions are made with the aim of suggesting suitable structural topology for the marine structural member considered in this paper.