GRP Rebar Benefits
Though relatively new in the UK construction industry, the popularity of GRP or FRP rebar is growing in recent times, due to its strength and durability. Because of inherent corrosion-resistant properties, it can also help prevent huge maintenance costs for concrete structures exposed to environmental conditions encouraging corrosion.
Made from layers of high strength fiberglass reinforced with vinyl ester resin, it offers a plethora of benefits over traditional metal rebar: it’s lighter in weight, corrosion-resistant, and stronger than typical rebar.
With greater design flexibility due to its unique properties, it is also an ideal choice for concrete projects requiring low conductivity. In order to make concrete stronger, tougher, and more resistant to corrosion, GRP rebar should be your go-to choice.
So, read on to learn more about this exciting new material option – the GRP rebar:
Why is GRP is the new wave?
Use of high-quality reinforcing fibres in the core with vinyl ester resins along the length offers the maximum strength with added benefit of resistance to corrosive chemicals. To have a mechanical grip in the concrete, this comes from the helical recess on the surface. During manufacturing, the key goes deep in the core fibre giving it high-pulling strength. So, the corrosion-resistance combined with high-strength is a win-win for all the concrete projects.
Although, you get the GRP rebar in the translucent beige which is the natural unpigmented colour. However, you can order a different set of colours for tailoring the rebar as per your site situation. Its typical length is 5 meters and you can cut the rebar to suit your site or design requirements.
100% Protection against Corrosion
Corrosion has plagued the reinforced concrete industry. It causes spalling of concrete resulting in safety issues for infrastructure. It’s a problem causing enormous financial impact because of huge maintenance costs for protecting structures like bridges, ports, and parking areas close to sea water and humid environments. But there’s no such issue with GRP rebar.
The covering on the top of the rebar along the length significantly boosts the lifespan of the concrete structures. There’s no maintenance requirement for protecting the concrete structure against water permeability, even sea water.
High tensile Strength
The tensile strength of GRP rebar easily surpasses that of typical steel reinforcement. Because of the recess key on the surface, it enhances the bond strength avoiding slipping failure in concrete structure. In typical design conditions, GRP rebar gives 20% more overall tensile strength than the typical steel rebar. GRP rebar can offer high bending and flexural properties in the concrete structure.
Light in weight
GRP Rebar is approximately 70% lighter than typical steel rebar. A typical 25 mm rebar has a weight of 3.853 kg per meter whereas a GRP rebar 1.056 kg. Because of this light weight, it is an ideal reinforcement solution for weight-sensitive structures and also help in significant reduction of cost on foundation.
Low labour cost
Because of reduced weight and fast installation, you can save money on labour and installation cost. There’s no requirement of fixing those heavy supporting girders for heavy reinforcement and also you need less number of chairs for spacing slab reinforcement. This all makes your installation quick and lets you save on labour.
Transportation advantages
Because of the light weight, you can expect to pay 4 times lower cost overall on transportation of GRP rebar from the supplier to your project site. Moreover, it gives you the flexibility to use alternate loading schemes instead of using heavy-duty cranes. It can be shipped in large quantities without having any loading issues. Moreover, there’s less risk related to health and safety at site.
Non-conductive
GRP Rebar is nonconductive which is beneficial within electrical installations such as substations. GRP Rebar doesn’t need earthing in electrical applications unlike typical steel reinforcement.
Applications of GRP rebar
- Uses in concrete requiring low conductivity: Applications requiring low electric conductivity or electromagnetic neutrality – electrical substations, bases for transmission and telecommunication towers, railroad crossings, specialised military structures.
- Concrete near harsh and humid environments: Structures built in or close to sea water – piers, jetties, docks, offshore platforms, decks.
- Weight sensitive structures – construction in areas of poor load bearing soil, remote locations, sensitive environments, or seismic areas.
For more information, please get in touch with our team today by calling us directly on 01244 676 000 or use our online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
