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Glass Fibre
Reinforced Concrete (sometimes called Glassfibre Reinforced Cement,
GFRC or GRC) is a mixture of cement, fine aggregate, water, chemical
admixtures and alkali resistant glassfibres. The glass fibers
reinforce the concrete, much as steel reinforcing bars do in
conventional construction. While the glass fiber reinforcement
results in a product with much higher flexural strength than normal
concrete, allowing its use in thin-wall casting applications.
In
the late 1960's, GFRC /GRC was first successfully produced in
England. The key to success was the development of alkali-resistant
glass fibers, capable of resisting the alkali attack that occurs
when the fibers are mixed with normal hydrating Portland cement.
During the 1980's and 1990's, GFRC became widely accepted, and the
industry has grown dramatically.
Glass
fibre Reinforced concrete (GFRC/GRC) is generally manufactured by
either the "spray" process or the "premix"
vibration casting process. The method chosen is normally dictated by
factors such as strength requirements, size of mould, architects
specification etc. Sprayed GRC is generally stronger than premix
vibration cast GRC. The reasons for this are firstly that with
sprayed GRC it is possible to achieve a fibre content of 5% - 6%
whereas premix GRC is limited to around 3% - 3.5%. Secondly, Sprayed
GRC has a lower water content than Premix GRC.
Glass
Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC or GRC) today is making a
significant contribution to the economics, to the technology and to
the aesthetics of the construction industry worldwide. This
environmentally friendly composite, with its low consumption of
energy and natural raw materials, is being formed into a great
variety of products and has won firm friends amongst designers,
architects, engineers and end users for its flexible ability to meet
performance, appearance and cost parameters.
The
Typical application of Glassfibre reinforced concrete (GFRC/GRC)
include:
Architecture:
prefabricated
architectural cladding,
architectural mouldings and features
, Environments&
Landscaping
Building:
industrial
and agricultural roofing, Walls
and Windows, Renovation, Foundations and Floors, Modular Buildings
Engineering:
Permanent
Formwork, Utilities, Acoustics, Bridges and Tunnels, Water and
Drainage
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