What is fiberglass reinforcement?

When buying concrete or mortar, pouring foundations or building any other concrete structure, the builder always uses reinforcing material, in other words, reinforcement . Most are accustomed to the standard metal reinforcement of the structure. Today, a new product appears on the market – an excellent alternative to metal reinforcement – this is fiberglass reinforcement (also called basalt, composite or polymer reinforcement ), built on the basis of fiberglass. Fiberglass reinforcement is reinforcement made of non-metallic rods of glass, basalt, carbon or aramid fibers impregnated with thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer binders, also called composite or fiberglass reinforcement .

Smart Metal Group – is an importer of composite fittings . Our goal is to bring to the construction market the new product and technology in the use of composite materials and products from them. Every year new products and materials appear on the market of construction materials, which can change the idea of ​​standard construction. Fiberglass composite reinforcement is just such a material. Composite reinforcement – this is a product of modern nanotechnology used in the space and military industries. Our composite fittings are made of high-tech equipment made of alkali-resistant glass fibers with the addition of a nanomodifier in a polymeric binder. This factor ensures the high quality of the composite reinforcement .

Glass composite fittings of the company Smart Metal Group – is an innovation that offers a new level of technical and economic efficiency in the construction industry. Each new construction is performed in accordance with certain laws, norms and parameters, the subject of which is to supplement the large number of prescribed standards and procedures in order to eliminate errors and losses for the period of construction activities and to ensure the safety of people. A new and truly unique reinforcement element for the construction works is non-metallic reinforcement with high strength of composite materials, which replaces the traditional steel reinforcement. Non-metallic (composite) reinforcement , is made in the form of a rod with a spiral relief of different lengths of glass (glass-composite reinforcement ) or basalt ( basalt reinforcement ) fibers impregnated with a chemically resistant polymer. Composite reinforcement has undergone numerous corrosion and physical-mechanical tests in Moscow. As a result of long-term research and durability of building structures is the use of composite reinforcement , with a period of at least 100 years. Such a long service life is due to high chemical resistance to all known aggressive environments – gaseous media with high concentrations, chloride salts, antifreeze, sea water and so on.

In construction, glass composite fittings have become widespread and well-deserved popularity in countries such as the United States, China, Germany, Britain, Korea, Japan, Canada and India. Not surprisingly, fiberglass is used much more actively in the West than in developing countries. As for the main consumer in the world, the absolute leader is the United States, the total consumption of glass-composite fittings is 40% , which is not surprising at all. Since it was there in the late 70’s that the production of glass-composite fittings began, and the most successful development of the market was achieved here, followed by the Asian region with 24% and the European region with 29%.

History of fiberglass reinforcement

As early as the 1960s, research in the field of non-metallic fittings was carried out in the Soviet Union. In the USSR (Minsk, Moscow, Kharkov) a continuous technology was developed for the production of such fittings with a diameter of 6 mm from alkali-resistant glass fibers with a minimum zirconium composition brand Shch-15 ZhT, and its physical and mechanical properties were studied in detail. At that time, fiberglass technology was developed with a minimal zirconium composition, brand Shch-15ZhT, with a main emphasis on resistance to aggressive environments and, respectively, the durability of the material. Initially, in order to improve the adhesion of the reinforcement to the concrete, a spiral glass thread was wound on it. As early as the 70s years, lightweight concrete used non-metallic reinforcement . Particular emphasis in its use was in such industries as agriculture and, for example, electricity supply (power support lines, electrolysis baths, etc.). A good example of this, when in 1975 two experimental sections of 10 kW power lines with fiberglass beams were handed over in Grodno and Soligorsk, and in 1979 near Batumi two experimental 0.4 and 10 kW power line sites, with sleepers made of concrete polymer reinforced with glass-composite reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm. But it’s not just the energy sector that uses this innovative material . For example, in 1975 the construction of the world’s first laminated wooden bridge with a length of 9 m was completed, the beams with a cross section of 20 × 60 cm, made of spruce wood and reinforced with four prestressed beams on four glass composite bars with a diameter of 4 mm. The second bridge in the USSR with fiberglass reinforcement was built in 1981 in the Primorsky Krai across the Shkotovka River. But it was not only in the Soviet Union that fiberglass reinforcement was developed and applied. In Germany in the early 1980s, glass-composite reinforcement was used to reinforce concrete bridges. A pedestrian bridge was built in the city of Düsseldorf. The 15 m wide two-way bridge on Uhlenbergstrasse was reinforced with glass-composite bars and put into operation in 1987, the maximum fixed load of the transport is 600 kN. In 1986 and 1988, bridges were put into operation in Japan, in the construction of which stubborn glass-carbon fittings were used, which also marked the beginning of the use of non-metallic fittings in the construction of seaport facilities. In the United States, glass-composite reinforcement is used in the construction of foundations and slabs in the construction of the San Antonio Hospital (Texas). The large-scale use of glass-composite reinforcement dates back to the 1990s and until now, it can be said that it is a breakthrough in the field of building materials and the most promising innovative materials of the XXI century.

Area of ​​fiberglass reinforcement, composite or fiberglass reinforcement

Glass-composite reinforcement ( non-metallic reinforcement) is used in accordance with the requirements of the design documentation for buildings and facilities for various purposes.

  1. Glass composite fittings are intended for use in industrial , civil and road construction.
  2. Application in specific buildings and facilities for different purposes.
  3. For use in light and heavy concrete (foam concrete, roofing slabs and monolithic foundations)
  4. Multilayer masonry.
  5. As dowels for fixing the external insulation to the walls of buildings.
  6. As nets and reinforcing bars in structures.
  7. As flexible connections in the three-layer stone walls of buildings and facilities of civil, industrial and agricultural construction, including base, cladding layer and layer of rigid insulation.
  8. Use in strengthening unstable earth masses and others.
  9. Marine and port facilities.
  10. Sewerage, drainage and drainage systems.
  11. Roadway and fences.
  12. Elements of infrastructure and chemical production.
  13. Concrete products with prestressed and unstressed reinforcement (lighting poles, electric poles, insulating sleepers of power lines, road and sidewalk slabs, fence slabs, curbs, poles and towers, railway sleepers, collectors, collectors, pipelines (central cable ducts), utility systems.
  14. When building houses using the permanent formwork method.
  15. In the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings and facilities, both existing and newly constructed.
  16. Also, fiberglass fittings are not affected by electromagnetic corrosion compared to metal. For this reason, it is used in concrete structures of power plants, subways, in the foundations under railways, also in the walls and ceilings of research complexes and medical centers, where the intervention of the fields of metal fittings may affect the readings and operation of magnetic resonance imaging equipment.
  17. Fiberglass reinforcement is used in agriculture in the construction of structures that are exposed to constant exposure to aggressive environments – retaining wall, silo trenches, fence plates, tanks, etc .. Glass composite reinforcement is used as a support for plants and flowers, which due to its physical and chemical characteristics is distinguished by its durability. In addition, fiberglass bars do not need to be painted, do not rust, do not rot, have high strength, are characterized by a beautiful appearance, and at the same time have the lowest price on the market. The use of glass-composite fittings prolongs the service life of a structure 2-3 times longer than metal fittings, especially when exposed to aggressive environments, including those containing chloride salts, bases and acids.

Advantages of fiberglass reinforcement, composite or fiberglass reinforcement

  • 2.5 to 3 times stronger than traditional metal reinforcement with the same diameter. This makes it possible either to increase the size of the cage when knitting the net (in the case of using glass-composite reinforcement with a diameter equal to the diameter of steel reinforcement) or to leave the same diameter the size of the cell, but to uses composite reinforcement with a smaller diameter. In both cases, the additional advantage will be a significant reduction in the weight and cost of the final structure.
  • Chemical and corrosion resistance . Highly resistant to aqueous, saline and oxidized media and belongs to the materials of the first group for chemical resistance. This also ensures the durability and the absence of cracking and destruction of reinforced concrete structures due to internal stresses arising in the process of corrosion and corrosion inflation, as in the case of steel reinforcement.
  • Compared to metal, it has lower thermal conductivity . The thermal conductivity of composite materials based on fiberglass is lower than the metal thermal conductivity by more than 10 times. As a result, composite building reinforcement, unlike steel, is not a bridge for cold and heat in a reinforced concrete structure.
  • Compared to metal reinforcement , fiberglass is resistant to aggressive environments, which is a great advantage, because when pouring concrete, which is saturated with alkaline substances or when exposed to water, does not lead to eventually to rust and deterioration at the junction of reinforcement with concrete.
  • Composite reinforcement does not lose its strength properties when exposed to extremely low temperatures.
  • Saving transport costs – fittings –4 – 10 mm with a total length of up to 10 km, with its low weight can be easily transported by car or small transport bus.
  • Glass-composite reinforcement ⦰4 – 10 mm is produced in coils of 100 m, when installing reinforced structures it is cut to the required length, therefore, no unnecessary residues remain. This also saves construction budget.
  • Glass composite fittings are dielectric (non-conductive), magneto-transparent and radio-transparent. It does not change its properties under the influence of magnetic fields.
  • Lower density and therefore lower weight compared to traditional steel reinforcement. In the case of equal diameter, composite reinforcement 9-10 times lighter.
  • Cheaper than steel reinforcement due to the possibility of applying a smaller diameter with the same diameter strength.
  • Reducing the foundation’s costs for the house by 2 times – that’s the reality.
  • Specialists have calculated and made a comparative analysis for the production of the foundation for a 2-storey building with a foundation slab with a thickness of 300 mm. In one case, metal reinforcement is used at the base of the foundation, and in the other – glass-composite reinforcement.
  • As engineering calculations show, the use of glass-composite reinforcement instead of metal in the manufacture of the foundation helps to halve the cost of reinforcement.
  • In addition, due to the high anti-corrosion properties of composite reinforcement , it is possible to reduce the thickness of the foundation slab to 200 mm, which can significantly reduce the cost of concrete. Also, the resistance of the valve to corrosion can significantly extend the service life of the structure, thus subsequently reducing maintenance and repair costs.

Стъклопластова арматура в склад в София на най-ниски цени от Ди Енд Джи ООДWhat is this technological line?

The technology of production of fiberglass depends on drying of raw materials, development of fibers impregnated with binders and final polymerization. Combined all these processes in one row of complete equipment for the production of composite reinforcement . The design and technical solutions of such conveyor systems are generally similar. The technical characteristics of composite reinforcement largely depend on the temperature conditions at which curing takes place. Therefore, their ability to control affect the properties and quality of the final product. The essence of the technological process – this is the passage of heated glass roving through a special bath. The preform passes through special rings before entering the bath. The volume itself is small in size. This is done in order to save on component costs. After releasing the component from the bath, extraction of molten binders is performed. Fiberglass or basalt reinforcement production equipment. A furnace is installed in the production line for composite reinforcement to polymerize the composition. There is a winding of the ribs for the strength of the thread. At high temperatures, air bubbles come out of the binder composition. The relief, which is formed in composite reinforcement in the kiln, provides a good connection with concrete and other building materials. After the oven, the blank enters the cooling bath. There the product takes its final form. The final process is the cutting of composite reinforcement according to the customer’s requirements. The technological process has the advantage because it is easily automated. Almost all lines now operate in continuous mode. The line for the production of glass-composite fittings can include two or more flows at the same time. Some of the equipment used in the production line has its own characteristics. Thus, metal reflectors must be installed in the tube furnace. The upper part is protected by a ceramic shell. Such a construction of the tube furnace allows to minimize heat loss. In addition, the heating system must be supplemented with a ventilation system. It is connected via outputs mounted on the input and output. A rower is installed throughout the production line. Structurally, it is a tape that grips the part and pushes it forward. If the armature is planned to be delivered to customers in rolls, a rebar has been placed at the end of the line. If the composite products need to be cut into pieces, this is done with the help of a grinder. Method of packing the finished reinforcement is done manually.

  • Standard in Russia – Eurasian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC) Standard GOST 31938-2012;
  • Standard in America – Report ACI 440R-96 by the American Concrete Institute ACI Committee 440 ACI 440.1R-06 (Guide for the Design and Construction of Structural Concrete Reinforced with FRP Bars);
  • Standard in Canada – Report of the Canadian Research Network CAN / CSA-S6-02, 2002 «Design and Construction of Building Components with Fiber-Reinforced Polymers». CAN / CSA S806-02, Canadian Standards Association, Rexdale, Canada;
  • Standard in Italy – Report and recommendations from the Italian Consultative Committee for Technical Recommendations for Structures CNR-DT 203/2006 (Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars);
  • Standard in Japan – Report and Recommendations from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), 1997, “Recommendation for Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Using Continuous Fiber Reinforcing Materials”, Concrete Engineering Series No. 23, Tokyo, Japan;
  • Standard in Switzerland – Technical report prepared by Task Group 9.3 Technical report prepared by a working party of Task Group 9.3, FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) reinforcement for concrete structures;

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