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What is Glass Reinforced Concrete
BCM Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) is a thin sectionconcrete
that uses Alkali Resistant glass fibres forreinforcement as opposed
to traditional steel. The fact thatthe fibres will not rust like
steel means that there is no realrequirement for cover and no
problems associated withthe lack of it. As such it is possible to
make lightweightelements that have impressive structural qualities
yet saveup around 65-75% of the weight of a solid unit. BCM
havebeen making quality assured GRC since the early 1980s
How Strong Is GRC?
The table on the left gives typical figures for the
mechanicalproperties of BCM GRC. As can be seen, the
compressivestrengths are better than normal concrete, the
impactstrengths are good, but the real benefits are gained fromthe
fact that GRC functions in bending. This enables
designers to make strong hollow lightweight components.
PropertyHand or Machine
GRCVibration CastPremix GRC
Glassfibre Content by Weight of Mix 5% 3%
Bending:
Ultimate Strength (Modulus of Rupture - MOR) MPa 20-30 10-14
Elastic Limit (Limit of Proportionality - LOP) MPa 7-11 5-8
Tension:
Ultimate Strength (Ultimate Tensile Strength - UTS) MPa 8-11
4-7
Elastic Limit (Bend Over Point - BOP) MPa 5-7 4-6
Shear:
Interlaminar Shear Strength MPa 3-5 NAIn-plane Shear Strength
MPa 8-11 4-7
Compressive Strength MPa 50-80 40-60
Impact Strength kJ/m2 10-25 10-15
Elastic Modulus GPa 10-20 10-20
Strain to Failure % 0.6-1.2 0.1-0.2
Dry Density Tonne/m3 1.9-2.1 1.8-2.0
But What About Durability?
There are few construction materials that have been studied in
such detail as GRC. Accelerated ageingtests were carried out in the
early 1980s when GRC was first introduced and current analysis
reports thatreal life data supports these initial predictions. Over
recent years the cement matrix and fibrecompositions have been
further refined to improve the qualities of BCM GRC and the results
have beenstudied by academics right down to the chemical and
nano-technological level. The long term
performance of BCM GRC is now well understood and designers
engineer products accordingly. BCMGRC can be expected to perform
equally if not better than pre-cast as it will not suffer from
reinforcementcorrosion and subsequent spalling.
How Will GRC Weather?
Where BCM GRC products have a stone faced finish this isvery
similar to wet cast concrete and can be expected toweather much the
same. The integral face mix of BCM GRCproducts is comparable to
that of large pre-cast claddingalthough a lot thinner with smaller
aggregates. Semi-dryconcretes (used mostly for domestic
construction) by
Architectural
Civil Engineering & Drainage
Rail
STORMDRAIN
Water Treatment
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comparison, have very low cement contents and open texturesthat
retain atmospheric pollution and deteriorate very quickly.
Inpractice, the design of the element and the local environmenthas
a strong effect on how any cladding stands the test of
time.Evidence from architectural GRC that has been around for 20or
more years suggest that the weathering characterisics are asgood as
any pre-cast material and better than semi-dryproducts. There are
several projects in London that combinenatural stone, wet pre-cast
and GRC that demonstrate how well
GRC blends in with more traditional materials.How Can I Specify
GRC?
GRC is normally specified by reference tothe Specification for
the manufacture,curing and testing of GRC products asproduced by
the Glass ReinforcedConcrete Association (GRCA). StandardNBS
section H40 contains similarinformation as does EN 1169 and EN1170.
Specifiers are encouraged to usemanufacturers that comply with
theApproved Manufactures Schemeaudited independently by the
GRCA.BCM GRC are the most experiencedmanufacture of GRC in the
UK.
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