Hey Steve - heard of this stuff?

[Mik]

Looks promising. Have no idea of cost vs rebar.

Stronger Than Steel. Lighter Than Iron. And It Doesn’t Rust. ️

A new material is reshaping the future of construction—Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP). With tensile strength double that of steel, a weight up to 4x lighter than iron, and zero risk of rust, this breakthrough isn’t just an alternative—it’s a revolution.

GFRP is now being used in everything from high-rise columns to marine docks. It resists corrosion, conducts no electricity, and cuts project costs by up to 30%. Imagine replacing 1,000 kg of steel with just 130 kg of GFRP—with no compromise in strength.

Certified by international agencies and approved by the Building Research Center, this material is turning concrete jungles into smarter, safer spaces.

The question isn’t if GFRP will change the industry.

It’s when your next project will use it.

[Mik]

Interesting piece on cost

https://www.wellcoindustries.com/cost-comparison-gfrp-fiberglass-rebar-vs-traditional-steel/

[CHAS]

Was told that the rebar in the high rise condos on beaches is rusting away. If so,
this looks promising for that reason alone.

[Axtremus]

"Polymer" makes me think of plastic that will break down over time and become either sticky or brittle; so I am unsure how durable this new material is, functionally. Other than that (and I have not researched this), everything else sounds good.

[Steve Miller]

This is the first I've heard of it.

Should will solve a lot of problems if it doesn’t develop problems of its own.

[Mik]

Time will tell. Should be a lot easier to use. The shipping and handling should mostly make up for the difference in price.

[Axtremus]

@Mik said in Hey Steve - heard of this stuff?:

Interesting piece on cost

https://www.wellcoindustries.com/cost-comparison-gfrp-fiberglass-rebar-vs-traditional-steel/

From the article:

GFRP cost is driven by E‑glass fiber yarn and epoxy resin ...

The "epoxy resin" reference doesn't exactly yell "long service life," but ...

This part sounds promising:

Independent testing shows that a pier reinforced with GFRP retains over 95 % of its tensile strength after 100 years of chloride exposure, whereas black bar can lose half its capacity in 20–25 years.

Too bad there is no link to the report of that "independent testing." GFRP is new so that "100 years" claim is most likely some sort of extrapolation. Knowing how that extrapolation is justified would be crucial to evaluating its credibility. (Then you ask "what about exposures to other things besides chloride." )

[Steve Miller]

Re bar is usually encased in concrete. If you keep it out of the sun I’dexpect the expox to last a very long time.

Certainly longer than steel rebar once it gets wet, and much longer yet than rebar that gets wet with seawater.