It seems like design innovation is everywhere. Just drive through any city and you are likely to see a new building or a redesigned building with today’s modern flare. Creativity is once again finding its way into building design, but the visual aspect is not the only way building design is experiencing innovation.
Architects and engineers are even finding ways to innovate through the materials used in the design. Today’s buildings are becoming increasingly more efficient. Materials are chosen for both visual appeal and functionality. Traditional materials such as wood and metal are becoming far less significant in comparison to new materials.
An increasingly popular material is Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP). FRP is a composite material made of a thermoset plastic resin reinforced by fine strands of glass. Once cured, the products provide superior performance characteristics to traditional building materials such as wood and metal.
Architects and engineers continue to step away from traditional materials. They are often inferior compared to fiberglass reinforced plastic. The benefits of FRP products that set it apart from traditional materials are outlined below.
Corrosion Resistant |
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Fiberglass is known to be extremely corrosion resistant to both corrosive chemicals and environmental exposure.
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High Strength to Weight Ratio |
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FRP products offer outstanding physical properties at a fraction of the weight of metal products.
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Low Maintenance |
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FRP products will not rust or decompose like metal or wood; therefore, fiberglass requires no scraping, sandblasting, or painting making it virtually maintenance free while providing superior product life.
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Low Install Cost |
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FRP products will reduce installation cost due to the ease of fabrication and the light weight.
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Slip Resistant |
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Fiberglass grating from Fibergrate Composite Structures Inc is slip resistant thus dramatically improving worker safety.
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Fire Retardant |
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Fiberglass is extremely fire retardant. In fact, most Fibergrate Composite Structures fiberglass products have a flame spread rating of 25 or less, as tested in accordance with the ASTM E-84. Fibergrate FRP, also, meets the self-extinguishing requirements of the ASTM-635.
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Long Service Life |
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Due to the outstanding durability and corrosion resistant properties, fiberglass provides a longer service life compared to traditional materials.
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Lightweight |
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Fiberglass reinforced plastic products are extremely light weight making transportation and installation significantly more cost effective. FRP Products eliminate the need for heavy lifting equipment.
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Electrically and Thermally Non Conductive |
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Fiberglass is electrically non conductive making it much safer than traditional materials such as metal. The low thermal conductivity property of fiberglass provides superior energy efficiency and comfort in contact applications.
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Impact Resistance |
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Properly designed FRP products can be extremely durable as demonstrated by the drop test conducted on molded grating provided by Fibergrate Composite Structures.
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