Glass Reinforced Concrete or GRC as we
popularly know it is a fiber that is reinforced into being a precast concrete
with a mixture of sand half and the half. And typically it carries a thickness
of 12 to 15mm. And across the back end are the design centers with rib profiles
that are hollow and circumfuse the parameter.
Also once the façade is put to assembly these ribs are on zero
visibility in-spite of having the depth of 50 to 100mm. This technology has
been around for more than two decades and has proven its metal time and again
and there is nothing that comes close to its versatility.
Its invention happened in the mid 19th
century via the Building Research Establishment in the UK. And this hardcore
product was originally released in the market by the Pilkington Bros Ltd. And
they have managed to further develop it into various regions post the release,
especially in the USA. Its uses have been multiple for a plethora of reasons
and it has proven to be extremely viable.
A few of its uses can be put together
as follows:
- It can be used for the veneering of a building if it’s new.
- It can help in revamping on a building that exists already and needs over cladding on an old façade.
- It also services as a fix formwork in which you can add concrete, which further will gain durability for a longer term as a surface of your slab.
- It also works as a sunscreen and awnings for buildings.
- It also works as in ground or above ground drainage chambers and oil or grease separators.
- It can be put to work for robust on the ground service ducts, planter boxes or even street furniture.
- It is used in computer flooring systems as well.
This product has a compressive
strength of 70mpa, and that adds to the fact that it is perfect as a material
for an application that may remain exposed throughout. The durability of this
material is extremely high, and that’s why it is stated to be far better than
concrete that is reinforced and it has zero steel which happens to be one of
the major reasons for cancer in concrete.
Glass Reinforced Concrete Panel is
manufactured using a mold and that gives you the liberty to turn it into
whatever shape you would require as per your needs and within a reasonable
limit and designs that are dictated by support and analysis. The most impacting
drawback on the successful use of GRC in the commercial lineup has majorly been
the fact that people try to bring solutions to a wrong situation altogether.
Switching from one material to another is not the solution but letting the material
work into its capacity depending on the situation is viable.
Recently the developments that have
taken place in technology have proved that GRC as a product should be used in a
complete structural application. It helps the building to achieve by the help
of GRC, an improved energy footprint.
