Sustainability
Build once. Build to last.
The most sustainable structure is the one you do not have to repair or rebuild. Corrosion-free GFRP reinforcement is designed to do exactly that.
Whole-life thinking
Sustainability is measured over the whole life
As demand grows for long-lasting infrastructure, engineers are looking past the purchase price to the full cost of a structure — including the cost of corrosion.
A life cycle assessment (LCA) looks at everything a material causes from production to end of life: manufacturing, transport, construction, maintenance and replacement. Steel reinforcement in wet, salty or chemical exposure often needs repairs, protective coatings, closures and early replacement — every one of which uses more material, energy and money.
GFRP rebar removes the corrosion problem at its source. A structure that does not need to be repaired or rebuilt for decades is, almost by definition, a lower-impact structure.
Property → impact
How GFRP reduces impact
Each benefit follows directly from a property of the material.
- Non-corrosive Lasts longerNo corrosion repairsLess material over the life
- Lightweight More metres per truckLess fuel per deliveryEasier, safer handling
- Custom lengths Fewer lapsLess offcut wastageLess material ordered
- Easy to cut Less site energyLess labour timeSimple hand tools
- Low thermal conductivity Less thermal bridgingBetter insulated details
- Non-conductive No stray-current corrosionSafe near electrical plant
- 100+ year design life Fewer rebuildsLower lifecycle costLonger asset life
Where it adds up
Three places the savings come from
Transport
At about a quarter of the weight of steel, the same number of metres needs fewer trucks and less fuel to reach site — and less effort to move once there.
Construction
Custom lengths mean fewer laps and offcuts, and bars are cut with simple tools. Less wasted material, less energy on site.
Service life
No rust, no corrosion-driven cracking, no repair cycles. Over a 100+ year design life this is where most of the saving — in money and material — is made.