GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic / Fiberglass or Glass Reinforced Polyester), is manufactured by combining millions of small fibres or glass rods with specialised thermoset resins and curing agents to create an immensely strong composite product. GRP is a light, durable and astonishingly tough constructional material which can be manufactured into all manner of products. It may be translucent, opaque or coloured, moulded, reinforced, shaped, pressed or bonded.
GRP is an immensely versatile product incorporated within a wide variety of installations from construction to offshore and from swimming pools to super yachts.
Other Key features of GRP include:
- High Impact Resistance – long term durability
- Shatterproof
- Corrosion Resistant *
- High Degree of Fire Resistance *
- Grafitti Resistant *
- Versatile
- Low expansion & Contraction
- Highly Durable
- Easily Fabricated and Installed
- 65% lighter than steel
- Effective in wet and oily conditions
- Can be used immediately after fixing – minimizes downtime
- Maintenance Free
* If specified
Most resins used for GRP are thermosetting (i.e. the product shape is fixed when cured) as against thermoplastic which can be reshaped by heat. Consequently, in a fire GRP won’t melt, drip or form molten droplets. In fact some types of GRP have fire resisting properties which will cause the flame to self extinguish within a period after the fire source is removed. Resins such as Phenol Formaldehyde have improved over the last 25 years to provide superior fire performance in terms of low smoke/toxic emissions and flame spread (Phenclad).
And there can be cost savings too! For example, a steel fabrication that might require welding, machining, assembly etc could be made in GRP using moulds that give accurate repetition. Glass that is continuously broken or vandalised could be replaced with translucent GRP which will pay for itself and most likely be safer. GRP Cladding is bonded to a variety of core materials to produce insulation panels which can make major contributions to the environment as well as reducing fuel bills. Perhaps the highest savings of all can be achieved with the use of high performing, fire resistant phenolics when compared with the costs of fire in terms of property and human misery. We coat GRP with grit to produce a very effective antislip surface.
