Fiberglass armature

What is glass composite rebar?

When buying concrete or mortar, pouring foundations or building any other concrete structure, the builder always uses reinforcing material, in other words, reinforcement . Most are used to the standard metal reinforcement of the structure. Today, a new product appears on the market - an excellent alternative to metal fittings - this is fiberglass fittings (also called basalt, composite or polymer fittings ), built on the basis of fiberglass. Fiberglass rebar is a rebar made from non-metallic rods of glass, basalt, carbon or aramid fibers impregnated with thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer binders, which is also called composite or glass composite rebar .

Smart Metal Group Company - is an importer of composite fittings . Our goal is to bring to the construction market the new product and technology in the use of composite materials and their products. Every year, new products and materials appear on the building materials market that can change the perception of standard construction. Composite fiberglass rebar is just such a material. Composite armature - this is a product of modern nanotechnologies that are used in the space and military industries. Our composite rebar is made of high-tech equipment from alkali-resistant glass fibers with the addition of a nano-modifier in a polymer binder. This factor ensures high quality of the composite armature .

The glass composite armature of the Smart Metal Group company is an innovation that offers a new level of technical and economic efficiency in the construction industry. Any new construction is carried out in accordance with certain laws, norms and parameters, the subject of which is to supplement the large number of prescribed standards and procedures in order to eliminate errors and losses for the period of construction activities and to ensure the safety of people. A new and truly unique reinforcement element for construction work is non-metallic reinforcement with high strength of composite materials, which replaces traditional steel reinforcement. Non-metallic (composite) reinforcement is made in the form of a rod with a spiral relief of different lengths from glass (glass composite reinforcement ) or basalt ( basalt reinforcement ) fibers impregnated with a chemically resistant polymer. Composite armature has passed numerous corrosion and physical-mechanical tests in the city of Moscow. As a result of long-term studies and for the durability of building structures, the use of composite reinforcement is used, with a period of at least 100 years. Such a long service life is due to high chemical resistance to all known aggressive environments - gas environment with increased concentrations, chloride salts, antifreeze, sea water and so on.

In construction, glass composite rebar has gained widespread and well-deserved popularity in countries such as the USA, China, Germany, Great Britain, Korea, Japan, Canada and India. Not surprisingly, fiberglass is used much more actively in the West than in developing countries. As for the main consumer in the world, the absolute leader is the USA, the total consumption of glass composite fittings is 40% , which is not surprising at all. Since it was there at the end of the 70s that the production of glass composite fittings was born, and the most successful development of the market was achieved precisely here, they are followed by the Asian region with 24% and the European region with 29%.

History of glass composite rebar

Already in the sixties of the 20th century, research was carried out in the field of non-metallic fittings in the Soviet Union. In the USSR (Minsk, Moscow, Kharkiv) a continuous technology was developed for the production of such an armature with a diameter of 6 mm from alkali-resistant glass fibers with a minimum zirconium composition brand Sh-15 ZhT, and its physical and mechanical properties were studied in detail. At that time, fiberglass technology with a minimum zirconium composition, brand Sh-15ZHT, was developed, with the main emphasis on resistance to aggressive environments and, accordingly, the durability of the material. Initially, to improve the adhesion of the rebar to the concrete, a glass thread was wound on it in a spiral. Back in the 1970s, non-metallic reinforcement was used in lightweight concrete foundations. A special emphasis in its use was in such industries as agriculture and, for example, power supply (power support lines, for electrolysis baths, etc.). A good example of this, when in 1975 two experimental sections of LEP-10 kW with fiber-reinforced concrete sleepers were handed over in Grodno and Soligorsk, and in 1979 near Batumi two experimental sites of LEP 0.4 and 10 kW, with sleepers made of concrete polymer reinforced with glass composite reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm. But this innovative material was not only used in the energy sector. For example, in 1975, the construction of the world's first laminated wooden bridge with a length of 9 m, beams whose cross section is 20x60 cm, made of spruce wood and reinforced with four pre-stressed beams on four glass composite rods with a diameter of 4 mm, was completed. The second bridge in the USSR with fiberglass reinforcement was built in 1981 in Primorsky Krai across the Shkotovka River. But it was not only in the Soviet Union that fiberglass fittings were developed and applied. In Germany, in the early 1980s , glass composite reinforcement was used to reinforce concrete bridges. A pedestrian bridge was built in the city of Düsseldorf. A two-way bridge with a width of 15 m on Ullenbergstrasse was reinforced with glass composite rods and put into operation in 1987, the maximum fixed traffic load is 600 kN. In 1986 and 1988, bridges were put into service in Japan, in the construction of which heavy-duty glass carbon rebar was used, which also pioneered the use of non-metallic rebar in the construction of seaport facilities. In the USA, glass composite rebar is used in the foundation and slab construction of the San Antonio (Texas) hospital. The large-scale use of glass composite reinforcement began in the 90s of the 20th century and until now, it can be said that it is a breakthrough in the field of building materials and the most promising innovative materials of the 21st century.

Field of fiberglass rebar, composite or glass composite rebar

Glass composite fittings ( non-metallic fittings) are used in accordance with the requirements of the project documentation for buildings and facilities for various purposes.

1. Glass composite fittings are intended for use in industrial , civil and road construction.
2. Application in specific buildings and facilities for various purposes.
3. For use in light and heavy concrete (foam concrete, covering slabs and monolithic foundations)
4. Multi-layer masonry.
5. As dowels for fastening the external insulation to the walls of buildings.
6. In the quality of nets and reinforcing bars in structures.
7. In the quality of flexible connections in the three-layer stone walls of buildings and facilities of civil, industrial and agricultural construction, including a base, facing layer and a layer of rigid insulation.
8. Use in strengthening unstable ground masses and others.
9. Marine and port facilities.
10. Sewerage, drainage and drainage installations.
11. Roadway and fences.
12. Elements of infrastructure and chemical production.
13. Prestressed and non-stressed reinforced concrete products (lighting poles, electric poles, power line insulation sleepers, road and pavement slabs, fence plates, curbs, posts and towers, railway sleepers, collector products, pipeline (central heating, cable ducts) , utility systems.
14. When building houses using the method of permanent formwork.
15. In the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings and facilities, both existing and newly constructed.
16. Also, compared to metal fittings, fiberglass fittings are not affected by electromagnetic corrosion. For this reason, it is used in concrete structures of power stations, underground subways, in foundations under railway lines, also in walls and ceilings of research complexes and medical centers, where the interference of metal armature fields can affect the readings and operation of nuclear magnetic resonance equipment.
Fiberglass reinforcement is used in agriculture in the construction of structures that are exposed to constant exposure to an aggressive environment - retaining wall, silo trenches, fence plates, reservoirs, etc.. Glass composite reinforcement is used as a support for plants and flowers, which due to its physical and chemical characteristics, it is distinguished by its durability. In addition, fiberglass reinforcement rods do not need painting, do not rust, do not rot, have high strength, are characterized by a beautiful appearance, and at the same time have the lowest price on the market. The use of glass composite fittings extends the service life of a structure 2-3 times longer compared to metal fittings, especially when exposed to aggressive environments, including those containing chloride salts, bases and acids.

Advantages of fiberglass rebar, composite or glass composite rebar

• 2.5 to 3 times stronger than traditional metal reinforcement for the same diameter. This makes it possible either to increase the size of the cage when knitting the mesh (in the case of using glass composite reinforcement with a diameter equal to the diameter of the steel reinforcement) or to leave the same diameter size of the cage, but to use composite reinforcement with a smaller diameter. In either case, the additional benefit will be a significant reduction in weight and cost of the final structure.
• Chemical and corrosion resistance . Highly resistant to water, salt and oxidized environments and refers to the materials of the first group for chemical resistance. This also guarantees the durability and the absence of cracking and failure of reinforced concrete structures, due to internal stresses arising in the process of corrosion and corrosion swelling, as is the case with steel reinforcement.
• Compared to metal, it has a lower thermal conductivity . The thermal conductivity of composite materials based on fiberglass is lower than metal thermal conductivity by more than 10 times. As a result, composite building reinforcement, unlike steel, is not a bridge for cold and heat in a reinforced concrete structure.
• Compared to metal reinforcement , fiberglass is resistant to aggressive environments, which is a great advantage, because when pouring concrete that is saturated with alkaline substances or when exposed to water, it does not eventually lead to rusting and deterioration of the reinforcement joint with concrete.
• Composite reinforcement does not lose its strength properties when exposed to extremely low temperatures.
• Save on transport costs – rebar ⦰4 – 10 mm with a total length of up to 10 km, with its low weight it can be easily transported by car or small transport bus.
• Glass composite reinforcement ⦰4 – 10 mm is produced in coils of 100 m, when installing reinforced structures it is cut to the required length, therefore, no unnecessary residues remain. This also saves the construction budget.
• Glass composite fittings are dielectric (non-conductive), magnetotransparent and radiotransparent. It does not change its properties under the influence of magnetic fields.
• Lower density and therefore lower weight compared to traditional steel rebar. In case of equal diameter, composite rebar 9-10 times lighter.
• Cheaper than steel rebar, due to the possibility of applying a smaller diameter with the same diameter strength.
• Reducing the cost of the foundation for the house in 2 times - this is the reality.
• The specialists have calculated and made a comparative analysis for the production of the foundation for a 2-story building with a foundation plate with a thickness of 300 mm. In one of the cases, metal rebar is used in the base of the foundation, and in the other - glass composite rebar.
• As can be seen from the engineering calculations, the use of glass composite rebar instead of metal in the production of the foundation helps to cut rebar costs in half.
• In addition, due to the high anti-corrosion properties of composite reinforcement, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the foundation plate to 200 mm, which can significantly reduce the cost of concrete. Also, the resistance of the fittings to corrosion can significantly extend the service life of the structure, thus subsequently reducing the costs of maintenance and repairs.

What is this technology line?

The production technology of fiberglass depends on drying of raw materials, development of fibers impregnated with binding ingredients and final polymerization. Combined these all processes in one line of complete equipment for the production of composite fittings . The construction and technical solutions of such conveyor systems are generally similar. The technical characteristics of a composite reinforcement largely depend on the temperature conditions at which the hardening takes place. Therefore, their ability to control affects the properties and quality of the final product. The essence of the technological process is the passage of heated glass roving through a special bath. Before entering the bath, the workpiece passes through special rings. The volume itself has a small size. This is done in order to save on component costs. After the release of the component from the bath, extraction of molten binders is done. Equipment for the production of fiberglass or basalt fittings . For the polymerization of the composition, a furnace is installed in the composite rebar production line. There, the winding of the ribs is done for the strength of the thread. At high temperatures, air bubbles of material come out of the binding composition. The relief that forms in composite rebar in a furnace provides a good bond with concrete and other building materials. After the furnace, the workpiece enters the cooling bath. There the product takes its final form. The final process is the cutting of composite rebar according to the customer's requirements. The technological process has the advantage of being easily automated. Almost all lines now operate in continuous mode. The glass composite rebar production line can run two or more streams at the same time. Some of the equipment used in the production line has its own characteristics. Thus, metal reflectors should be installed in the tube furnace. The upper part is protected by a ceramic shell. Such a design of the tube furnace allows to minimize heat loss. In addition, the heating system must be supplemented with a ventilation system. It is connected through the outlets installed at the entrance and exit. A rower is installed throughout the production line. Structurally, it is a band that squeezes the workpiece and pushes it forward. If rebar is planned to be delivered to customers in rolls, a rebar reel is placed at the end of the line. If composite products need to be cut into pieces, this is done using a grinding machine. The method of packing the finished armature is done manually.

• Standard in Russia - Eurasian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC) Standard GOST 31938-2012;
• Standard in America - Report ACI 440R-96 by the American Concrete Institute ACI Committee 440 ACI 440.1R-06 (Guide for the Design and Construction of Structural Concrete Reinforced with FRP Bars);
• Standard in Canada - Canadian Research Network Report CAN/CSA-S6-02, 2002 «Design and Construction of Building Components with Fiber-Reinforced Polymers». CAN/CSA S806-02, Canadian Standards Association, Rexdale, Canada;
• Standard in Italy - Report and recommendations from the Italian Advisory Committee for technical recommendations for structures CNR-DT 203/2006 (Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars);
• Standard in Switzerland - Technical report prepared by a working party of Task Group 9.3 Technical report prepared by a working party of Task Group 9.3, FRP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer) reinforcement for concrete structures;

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