When it comes to steel bars that are commonly used in industrial and civil sectors, you may be wondering about the difference between fiberglass bars and steel bars. Although there is a clear trend in various industries to turn to FRP rebar, some companies still have doubts and have conducted multiple studies on the prospects, characteristics and performance of FRP versus steel.

What material is fiberglass?

As a new type of high-performance structural material, glass fiber reinforced materials are widely used in subway tunnels (shield tunnels), highways, bridges, airports, docks, stations, water conservancy projects, underground engineering and other fields. Corrosive environments such as electrolytic cells, manhole covers, and coastal defense projects. FRP rods can solve many problems in engineering, make up for the shortcomings of traditional steel, and bring new development opportunities to civil and construction projects.

Performance Comparison: Rebar VS FRP Rebar

Rebar

Steel is known for its superior quality across various industries. The disadvantage of steel is that it is susceptible to moisture and thus corrosion. Various chemical reactions, such as oxidation, can eventually negatively affect the properties of steel. Therefore, the application of rebar in certain industries is limited.

Due to their heavier weight, the advantage of lower initial costs overlaps with higher transportation and on-site installation costs. Corroded steel bars require expensive maintenance in the long term and lead to increased tensile loads on concrete structures.

FRP  Rebar

FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) has replaced steel in various industries. Due to its resistance to corrosion and various chemical processes and reactions, FRP has become the material of choice for marine and open-air exposed applications.

Various additives used to enhance certain properties can improve the overall tensile capacity and durability of FRP products, including steel bars, silos, storage tanks, etc. The tensile strength of fiber steel bars is 20% higher than that of steel bars.

Fiber-reinforced materials have a much stronger material bond than steel; this explains the better operational durability of FRP rebar.

Customizable manufacturing allows resins used in FRP rebar production to be tailored to meet specific needs, such as enhanced wear resistance or corrosion resistance.

Comparison between fiberglass rebar and steel rebar

Another important advantage of FRP is its light weight compared to steel. FRP rebar weighs only 1/4 of steel rebar of the same size. Therefore, using FRP rebar can reduce transportation and installation costs.

Another important factor is impact resistance. FRP will not permanently deform under heavy operating loads because the resin-reinforced polymer matrix disperses impact loads and prevents surface damage. Under similar conditions, especially at lower temperatures, steel products may deform.

Although having the same wide range of applications, FRP differs from steel in terms of electrical and thermal conductivity. Steel is a good conductor of electricity and heat, while FRP has low thermal conductivity and zero electrical conductivity. In thermally fluctuating environments, FRP exhibits more stable properties than steel, whose properties may change due to external temperature influences.

If you are interested in frp, contact our experts for a quote.