F.A.Q.

Steel reinforcement of concrete has been used for many years, however, its primary shortcoming is that it is easily corroded, and corrosion results in structural failure. Recently, the use of FRP bars as internal reinforcement for concrete structures in aggressive environments has arisen as an inventive solution to eliminate steel corrosion problems. FRP rebar has an advantage over steel, since it is closer to the modulus of concrete. Also, a concrete structure reinforced with FRP rebars does not react to the chloride-rich environment. In addition, GFRP bars have recently gained wide acceptance as a viable construction material for sustainable new constructions due to their costing less than other FRP types.

The basic raw materials for fiberglass products are a variety of natural minerals and manufactured chemicals. The major ingredients are silica sand, limestone, and soda ash. Other ingredients may include calcined alumina, borax, feldspar, nepheline syenite, magnesite, and kaolin clay, among others.

Fiberglass is non-combustible. It simply won’t burn. If a fire gets hot enough, it will just melt. However, fiberglass batts that are covered with Kraft paper or a foil facing are combustible.

FRP material is not flammable you may check about it on OSHA. No FRP is flammable. Due to this reason, almost all the industrial sectors are using the fibreglass reinforced polymer over the conventional steel.

FRP bars are non-conductive material in terms of both thermal and electrical conductivity. Hence, you can keep your structure eco-friendly by using our bars.

FRP/GRP products are an eco-friendly alternative to many traditional materials. Choosing FRP/GRP products is an environmentally responsible choice. FRP/GRP has low embodied energy. … As a good insulator against heat and cold, FRP/GRP helps conserve energy while reducing operating costs.

This bar can be cut with a manual rebar cutter, bolt cutters, high speed grinder or Sawzall cut rebar, fine blade or a hack saw, and carborundum or diamond blade. Do not shear the bar.

This rebar cannot be bent after the curing cycle. However, standard bends such as 90-degree corners, lap spliced to straight lengths are available. Lap splice lengths are determined by ACI 440 design codes. Steel rebar bent shapes used in conjunction with SFT-Bar® are acceptable. Field forming of large radius curves are easily made.

At the end of the ACI 440 guideline, there are many structural calculation samples for different structural elements. The International Building Code structures (IBC), ACI 332 for Residential Structural concrete, and TMS 402 for masonry structures are also approved and addressed in designing with FRP bars. All of these design codes now have provisions or companion codes that dictate the use of SFT-Bar® by a professional engineer or by prescriptive use in the case of ACI 332 residential concrete. All of these authoritative codes reference ASTM D7957 fiberglass rebar material standards that SFT-Bar®. The product also exceeds acceptance criteria, including bond strength, tensile strength, and tensile modulus of elasticity of CSA S807. Also, our engineering team can assist you with the conversion of steel drawings to FRP.

SFT-Bar® GFRP bars, manufactured by SFTec Inc. come in standard sizes #2 (6 mm) through #10+ (32 mm), offered in both straight and bent geometries.

Yes, bond strength of SFT-Bar® is assessed as part of the characterization testing of ASTM D7957 and CSA S807 and exceeds the minimum requirements.

Floating has not been an issue in practice. Although fiberglass rebar has lower density, using a vibrator and foot traffic during concrete placement prevents it from floating.

Yes, SFT-Bar® #3 GFRP bar or Mesh can effectively replace steel wire mesh for temperature and shrinkage.

Yes. We suggest working with a local engineer or code official for appropriate specifications. The use of SFT-Bar® is dictated by design codes such as ACI 440 for IBC type structures, ACI 332 for IRC residential structural concrete, and TMS402 for masonry structures.

SFT-Bar® is suited for tanks, water treatment plants and pools. SFT-Bar® is non-conductive, which may reduce the amount of grounding efforts, and the flexibility of the bar makes forming to curvature easier.

Yes, the ICC-ES® validation reports ESR-5081 and EER-5081 reports certify SFTec Inc.’s SFT-Bar®, affirming its compliance with advanced and stringent requirements, codes, and standards governing the use of GFRP in concrete structures.

The fiber in SFT-Bar® is in one direction to achieve the typical linear stress-strain curve of FRP bars up to failure.

According to CSA S807, the distinction among the three grades is based on the mechanical properties of SFT-Bar®, including the modulus of elasticity (Grade III = 60 GPa; Grade II = 50 GPa; Grade I = 40 GPa).

Yes, it is very important to check the two-way shear to avoid punching-shear failure and the relevant catastrophic failure on site for such types of structure elements.

According to CSA S807, the distinction among the grades is based on the mechanical properties of SFT-Bar®, including the modulus of elasticity. Currently SFT-Bar® is manufactured within the parameters of Grade III = 65 GPa; Grade III = 60 GPa; Grade I = 40 GPa.

Yes, SFT-Bar® GFRP bars are the most cost-effective and structural solution for marine structures compared to other types of bars.

In earthquake-prone regions with low to intermediate risk, SFT-Bar® GFRP can be employed. In other zones, a hybrid reinforcement approach combining SFT-Bar® GFRP and steel can be used to enhance deformability and optimize the advantages of both types of bars.

The AR glass fiber content in concrete enhances the fresh concrete cohesion and increases the interlocking with aggregate. However, in cases of high-volume content with AR glass fiber, adding additives of superplasticizers is recommended to increase the workability.

SFT-Bar® features a lacquer coating for convenient handling, even with bare hands. While protective gloves are not mandatory, we recommend using them as a safety precaution to avoid cuts and scrapes, particularly from the cut ends.

No, but wearing a dust mask is recommended as a best practice.

When working on-site, it’s standard practice to wear helmets, goggles, gloves, and masks (particularly when cutting) for health and safety purposes.

The AR glass fiber increased the compressive strength from 5-10%, while it is significantly increased the tensile strength by 30-40%.

One of the maiming components of AR glass fiber is zirconium oxide which protect concrete from alkaline attack.

Individual reinforcing bars are joined together to form the reinforcement cage, generally using standard steel wire or plastic-coated wire for traditional rebar tying methods.

The choice of SFT-Bar® grade depends on the significance of the application. For instance, non-structural elements like slab-on-grade can utilize 40 GPa. However, structural elements such as columns and slabs require higher grades consistent with design standards, such as SFT-Bar® Grade III = 60 GPa.

Please contact our distributors, they have the most commonly used diameters of SFT-Bar® typically readily available in stock.

For any large or specific order of straight or shaped/bent bars, production time usually takes 1-2 weeks, and then you can get them within the following time frames, if shipped:

• by sea freight within 6-8 weeks
• by truck/train – land freight within 10 days

All common shapes can be fabricated in our plants. As it is shown on our website, we can fabricate L-shape; U-shape; Z-shape, stirrups; spirals; hooks, as well as specific shapes based on our client request.

The use of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) as construction materials is gaining acceptance in the construction industry. The primary reason for this increase is the superior performance of FRP reinforcement in corrosive environments, its long term durability, high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, electromagnetic neutrality and resistance to chemical attacks.

During recent earthquakes, many structural collapses were initiated or caused by beam-column joint failures.The use of FRP bars as reinforcement for beam and column is still a concept with limited experimental and analytical information for beam and columns. Indeed, FRP reinforced concrete structures may be lacking the required ductility for which the majority of conventional steel reinforced concrete structures are designed so that they can dissipate seismic induced energy in the event of a strong earthquake.

Because of these shortcomings, the current codes and standards, including the CSA S608-02 (2002), ISIS Manual (2001) and ACI 440 (2006), have severe limitations for structural use of internally placed FRP reinforcement, especially for seismically active regions. The code allows for the use of FRP rebar in beams and columns in high-earthquake areas, but with some limitations. We recommend that you use FRP in slabs, foundations and so on.

We assure our clients that our FRP pricing is competitive with steel.