Properties of composite rebars

1. Resistance against Corrosion

Undoubtedly, the most prominent and essential feature of FRP composite products is their resistance against corrosion, which is why they are the best reason to choose them as a substitute for steel rebar. The life of FRP composite rebars is 15 times longer compared to steel rebars due to their very high corrosion resistance.

2. Electrical and Magnetic Insulation

Since these materials are made from a combination of resin and carbon glass fibers or aramid, no stress caused by the magnetic field is introduced into them. Due to this feature in FRP composite materials, it is recommended to use FRP rebars in structures affected by electromagnetic fields such as reactors, airports, MRI departments of hospitals and laboratories, and the foundation of long arc furnaces of steel factories, etc. Electrical conductivity in the structure can be considered a risk. Electrical conductivity in metal materials is a dangerous issue and can cause damage. In contrast to metal materials, FRP composite materials are electrically non-conductive, which makes them a suitable option for structures exposed to electric fields.

3. Light Weight of FRP Composite Rebars and Significant Reduction in Transportation Costs

Rebars with a specific weight of 2 grams per cubic centimeter are much lighter than common steel bars with a specific weight of 8 grams per cubic centimeter. This reduction in density can lead to reduction in the cost of transportation, easy movement of materials and also reduction in the dead load of the structure.

9,000 meters of composite rebar of 12 mm diameter (18 tons) were easily loaded and sent in a trailer, which is equivalent to 6 trailer loads of steel rebar. The photo is related to EPOROD company’s export to Turkmenistan

400 meters of composite rebar with a diameter of 6 mm (total weight of 20 kg) can be easily moved by one worker.

4. Resistance against Fatigue

FRP composites are more resistant to alternating loading cycles (fatigue) than steel rebars, so they are widely used in the aerospace industry.

5. Economic Savings!

The price of this product is between 15 and 50% lower than its steel type; important points of which are mentioned the below.

6. Tensile Strength

The tensile strength of composite rebars is 3 times higher than the strength of steel rebars.

AIII steel rebars have a tensile strength of 480 MPa at best, but composite rebars with glass fibers (GFRP) have a tensile strength of 1600 MPa at best.

When an FRP reinforced composite rebar is subjected to tensile loading, no plastic behavior is observed in the sample until the yield point is reached. The tensile behavior of FRP rebars is affected by the type of fibers and is proportional to their stress-strain behavior until the moment of rupture.

The hardness and tensile strength of FRP rebars depend on several factors. Since in FRP rebars, the strength is basically carried by reinforcing fibers, therefore the type and volume fraction of the fibers used and most importantly the orientation of the fibers strongly affects the tensile properties of FRP rebars.

7. Faster Execution and Easier Cutting

Composite rebars can easily be cut with a mini-milling machine, and also in paving and flooring projects, due to their flexibility and roll-up property to a length of 100 meters, the execution speed is several times higher than that of steel rebars, and in contrast to steel rebars which need to be overlapped every 12 meters, composite rebars do not need to be overlapped up to a maximum length of 100 meters. Therefore, in this way, less number of workers and less time are needed for projects’ execution, and also the rebar waste is zero due to the absence of overlaps, and as a result, less rebar is used.

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The degree of flexibility of composite rebars is shown in this clip.