Glass fiber vs steel

ADVANCED MATERIAL

Glass fiber reinforcement is currently one of the most advanced materials in construction worldwide. Its popularity is due to the numerous advantages it offers compared to steel reinforcement. While concrete has high compressive strength, its tensile strength is relatively low. To compensate for this, reinforcement is used. Steel is still the most commonly used material for this purpose.

However, steel is susceptible to rust. Especially in areas where it lacks sufficient coverage, allowing moisture and salts to reach the steel and cause corrosion. Inadequate coverage is not the only issue; execution flaws or failure to use the correct spacers, which can lead to the reinforcement being too close to the exterior, can also accelerate corrosion.

Glass fiber reinforcement does not rust, is much lighter than steel, and has higher tensile strength.

These advantages alone contribute to its popularity among professional contractors. Nonetheless, many specialists still use traditional steel and hesitate to switch to glass fiber reinforcement. This hesitation is often due to a lack of information or insufficient understanding of the benefits of glass fiber reinforcement.

THE TEST: GLASS FIBER VS. STEEL

In this footage, it is clearly shown that an element reinforced with steel breaks at a certain point, while the element with glass fiber reinforcement bends further without breaking and, after the weight is removed, returns to its original shape.

Glass fiber reinforcement

Steel reinforcement

MESH 3000×2000 / 150×150 / 10 MM

To demonstrate that glass fiber reinforcement meshes can be walked on during installation just like steel meshes, we set up a test in the production hall.

CROSS-SECTION OF CONCRETE SLABS

Tests have been conducted with fiberglass reinforcement meshes at a concrete slab manufacturer. Tests with glass fiber reinforcement meshes were conducted at a concrete slab manufacturer. In photos 1, 2, and 3, you can clearly see the steel bars with rust formation:

In photos 4 and 5, you can see the glass fiber reinforcement mesh. It’s clearly visible that it is not susceptible to corrosion. It is clear that these are not subject to corrosion:

Characteristics

Characteristic	Glass fiber reinforcement	Steel reinforcement
Material	Woven glass tape fully impregnated in thermosetting resin	Steel
Diameter tolerance	0,1 mm +/-	0,5 mm +/-
Density	1900 – 2000 kg/m3	7800 kg/m3
Strain in %	2.2	25
Fiber volume content	70% fiber	99% steel
Young’s modolus	50.000	200.000
E-modolus	50 Gpa	210 Gpa
compressive strength	690 Mpa
tensile strength	1000 Mpa	250 Mpa
short-term shear strength	50 Mpa
double shear strength	150 Mpa
thermal expansion coefficient – length	9×10-6/C
thermal expansion coefficient – transverse	52×10-6/C
components	70% ECR glass fiber with epoxy resin	steel with PE protective layer 0.3 mm
Corrosion resistant	Yes	No
Density kg/m3	1900 (4 times lighter than steel)	7800
Environment		For every ton of steel produced, 1.9 tons of CO2 are emitted
yield moment	It is higher than that of steel
Higher tensile strength	600-1600 N/mm2	200-550 N/mm2
Resistant to chloride and phosphate	Yes	No
Conducts radio waves	Yes	No
Thermal conductivity	0,25%	48% to 58%
Diamagnetic	Yes	No
Durability	Expected durability: 80 years	According to building regulations