GRCA Practical Design Guide for GRC

This Practical Design Guide has been prepared by the Technical Committee of the Glassfibre Reinforced Concrete Association (GRCA) . The purpose of this publication is to provide a useful reference for specifiers, designers, manufacturers and fixers of glassfibre reinforced concrete (GRC) products and to encourage the use of good design practices. It complements the other technical publications of the GRCA, namely: Guide to Fixings for GRC Cladding Specification for the Manufacture, Curing and Testing of GRC products Methods of Testing GRC Material National and international standards relating to the testing of GRC and its constituent materials are also available and further standards will become available in the future. GRC is used extensively worldwide, both as a functional and decorative construction material in building and civil engineering. This Guide discusses the relevance of good design practice for typical products. GRC is a composite material comprising a mixture of hydraulic cement, silica sand, alkali resistant (AR) glass fibres and water. The glass fibres effectively reinforce the mortar mix thereby improving its tensile and flexural characteristics. GRC is a particularly attractive and durable cladding material. It can be moulded into a wide variety of complex shapes and profiles and is ideally suited to the popular fast-track approach of using lightweight, prefabricated cladding panels for the exteriors of modern buildings. The main advantage of GRC panels over the corresponding precast concrete alternatives is the considerable saving in weight. This results in significant savings in the costs of transportation, handling and erection of the panels. If this weight advantage is considered at the design stage, it should be possible to effect substantial economies in the design of foundations and superstructures for high rise building constructions. Other notable advantages of GRC cladding are its durability, chemical resistance, non-combustibility and good sound/heat insulation properties. GRC is used extensively in the architectural and civil engineering fields with the main products being: - cladding - permanent formwork - slates/roof features - cornices - coping units - canopies - porticos - walkway roofs/walls - sunscreens - artificial rocks - drainage channels - street furniture - planters - arches - balustrading - box beams - cable trays - conservatory walling - domed roofs - door surrounds - gutter units - sound barriers - string course features.7 PRACTICAL DESIGN GUIDE FOR GLASS REINFORCED CONCRETE The design elements of this publication are based on limit state theory whereby the GRC product is designed to satisfy the limit states of collapse and serviceability using appropriate partial factors of safety. Several worked examples are included to demonstrate the use of these partial factors of safety.