The use of glass fiber-reinforced concrete as a structural material

Glass fiber-reinforced concrete consists basically of a cementitious matrix composed of cement, sand, water and admixtures. The fibers lead to an increase in the tension and impact strength of a material. Its lightweight properties and improved tensile strength as compared to concrete led to the viability of its use as a structural material. Reinforcement systems were also analyzed considering carbon or glass strands and stainless steel bars leading to corrosion-free solutions. Experimental tests were performed to determine the mechanical strength, Young's modulus, creep, shrinkage behavior, and stress-strain diagrams. The results obtained in small specimens were used in a numerical model obtaining the design bending moment versus axial load collapse curves of GRC telecommunications towers' cross-sections. The model's results match the cross-sections resistance evaluated in the experimental collapse tests of prototype towers and the model were then adopted for the tower's design.