Glass-reinforced concrete

Purkiss, J. A. (1985) Some mechanical properties of glass reinforced concrete at elevated temperatures, in Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. on Composite Structures, Paisley College, I.H. Marshall ed., Elsevier Applied Science pp. 230—41. 

E.G. Nawy, G.E. Neuwerth and C.J. Phillips, Behaviour of fibre glass reinforced concrete beams , ASCE, J. Struct. Div. 97,1971, 2203-2215. 

R.H. Mills, Age embrittlement of glass-reinforced concrete containing blast furnace slag , in D.M. Roy, A.J. Majumdar, S.P. Shah and J.A. Manson (eds) Advances in Cement-Matrix Composites, Proc. Materials Research Society Syrnp., Materials Research Society, Bagneux, France, 1980, pp. 201-208. 

Most metals, concrete, and other constmction materials are corroded by hydrobromic acid. Suitable materials of constmction include some fiber glass-reinforced plastics, some chemically resistant mbbers, PVC, Teflon, polypropylene, and ceramic-, mbber-, and glass-lined steel. Metals that are used include HasteUoy B, HasteUoy C, tantalum, and titanium. The HasteUoys can only be used at ambient temperatures. Liquid hydrogen bromide under pressure in glass at or above room temperature can attack the glass resulting in unexpected shattering. 

There are less exotic ways of increasing the strength of cement and concrete. One is to impregnate it with a polymer, which fills the pores and increases the fracture toughness a little. Another is by fibre reinforcement (Chapter 25). Steel-reinforced concrete is a sort of fibre-reinforced composite the reinforcement carries tensile loads and, if prestressed, keeps the concrete in compression. Cement can be reinforced with fine steel wire, or with glass fibres. But these refinements, though simple, greatly increase the cost and mean that they are only viable in special applications. Plain Portland cement is probably the world s cheapest and most successful material. 

There are many specialty cements including reinforced concrete, lightweight concrete, prestressed concrete, gypsium, and heavy glass. 

REINFORCED PLASTICS. Reinforced plastics are commonly referred to as composites or, more specifically, polymer composites, Not all composites are reinforced plastics ceramic/metal-matrix composites and concrete are good examples of nonpolymeric composites. Reinforced plastics are also referred to RP, FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic), and GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) interchangeably. 

Impregnated wood, glass-reinforced polyester or precast concrete are acceptable materials for water basin. 

What do bamboo stalks, mud bricks, steel-belted radial tires, fiberglass fishing rods, reinforced concrete, and the heat tiles on a space shuttle have in common The answer is that these materials are all composites. A composite is a material consisting of two or more components with overall properties different from and superior to either or any one of the individual components. For example, many pleasure boats today have hulls made of a composite material called reinforced plastic that contains glass, plastic, carbon, or some other type of fiber embedded in plastic. The composite material is stronger, more durable, and less dense than the fibers or plastics of which it is made. 

The bottom frame is constructed so that the whole unit can be moved on the ground, for instance on grass or on rolling bars. The sampler does not necessarily need a concrete platform—the frame is so stiff that it will even stand on four rocks if necessary. The covers are of GRP, glass-reinforced plastics. They are thick enough to withstand even small flying stones. 

If "acid brick" is to be used, the glass-reinforced asphalt membrane is now applied in the usual manner, and the brick laid over it, expansion joints carefully laid out and placed on the usual centers. If a monolithic, whether a %" topping or a polymer concrete, is to be applied, polyethylene separator bars should be set above the cracks around the periphery of every sheet, the monolithic placed, the bars removed, and the cavities thus formed filled with expansion joint sealant. If this is not done, you can be certain that, sooner or later, the monolithic will develop cracks at these points, telegraphing through the surface the pattern of the plywood sheets below it. 

ASTM C 947 Test Method for Flexural Properties of Thin-Section Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, The American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA. 

Experimental research was performed on models of reinforced concrete beams (10 x 20 x 120 cm) with polymeric concrete layers. B 25 class concrete was used main longitudinal reinforcement of A-III class was used in the form of two 8-mm diameter rods and the 5-mm diameter stirrups of the same class arranged, so that destruction would be along normal sections. Epoxy-rubber compositions were used as covering layer materials. All compositions were made on ED-20 epoxy-based resin. Besides fiber glass-reinforced plastic glued by ED-20 compositions based on liquid rubbers, RubCon was used. The composition of the polymer layers and some of their mechanical characteristics are given in Table 6.3. 

Thermal expansion is a most important property in practice. It is used in most everyday thermometers. The shattering of ordinary glass on being cooled rapidly is due to the thermal contraction of the outer layers, and is prevented in special glasses such as Pyrex glass or fused silica, which have low thermal expansion. The thermal expansion of components in electronic devices is important, and the difference in thermal expansion of materials in a construction can lead to grave difficulties. The coincidence of the thermal expansion of steel and concrete at normal temperatures allows the use of steel-reinforced concrete in buildings. 

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