Developments in the assessment and performance of grc over 10 years

Abstract

Glass fibre-reinforced cement came into use as a construction material about 10 years ago when alkali resistant glass fibres first became available commercially. Chemical tests in alkali solution were much used in the initial stages of the development of alkali resistant fibres but increasingly these have been replaced by direct measurements of the retention of the tensile strength of fibres in a cement environment. Detailed studies of the strength of composites and of the kinetics of strength changes have led to the development of methods of accelerating the ageing of grc materials and hence predicting long term strength behaviour in different climates. New fibres with improved strength retention characteristics have recently been developed and their potential long term performance in composites and components has been assessed by means of these accelerated ageing procedures.