Stonewear Technology - Lightweight Strength

GFRC - "glass fiber reinforced concrete" is actually cement mortar with countless strands of embedded glass fiber; it is a true composite material. It does not have the graded rock aggregates or steel-reinforcing bars normally associated with concrete.

The principal material asset of GFRC is tensile strength or the ability to have strength when stretched. This tensile strength characteristic also creates dramatically enhanced impact strength. It shares equally the two primary assets of conventional concrete, which are compressive strength and longevity.

Since 1976 STONEWEAR has been applying advancecl cement composite tecllnologies to tile fabrication of watertiglll architectural shapes where tile cost/ benefit exceeds that of conventional matel'ials. We pioneered the use of glass-reinforced cast stone for site amenities.

Cement, plaster and plastic (fiberglass) are the primary material choices for the fabrication of three-dimensional architectural shapes. The above chart gives an overview of the material characteristics associated with the primary parameters for use in architectural applications.

Stonewear composite stone is a proprietary compound of graded stone and cement reinforced with long-strand Alkaline Resistant glass fiber. The result is a composite that combines the strength and lightweight characteristics of conventional fiberglass with the durability and longevity of cast stone.

Cement-based materials can be reinforced with glass fibers to dramatically increase product strength (20X) while reducing product weight (10X) because of the consequent thinner, stronger wall sections. To claim a product is "glass reinforced" is meaningless without also specifying type, content, form and length of the glass fibers. It's a tricky craft...