Concession of the GFRPORT project

Recently the State Research Agency has awarded this project, led by Rover Maritime, within the Public-Private Partnership Program. The project aims to promote the use of GFRP bars (Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer) to replace steel as a reinforcing material in situations where durability is a serious problem due to exposure to aggressive environments, such as marine environment.

Advancing and expanding knowledge of new technologies that can increase the lifespan of existing infrastructure and reduce maintenance costs is essential for developing a sustainable maritime infrastructure system. The use of corrosion-resistant reinforcements, such as fiberglass reinforced polymers (GFRP), is a sustainable solution to corrosion and a promising alternative to conventional reinforcing bars for concrete elements.

Today, Spanish maritime construction companies and GFRP bar manufacturers/suppliers face difficulties and challenges in their implementation and use: insufficient data on long-term performance, the need to better understand the properties of GFRP bars, the lack of a design guide for the use of Spanish armor and the absence of a national regulatory framework. This is joined by the fact that there are some aspects related to the economic and environmental assessment of GFRP bars that have not been studied in detail in marine structures.

The project is expected to have an impact on reducing the carbon footprint of concrete port infrastructure, increasing resilience, increasing durability and thus the life cycle of these reinforced concrete structures. It is expected to take a step forward in the knowledge of the physical-mechanical behavior of GFRP reinforcement.

All scientific and technological expertise gained throughout the project will be transferred to the relevant regulatory agencies to contribute to the development and proposal of national regulations. Greater confidence in the structural safety of GFRP reinforced concrete is expected. It is expected to boost the domestic market for this type of concrete reinforcement, which will directly affect the sales and awards of the two companies involved in the project, which will have the opportunity to increase their earnings account thanks to the offer. of this new solution.

The project will be developed by a consortium led by Rover Maritime (RVM), specialized in marine works, together with Vialobra, interested in improving knowledge of GFRP bars, the Universitat de Girona through the research group AMADE and CEDEX.