GRP Fibreglass Roofing Introduction

GRP fibreglass roofing system are an extremely popular alternative to traditional roof covering materials due to the advantages of seamless technology. These systems are largely installed onto domestic roofs and new build construction projects where a timber deck construction is specified.

 

GRP Fibreglass Roofs are extremely hard wearing, can accept limited foot traffic loads and when required can be used on balcony and roof terrace applications. One of the main advantages with GRP roofing systems is the seamless joint free finish achieved by applying multiple layers of cold applied resins which are reinforced by fibreglass chopped strand mat.

 

GRP roofs are particularly attractive in appearance and are available in a wide range of BS or RAL colours and bespoke finishes to suit the requirements of the client. Simulated lead roll effect roofs can also achieved, this offers a cost effective alternative to lead roofing with the advantage of no scrap value.

Key Benefits of GRP Fibreglass Roofing

 

Cold Applied, No Naked Flames.

Seamless Waterproofing, No Joins or Welds.

Can be applied on complex roof designs.

Variety of colour and finishes.

Tough, hard wearing.

Fully Reinforced.

Rapid curing.

Cool cure system can be applied at 0 degrees.

Fire Retardent.

Helpful advice and information of GRP roof

What is GRP?

A: GRP is an abbreviation for Glass Reinforced Polyester, otherwise known as Fibreglass Roofing or Glass Fibre. GRP materials have been extensively used within the marine and automotive industries for over half a century for use on boat hulls, car bodies and even lightweight aircrafts. This technology has been developed for use on roofing systems and become a highly popular choice for fiberglass chopped strand mat flat roof applications.

What does a GRP roof consist of?

A: A GRP roof consists of several layers. Firstly a base layer of cold applied polyester resin is applied onto new 18mm OSB3 timber decking, the base layer is consolidated and reinforced with a layer of fibreglass matting (typically 450 or 600 g/m2), then an additional layer of resin is applied to form the main waterproofing laminate. The system is made complete with an arrangement of pre-formed GRP edge trims to form drip and water check, flashing details. For the final appearance a coloured topcoat is then applied to the roof and left to cure.

Is GRP roofing cost effective?

A: Yes, when comparing costs on flat roof materials, GRP is surprisingly cost effective. GRP roofing is more expensive than a re-covering using traditional materials, however please bare in mind that a quote for GRP will include for new 18mm OSB3 decking boards as part of the price.

Can I walk on my new GRP roof?

A: Yes, one the inherent properties of GRP fibreglass is a tough, hard wearing surface which is puncture and impact resistant. When used in conjunction with a 600g/m2 reinforcement matting GRP can be used for balcony and walkway applications.

Does a GRP roof have joints?

A: No, GRP roofs are free of joints or seams due to the nature of it's cold applied resin application. Regarding of shape or size a GRP roof is completely seamless.

How long does it take for a GRP roof to cure?

A: GRP resins are mixed with catalysts to enable rapid curing even at low temperatures. Typically a GRP roof will harden with an hour of application depending on site conditions.

Can a GRP roof incorporate new insulation?

A: Yes, a GRP roof can be incorporated into warm or cold roof design. Where an existing felt roof is present a warm roof conversion can be achieved by overlaying new PIR insulation boards over the existing felt roof.

The influencing factors for the fiberglass mat

There are so many factors influence the uniformly of fiberglass chopped strand mat, totally it can be divided into raw silk, equipment, environment, and human factors and so on.

Raw silk quality factor

The raw silk used in fiberglass mat machines must be fully drying and qualified. It’s density and stiffness preferably 100mm or more.

The fiberglass yarn density

When we don’t consider the waste yarn and mat, theoretically, when the cutter speed and movement speed is stable, the yarn density is a factor that influence the quality of unit weight of fiberglass chopped strand mat.

Oil content

If oil content less or uneven, the yarn stiffness will low, this will cause poor technical performance of yarn. When chopped, if the knife to cut the bad cluster tow, after cut off that the decapitation bifurcation serious filamentous, tangle together to form a dispersion not open beam filament, yarn balls appeared on the surface of the mat. It is different from the electrostatic beam filament appearance. Sometimes it inserted in the mesh belt when it down, and in the mesh belt formed a packet hollow, after cold forming holes in the mat surface.

Beam filament bundle through slotted generated, beam drawing process efficiency is bound to affect the uniformity of the unit area weight of the mat.

Environment factors

Keep the range of temperature and humidity in the creel room and molding chamber. It has a decisive impact for prevent the generation of static electricity. Suitable temperature is 20-24 ℃, relative humidity of 70% to 80%.

Most of the shipyards are still choose fiberglass material

Which product component produced by maritime industry。

Boat industry can be divided into three separate parts: engines,fiberglass chopped strand mat  ships and accessories. There are four different types of engines, depending on the type of ship application. Accessories include anchors, bathtubs and showers, it can be artificial marble or glass fiber products. Yacht or boat parts, is really suitable for composite parts. It can be pontoon, cruiser (comfortable boat), boat (designed for water-skiing like to one hundred mph) and yachts.

The trend of glass fiber and carbon fiber

Right now, most people in the industry are continue to use the glass fiber, it’s more than  carbon fiber composite material, because it provides a high quality and lower cost. However, when you focus on rowing, people prefer carbon fiber, the weight is the biggest factor. However, when looking at the general's ship manufacturing industry, which sold to families or fishermen. Most economical solution is still a glass fiber.

Which part of the marine industry to use more composite materials?

Pontoon is usually made of aluminum, you will find it in small fishing boat, but in terms of craft, such as cruisers and yachts primarily used are still glass fibers. You may find that the use of aluminum with two or three manufacturers, but in general, glass fiber composite material is still the first choice of the material.

New tornado panels made from composites

The new tornado panels are developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The composition of thermoplastic and fiberglass resins and fibers used in the panels are stronger per-unit density than the steel used in many current shelters and weigh 80% less, according to the university. Some of the same foams and fibersglass chopped strand mat  are used in the latest armored military vehicles.

The research team developed a steel frame that holds the panels, and the frame can be broken down and carried into a closet or bathroom door and then reassembled. The panels, secured to each other and the floor of an interior room, protect against flying debris and are designed to keep people from being crushed or becoming airborne. The university says that the panels leave the assembly line looking like typical interior walls; they do not require paint and will never corrode.

Uday Vaidya, professor and chair of UAB’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, worked with Storm Resistant Systems and Cooper Structural Engineers to scale the prototype panels for use in a home. The safe room is designed in accordance with FEMA standards to withstand 250 mile-per-hour winds, and was built to remain intact even if the house were destroyed. This prototype is the first-of-its-kind, and it can be replicated for installation in other homes.

 “With an average of more than 1,000 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. each year, it was crucial that something be done to make homes more safe,” Vaidya said. “Those tornadoes result in approximately 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries each year. Our goal was to develop new technology that would help protect individuals against the impact of debris during natural disasters, and I think with these panels, we’ve done just that.”

The raw materials of chopped strand mat- fiberglass

FRP products typically used glass is a calcium - alumina borosilicate having alkali content of less than one percent. It is commonly referred to as "E" glass, as it was originally developed for the electrical insulation system.

The production of glass fiber by the molten glass from the melting furnace transport by platinum sleeve contains a lot of small holes, stretched into a glass filaments. Filaments for commercial use is usually between 9 and 15 microns in diameter. Before the filaments are gathered into fibers, are adhered emulsion. Fiber is very strong - tensile strength is particularly high. They also exhibit excellent chemical and moisture resistance, excellent electrical properties, from biological attack, and not burning, melting point of 1500 ℃ - in plastic reinforcing material performance is very good.

Fiberglass can use in a variety of ways, chopped into short lengths ("chopped strand"); gathered into a rope loosely bound ("roving"); woven into a variety of fabrics, yarn twisting and doubling obtained by continuous strands. In the UK, the glass fiber most widely used material is chopped strand mat, which material is made of glass fiber strands short cut into about 50mm, the use of polyvinyl acetate or polyester binder held together in mat form. The fiberglass chopped strand mat weight range from 100gsm to 1200gsm, and to have a common reinforcement used.

The customized mat in changyuan company that stepped into a new level

Customized Fiberglass chopped strand mat has always been my company's production issues. For a long time, we are based to the principle of customer first, and try our best to provide service to customers, all-round to meet customer needs. We try to solve all problems in the process of using chopped strand mat. Since the introduction of customized mat, we produced chopped strand mat according to customers’ needs in any quantity and size. It’s widely praised by customers. We provide customers an effective solution to the material loss, cutting standardized, higher labor costs and other problems.

Recently, a domestic company requirements that production size is 3200mm * 1800mm of 150g powder customized mat, the production of such products in the winding and packing is a great test for our workers work proficiency and efficiency . We have successfully completed this production task, we test the uniformity, tensile strength, adhesion rate and so on, all of them is meet customer needs. Indicates that our series of low gram customized mat production will step to a new level!