Choosing a GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) supplier is like hiring a surgeon to work based on a pretty waiting room. The website has a professional appearance, the sample panel in the showroom is perfect, and everybody is smiling a great deal. However, GFRC is an engineered product and it is not a simple aesthetic addition that can be added to a facade design for success. This is what to look for before you sign any purchase order.
The Work of the Supplier Is Important More Than the Material
The GFRC material is a proven, trusted material. Job site problems do not usually arise with the glass fibers, or with the cement. They are the result of inconsistent manufacturing, missing quality control or a supplier going the extra mile.
There aren’t many nicer words for this than what you’ll find on those in the know. The process used by the GFRC manufacturer is as important as the mix design when GFRC fabrication is required, as it requires a greater degree of craftsmanship and control than standard precast concrete. So, it is not about price comparisons when you select a supplier. It’s a comparison of discipline.
Start With PCI Plant Certification on Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Supplier
If you can only take one thing from this article, it’s this one. The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) operates a Plant Certification Program and producers of GFRC are categorized as Group G. Plants certified in this category demonstrate that they have developed documented quality systems based on recognized national standards.
Not only do certified suppliers claim quality, they are checked for it. PCI certified GFRC plants are subjected to two unannounced audits annually to ensure that they are in practice what they say they are in practice, not just when watched.
Rather than offering a certified specification sheet, non-certified suppliers instead provide a specification sheet of their own. That’s a professional term, but it tells little about what materials are used, how they are fabricated or how quality is controlled in production. Request PCI certification!Request PCI certification directly! If the supplier hesitates, or evades the question, then the answer is no.
Review Which Quality Manuals They Use Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Supplier
In order to produce certified plants, certified plants comply with two documents: recommended practices for the design and fabrication of GFRC panels (PCI MNL-128) and quality control procedures for plants and production (PCI MNL-130). The manuals are not marketing jargon, but are the result of many years of experience.
This is a supplier that understands your language, as they can talk about these manuals by name and how their process falls into them. Just a supplier who is confused when you tell them about MNL-128 is not following.
Ask What They Make.Ask How They Make Their Product
Keep in mind that GFRC can be made by spray-up, by premixing, or by a combination of the two and that each method will have a different set of strength properties. Spray-up usually provides a higher fiber content and stronger panels and is the choice for larger architectural cladding. Mixing is appropriate for smaller, simpler shapes, but tends to create a weaker result due to the shorter fibers being random in their distribution.
Never take your supplier’s word on the best approach for your project. Inquire directly about the process they’ll use and why for your panels. A supplier who has a valid technical reason and not a sales pitch for that decision is worth considering.
Request Their Quality Control Testing Data
Good GFRC manufacturers conduct controlled testing during the manufacturing process, rather than at the end. It is very common to monitor glass fiber content, spray rate, unit weight and physical properties, besides anchor pull-off and shear strength.
Most testing is done according to ASTM C1228 for GFRC physical properties and ASTM C1230 for anchor and insert properties. Well-run plants also have test boards and typically one is produced every shift (or for every spray machine and mix design) so they have regular, constant evidence that their product is meeting spec—rather than having to get a one-time certificate and putting it in a drawer!
Request a recent test report from the supplier. They should be able to make these if they can’t do it without scrambling then it is a good sign of a well run business.
Assess Their Design and Engineering Assistance
GFRC panels are typically not a standard product. Before the first mold is built, most projects require custom shop drawings that will take the intent of the architecture and convert it into specific dimensions, fixing methods, and finishes.
A competent supplier is involved early in this process, not once the design is finalized. Early involvement of precast producers can identify efficient shapes, offer value engineering suggestions and recommend connection systems to aid with future installation. Suppliers that appear during the drawings stage are not likely to be in attendance at these times – and you’ll pay for that when construction begins.
Check Out Their Past Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Supplier
Certifications and testing data inform you what a supplier can do. The record they have is what they really have delivered. Request references for previous work using the same size, finish and/or structure.
Look at how long panels have lasted after being installed—particularly not just when they were installed. The durability benefits, crack resistance, freeze-thaw stability, dimensional stability over time, etc. of GFRC is only as meaningful as the manufacturing process is able to repeat them, project after project.
Logistics and Lead Times – Don’t Ignore
An excellent supplier won’t be able to keep you on track if their production schedule is not aligned with your project. Inquire ahead of time regarding existing lead times, production capacity and procedures when quantity or delivery dates change or fall behind schedule.
It’s not sexy but construction timelines do not look with a forgiving eye on a supplier who promises to deliver quick turnaround and fails to meet the deadlines. Don’t request these commitments verbally during the sales call – request them in writing during the contract.
Compare Warranty and After-Sales Support Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Supplier
A firm manufacturer is behind their product and offers a clear, specific warranty, covering material defects, structural performance and finish quality for a specified period. A supplier that avoids giving any warranty statement or doesn’t want to commit to anything in writing typically indicates a supplier that does not have absolute confidence in their process.
In addition, inquire about what will happen if a panel installed years ago has a problem later. Do they send a technician? Do they have the capacity to replace the losses? Suppliers who have prepared for this situation are typically the ones who are seldom faced with such situation.
The Following Factors Should Be Considered When Assessing a Student’s Work
There are some common indicators that can distinguish a quality GFRC supplier from one that is not. Beware of general claims of fiber content or mix design, unwillingness to provide a PCI certificate or testing reports, pricing that appears to be significantly below other competitors if there is no explanation and a portfolio of renderings only, not completed and photographed projects.
No one of these rules alone will exclude suppliers, but two or three should slow you down and give you reason to ask more questions.
How to Integrate All of These Aspects Into the Curriculum and Program
When it comes to selecting a GFRC supplier, it’s not a matter of picking the shiniest sample panel in a showroom. It is concerned with checking the certification, grasping how they make their product, examining actual testing results, and ensuring they have produced something similar successfully in the past. Precision is rewarded throughout the GFRC production process and depends on the supplier you select — if it does indeed reach the finished product. Be sure to ask the difficult questions early and your face will thank you for it for many years, if not decades, to come.
