Instagram Linkedin-in Facebook Youtube
Inquiries

Fibre Reinforced Facade Encyclopedia


Every term an architect, engineer, certifier or student meets when working with glass-reinforced concrete, fibre-reinforced polymer and glass-reinforced gypsum, defined in one sentence and explained in one page. 198 entries published, reviewed by ShapeShift Technologies’ engineering team.

Materials25 published

  • Aluminium composite panel (ACP): A sandwich of two thin aluminium skins on a polyethylene or mineral core; the material at the centre of the combustible cladding crisis.
  • Architectural composites: Fibre-reinforced materials, GRC, FRP and GRG, engineered for building envelopes and interiors.
  • Architectural precast: Precast concrete produced for its visible finish rather than structure alone, with controlled colour, texture and form.
  • Ballistic panels: FRP or aramid composite panels rated to stop projectiles under standards such as UL 752 and NIJ 0108.
  • Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP): FRP reinforced with carbon fibre for maximum stiffness to weight; used where GFRP deflection limits govern.
  • Cladding panels: Any prefabricated exterior sheet, tile or panel fixed to a building’s structure to form the outer skin.
  • Composite cladding: Any cladding made from two or more bonded materials, from wood polymer decking boards to aluminium composite panels and fibre-reinforced composites.
  • Exterior wall panels: Prefabricated panels forming the outer wall, from load-bearing precast to lightweight rainscreen skins.
  • Facade panels: Large-format prefabricated elements that form the visible outer face of a building envelope.
  • Fibre cement: A pressed cement, cellulose and silica sheet used for flat cladding; non-combustible but limited to flat or gently curved forms.
  • Fibre reinforced concrete: Concrete containing steel, glass, synthetic or natural fibres to control cracking and add toughness.
  • Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP): A composite of continuous or chopped fibres, usually glass, in a cured thermoset resin matrix, used for lightweight architectural panels and structural elements.
  • Fibreglass: The common name for glass fibre and for GFRP composites made from it.
  • FRP facade panels: Exterior cladding panels laminated from glass fibre and thermoset resin, 3 to 8 mm single skin or 10 to 50 mm monocoque, at 5 to 32 kg per square metre.
  • FRP versus GRC: Choosing between polymer and cement composites: weight and geometry favour FRP, non-combustibility favours GRC.
  • GFRC panels: Factory-made glass fibre reinforced concrete facade or feature panels, typically 12 to 20 mm skins with integral ribs or a steel stud frame.
  • GFRC versus precast: A comparison of thin fibre reinforced skins against conventional reinforced precast on weight, cost, lead time and fire.
  • GFRG panels: Interior wall and ceiling panels cast from glass fibre reinforced gypsum, paint-ready and non-combustible where tested.
  • Glass fibre reinforced concrete (GRC / GFRC): A thin-section cementitious composite of Portland cement, fine sand and alkali resistant glass fibres, formed by spraying or premixing into panels 10 to 20 mm thick.
  • Glass fibre reinforced gypsum (GRG / GFRG): A gypsum plaster composite reinforced with glass fibre, cast into thin lightweight interior panels, ceilings and mouldings.
  • Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP): FRP whose reinforcement is E glass or ECR glass fibre; the standard composite for architectural FRP facade panels.
  • Lightweight cladding: Facade systems under about 50 kg per square metre, reducing structure, crane and transport cost.
  • Precast concrete panels: Factory-cast reinforced concrete cladding or structural wall units, typically 100 to 200 mm thick and 250 to 500 kg per square metre.
  • Terracotta cladding: Extruded fired clay rainscreen panels or baguettes, non-combustible and heavy at 30 to 60 kg per square metre.
  • Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC): A dense, steel or synthetic-fibre-reinforced concrete exceeding 120 MPa compressive strength, used for thin structural facade elements.

Composition20 published

  • Alkali resistant glass fibre (AR glass): Glass fibre with 16 percent or more zirconia, resisting the alkaline cement environment; mandatory in GRC.
  • Alpha gypsum: High density hemihydrate gypsum used in GFRG for strength and a hard surface.
  • Cement matrix: The binder phase of GRC: Portland cement, fine silica sand, water and admixtures.
  • Chopped strand mat: Randomly oriented short glass fibres held with a binder, giving isotropic properties in hand lay-up laminates.
  • E glass fibre: The standard low alkali borosilicate glass fibre used in FRP laminates; not suitable in cement without coating.
  • Epoxy resin: A high-strength thermoset used in structural FRP; more expensive and UV sensitive without coating.
  • Fibre volume fraction: The proportion of a composite occupied by fibre; drives stiffness and strength in FRP.
  • Foam core: A PVC, PET or PU foam layer between FRP skins that raises stiffness with little weight.
  • Gel coat: A pigmented resin surface layer moulded as the outer face of an FRP panel, providing colour, gloss and UV protection.
  • Glass fibre: Fine filaments of drawn glass used as reinforcement in composites.
  • Low alkali cement: Cements with reduced alkali content used in some GRC to slow fibre degradation.
  • Phenolic resin: A thermoset chosen for low flame spread and low smoke; the usual route to better fire classes in FRP.
  • Polyester resin: The lowest cost thermoset for GFRP laminates; adequate weathering, moderate chemical resistance.
  • Polymer modified GRC: GRC with an acrylic polymer admixture that replaces wet curing and improves surface durability.
  • Sandwich panel: Two thin stiff skins bonded to a lightweight core; in FRP, the route to large stiff panels at low weight.
  • Silica-free composites: Composites formulated without crystalline silica to eliminate silicosis risk in cutting and finishing.
  • Thermoset resin: A polymer that cures irreversibly by cross-linking; polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy and phenolic resins form the matrix of architectural FRP.
  • Vinyl ester resin: A thermoset between polyester and epoxy in cost and performance, with better corrosion and fatigue resistance.
  • Woven roving: A heavy woven glass fabric used for strength in structural FRP laminates.
  • Zirconia content: The zirconium dioxide fraction in AR glass that gives alkali resistance; the GRCA specifies a minimum of 16 percent.

Properties25 published

  • Acoustic performance: Sound insulation of the wall build-up; lightweight panels rely on mass in the backing wall.
  • Compressive strength: Stress a material carries in crushing; high in all cementitious composites and rarely governs facade design.
  • Creep: Slow deformation under sustained load; a design check for FRP under permanent dead load.
  • Dead load per square metre: The self-weight of a panel system; it sets crane capacity, substructure size, and slab edge design.
  • Deflection limits: Serviceability limits, often span over 180 to 360, that govern FRP panel and rail sizes.
  • Density: Mass per unit volume: GRC about 1900 to 2100 kg per cubic metre, GFRP about 1700 to 1900, gypsum composites 1400 to 1700.
  • Durability and service life: Expected life without major maintenance; 50 years for GRC and coated FRP under normal exposure.
  • Embodied carbon: Greenhouse gas emitted to make, transport, and install a product; expressed as kg CO2e per square metre for facades.
  • Environmental product declaration (EPD): A verified document reporting a product’s life cycle impacts to EN 15804; increasingly required for green building credits.
  • Flexural strength: Resistance to bending failure; the governing property for thin facade panels under wind load.
  • Freeze-thaw resistance: Ability to survive repeated freezing of absorbed water; GRC passes with low water absorption, FRP is immune.
  • Green Star and LEED credits: Rating system points available for low carbon, EPD-backed or recycled content materials.
  • Impact resistance: Energy absorbed before damage, measured by Charpy or Izod; FRP and GRC both far exceed fibre cement.
  • Life cycle assessment: The method behind an EPD: quantifying environmental impact from raw material to end of life.
  • Limit of proportionality (LOP): The stress at which a GRC beam first cracks and behaviour stops being linear; used for serviceability design.
  • Modulus of rupture (MOR): Peak flexural stress at failure in a bending test; the headline strength figure for GRC, typically 18 to 30 MPa sprayed.
  • Moisture movement: Reversible swelling and shrinkage of cementitious composites with humidity; up to 0.1 percent for GRC.
  • Recyclability of composites: End-of-life routes for GRC (crushed aggregate) and FRP (mechanical grinding, cement kiln co-processing).
  • Strength-to-weight ratio: Strength divided by density; the metric that justifies FRP over GRC and GRC over precast.
  • Tensile strength: Maximum stress in direct tension; FRP laminates reach 170 to 270 MPa, GRC 5 to 10 MPa.
  • Thermal conductivity: Rate of heat flow through a material; FRP 0.3 to 0.7 and GRC about 0.4 W per metre kelvin versus 205 for aluminium.
  • Thermal expansion: Dimensional change with temperature; GRC 10 to 20, FRP 15 to 30 microstrain per degree; governs joint widths.
  • Toughness: Energy absorbed to fracture; fibre reinforcement converts brittle cement or resin into a tough composite.
  • UV stability: Resistance to chalking and colour change under sunlight; FRP relies on gel coat or coating, GRC is inherently stable.
  • Water absorption: Mass gain after immersion; low absorption underpins freeze-thaw and staining resistance.

Testing and standards46 published

  • Accredited testing body: A laboratory accredited (NATA, UKAS, IAS) to run fire tests whose reports authorities accept.
  • AS 1530.1 combustibility test: The Australian furnace test that decides whether a material is combustible; a pass makes it non-combustible under the NCC.
  • AS 1530.3 early fire hazard test: An Australian test giving four indices: ignitability, spread of flame, heat evolved and smoke developed.
  • AS 1530.4 fire resistance test: The Australian furnace test for elements of construction, producing a fire resistance level in minutes.
  • AS 5113 external wall fire test: Australia’s full-scale facade test, based on BS 8414, giving an EW classification for external wall systems.
  • AS 5637.1 group number: The NCC classification of wall and ceiling linings from Group 1 (best) to Group 4, from a room fire test or cone calorimeter prediction.
  • AS ISO 9705 room corner test: A full room fire test for linings; the reference method behind group numbers.
  • AS/NZS 3837 cone calorimeter: A bench test measuring heat release rate and ignition time under radiant heat; used to predict group numbers.
  • ASTM E119 fire resistance: The US furnace test giving hourly fire resistance ratings for walls and floors.
  • ASTM E136 non-combustibility: The US furnace test for non-combustible materials referenced by the IBC.
  • ASTM E84 flame spread: The US Steiner tunnel test giving a Flame Spread Index and Smoke Developed Index; Class A is FSI 0 to 25.
  • BR 135 classification: The BRE performance criteria that turn a BS 8414 test into a pass or fail.
  • BS 8414 full-scale facade test: The UK large-scale test of a full external wall system on a 9 metre rig; results are classified under BR 135.
  • Building class (NCC): The NCC’s classification of buildings by use, from Class 1 houses to Class 9 public buildings.
  • CAN/ULC S114 non-combustibility: Canada’s furnace test for non-combustible materials.
  • CAN/ULC S134 full-scale wall test: Canada’s full-scale exterior wall fire test under the National Building Code.
  • Cavity barrier: Fire stopping within the rainscreen cavity that limits vertical fire spread.
  • Class 0 and Class 1 (BS 476): Legacy UK surface spread of flame classes still referenced in Hong Kong and Singapore codes.
  • Combustible cladding: Cladding that fails a combustibility test; the subject of Australian audits and the UK ban after Grenfell.
  • Deemed to satisfy: Prescriptive NCC provisions that automatically comply; non-combustible cladding to AS 1530.1 is the DtS route.
  • EN 13501-1 classification: The European reaction to fire classes A1 to F with smoke (s1 to s3) and droplet (d0 to d2) sub-classes.
  • EN 13501-2 fire resistance: The European classification of fire resistance for elements of construction, such as EI 60.
  • EN 13823 single burning item (SBI): A corner test with a gas burner that determines Classes A2 to D in EN 13501-1.
  • EN ISO 1182 non-combustibility: The European furnace test for Class A1 and A2; the equivalent of AS 1530.1 and ASTM E136.
  • EN ISO 11925-2 small flame test: Ignitability under a small flame; a screening test for Classes B to E.
  • Fire engineer: The specialist who designs performance solutions and interprets test results for a specific building.
  • Fire rated cladding: A common but imprecise term; cladding is classified by reaction to fire, and only wall assemblies carry a fire resistance rating.
  • Fire resistance level (FRL): An Australian rating in minutes for structural adequacy, integrity and insulation, such as 90/90/90; applies to walls, not cladding skins.
  • Fire safe facade design: Principles for limiting external fire spread: material class, cavity barriers, spandrel heights and tested assemblies.
  • Flame spread index: The ASTM E84 measure of how fast flame travels along a surface.
  • Heat release rate: The rate a burning material releases energy, in kilowatts per square metre; the core output of the cone calorimeter.
  • IBC Chapter 14 exterior walls: The International Building Code provisions governing exterior wall materials, combustibility and testing.
  • IBC fiber reinforced polymer provisions: The IBC section that permits FRP on exterior walls subject to flame spread, NFPA 285 and height limits.
  • Ignitability index: The 0 to 20 scale from AS 1530.3 for how readily a surface ignites.
  • Limited combustibility: A UK category between non-combustible and combustible, now largely replaced by EN Class A2.
  • NCC external wall requirements: NCC 2022 Volume One requires external walls of Type A and B buildings to be non-combustible, with a performance route via AS 5113.
  • NFPA 285: The US two-storey fire test for exterior wall assemblies that contain combustible components.
  • Non-combustibility: A material that does not burn or release significant heat when tested in a 750-degree furnace; the strictest fire property.
  • Non-combustible cladding: Cladding whose material passes a combustibility test; the safest and increasingly mandatory route for external walls.
  • Performance solution: An NCC compliance route using verification methods or expert judgement, such as AS 5113 plus fire engineering for combustible cladding.
  • Reaction to fire versus fire resistance: Reaction to fire describes how a material burns; fire resistance describes how long an element holds back fire. Cladding is judged on the first.
  • Rise in storeys: The NCC count of storeys above ground that, with building class, sets the construction type.
  • Smoke developed index: A measure of smoke production in ASTM E84 and AS 1530.3.
  • Third party certification: Independent product conformity schemes such as CodeMark (AU), BBA (UK) and ICC-ES (US) that certify tested performance.
  • Type A, B and C construction: The NCC’s three fire resistance categories for buildings, set by class and rise in storeys; Type A is the most onerous.
  • Wall lining: Internal surface material subject to group number requirements under NCC Specification 7.

Manufacturing23 published

  • CNC formwork: Moulds machined by computer-controlled routers from foam, timber or tooling board, enabling complex curved panels.
  • Curing: Controlled moisture and temperature after casting; GRC needs seven days of moist cure unless polymer modified.
  • Demoulding: Removing the cast panel from its mould, usually after 16 to 24 hours for GRC.
  • Digital fabrication: Producing building elements directly from 3D models via CNC and robotics.
  • Flex anchor: An L-shaped steel rod bonded to a GRC skin with a pad of GRC, allowing the skin to move relative to the frame.
  • Formwork for composites: The mould that gives a cast or laminated panel its shape; the cost driver for complex geometry.
  • Gravity anchor: The rigid anchor in a stud frame system that carries panel weight.
  • Hand lay-up: Placing glass mat and resin by hand in an open mould; the standard method for bespoke architectural FRP.
  • Laminate: The layered structure of fibre and resin that forms an FRP panel skin.
  • Lead time: Time from shop drawing approval to delivery; 6 to 16 weeks depending on tooling.
  • Lost formwork: Single-use moulds destroyed on demoulding; used for one-off geometry.
  • Mock-up: A site or factory assembly of the facade system used for approval and performance testing.
  • Monocoque panel: An FRP panel where skin and stiffening form one shell, 10 to 50 mm deep, spanning large areas without a separate frame.
  • Mould making: Producing the negative form for casting; silicone, FRP and CNC foam moulds each suit different run lengths.
  • Premix GRC: GRC where short fibres are mixed into the slurry before casting; 3 percent fibre, lower strength, suited to smaller elements.
  • Prototyping: Full-scale sample panels made to prove finish, geometry and fixing before production.
  • Quality control: Batch testing of MOR, density and fibre content against GRCA and ISO 9001 procedures.
  • Robotic manufacturing: Use of industrial robots for milling, spraying or trimming composite panels.
  • Shop drawings: Fabricator-produced drawings showing every panel, fixing and tolerance for approval before manufacture.
  • Sprayed GRC: GRC made by spraying cement slurry and chopped AR glass simultaneously into a mould; 5 percent fibre, highest strength.
  • Stay-in-place formwork: Permanent GRC or FRP shells that act as the mould for site-cast concrete and remain as the finish.
  • Stud frame GRC: A GRC skin attached to a light steel frame through flexible anchors; the standard system for large facade panels.
  • Vacuum infusion: Drawing resin through dry fibre under vacuum for a denser, lighter, more consistent laminate.

Design and detailing32 published

  • BIM and facade modelling: 3D building information models used to coordinate, fabricate and document facade panels.
  • Cavity and drainage: The space behind the panel that lets water drain and air move; typically 25 to 50 mm.
  • Civil infrastructure facades: Composite panels on tunnels, stations, bridges and noise walls where durability and low maintenance govern.
  • Curtain wall: A non-load-bearing outer wall hung from the floor slabs, often glazed and unitised.
  • Design life: The period a component is designed to last without replacement; 50 years is standard for facades.
  • Double curvature: A surface curved in two directions; the geometry that favours moulded composites over pressed metal.
  • Finite element analysis: Numerical simulation of stress and deflection used to size FRP and GRC panels.
  • Freeform facade: A non-repetitive, sculptural envelope generated from a 3D model.
  • Hook-on rail system: Horizontal rails on the substructure that panels hang from via brackets, allowing fast installation.
  • Interior cladding: Panels for internal walls and ceilings where group number, not combustibility, is the fire measure.
  • Joint design: The detailing of gaps between panels for movement, drainage and appearance.
  • MasterSpec: The AIA-owned US master specification system.
  • Movement joints: Gaps that absorb thermal, moisture and structural movement; sized from panel length and expansion coefficient.
  • NATSPEC: Australia’s national specification system; the clause template most architects use.
  • NBS: The UK specification and product platform (NBS Source).
  • Open joint: An unsealed gap between rainscreen panels that drains and ventilates the cavity.
  • Panel fixing systems: Mechanical methods for attaching panels: concealed undercut anchors, hook-on rails, visible face fixings, flex anchors.
  • Panel size and format: The maximum dimensions a material and system allow; FRP to 2.4 by 10 metres, GRC commonly to 3 by 6 metres.
  • Parametric design: Model-driven design where geometry responds to rules; produces the unique panels composites are suited to.
  • Public art fabrication: Engineering and manufacturing sculptural works from composites for outdoor exposure.
  • Rainscreen: A facade with an outer skin, a ventilated drained cavity and an inner weather barrier; the standard system for lightweight panels.
  • Rainscreen cladding: Exterior panels installed as the outer skin of a rainscreen system, open or closed jointed.
  • Spandrel: The opaque wall zone between windows on successive floors; often specified with a fire resistance requirement.
  • Specification: The written performance and prescriptive requirements for a facade package, typically to NATSPEC, NBS or MasterSpec.
  • Specifier: The architect or engineer who selects and documents products; the audience for technical content.
  • Substructure: The rails, brackets and anchors that carry panels back to the primary structure.
  • Thermal bridging: Heat loss through fixings and brackets that penetrate insulation; lightweight panels need fewer and smaller bridges.
  • Tolerances: Permitted deviations in structure and panels that fixings must absorb; typically plus or minus 20 mm for structure.
  • Undercut anchor: A concealed fixing that expands into a cone-shaped hole drilled in the back of a panel.
  • Unitised facade: A curtain wall delivered as factory-assembled storey-height units.
  • Ventilated facade: A rainscreen where the cavity is deliberately ventilated to remove moisture and heat.
  • Wind load: Pressure and suction on a facade from AS/NZS 1170.2 or local codes; the governing action for thin panels.

Installation12 published

  • Crane lift planning: Selecting crane capacity and radius from panel weight; lightweight panels often avoid tower crane time.
  • Flashing: Metal or membrane elements that direct water out of the cavity at openings and edges.
  • Installation: Site fixing of panels to the substructure by a specialist installer, from setting out to sealing.
  • Installer qualifications: Trades licensed and trained for facade work; in Australia, cladding installers face increasing registration requirements.
  • Maintenance: Cleaning, inspection and recoating regimes over the design life.
  • Recladding: Replacing an existing facade skin; lightweight panels reduce structural upgrades.
  • Replacement and remediation: Removing non-compliant combustible cladding and installing a compliant system.
  • Sealants: Silicone or polyurethane joint fillers used in closed-joint systems; must be compatible with the panel surface.
  • Setting out: Surveying the structure and establishing the grid lines panels are fixed to.
  • Site tolerances and packing: Adjusting brackets with shims or slotted holes to absorb structural deviation.
  • Transport and handling: Packing, stacking and protecting panels for road or sea freight; drives maximum panel size.
  • Weather barrier: The membrane on the inner wall that keeps water out; the rainscreen’s second line of defence.

Finishes15 published

  • Acid-etched finish: A light acid wash that removes surface laitance for a fine sandy texture.
  • Anti-graffiti coating: A sacrificial or permanent clear coat that lets graffiti be removed without damage.
  • Colour consistency: Batch-to-batch uniformity of colour across a facade; a specification and QA issue for GRC.
  • Efflorescence: White salt deposits that migrate to the surface of cementitious materials; controlled by mix design and curing.
  • Exposed aggregate: A finish where surface cement is removed to reveal decorative aggregate.
  • Hydrophobic treatment: Silane or siloxane treatments that repel water and reduce staining.
  • Integral colour: Pigment mixed through the material so colour is not a coating.
  • Off-form finish: A surface that takes its texture directly from the mould; smooth, board-marked or patterned.
  • Oxide pigments: Iron and other metal oxides used to colour cementitious mixes permanently.
  • Polished concrete finish: A ground and honed surface, occasionally used on GRC feature elements.
  • PVDF coating: A fluoropolymer paint with excellent colour retention, used on FRP and metal facades.
  • Sandblasted finish: Abrasive blasting for a matte, uniform texture.
  • Surface finish: The visible texture, colour and gloss of a panel; determined by mould, mix and coating.
  • Texture and relief: Three-dimensional surface patterns cast from CNC-milled moulds.
  • Weathering: Long-term surface change from rain, pollution and sunlight; predictable with the right finish.