So the acronym is plastered all over our website. It’s something that Chris and I have been involved in for over a decade now so, it rolls of the tongue and we know quite a lot about it.
…but often we forget that you dear reader my not be so conversant with the acronym or even what it is!
So let’s start at the beginning.
What does GFRC stand for?
GFRC Stands for Glass Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
What is GFRC?
GFRC is essentially concrete but with the big stones removed and replaced by fibreglass strands. By removing the big stones the concrete can be made MUCH thinner and the addition of fibreglass makes the concrete flexible to the extent that it can be loaded up with significant weight and it won’t fail!
Why?
To answer this you need to go back to the origins of GFRC. Originally developed in the 1940’s and gaining significant popularity in the 70’s and 80’s, GFRC was developed in an effort to create thin lightweight concrete panels that could be used as building facades. Basically concrete that could be hung on the outside of buildings!
Many incredible projects involving GFRC can be found here https://www.grca.online/case-studies
Why GFRC for worktops and furniture?
By the 2000’s, GFRC was gaining more and more popularity as a product that could be used for worktops, countertops and furniture.
The ability to create very thin profile concrete made the prefabrication method much more accessible to small makers and DIYer’s alike because it was and is much easier to handle around a workshop and transport to site. Typically concrete worktops made using GFRC can be as thin as 18mm.
Also as the product has developed over the year the mix design has become more sophisticated and is MUCH stronger than standard concrete and more impervious than your standard concrete.
How is a GFRC worktop made?
Typically, GFRC worktop is made in two distinct stages - a very thin fibre-free face coat, followed by a fibre-loaded backcoat which is the part that is reinforced. The face coat is fibre-free so that no fibres are visible in the outer surfaces of the concrete.
The concrete is poured into a mould. The base of the mould is made of a smooth material (e.g. melamine, plastic or steel) so that the surface of the concrete is also very smooth when the concrete is removed from the mould. Effectively everything is made upside down.
Once demoulded the concrete surface is then given a final polish and is sealed ready to be installed in its final location, whether that be a bar or kitchen.
As with most projects the devil is in the detail. In this case the mould is either the devil or a saint. A poorly made mould with result in a poorly formed piece of concrete. A well constructed neat mould will produce angels every time!
A GFRC project unlike its Cast Insitu cousin requires a touch more prep and “space to create”, so a little bit of thought is required in preparation of undertaking a GFRC project. This is one of the reasons whey we produced our free Polished Concrete Project Planner to help you dear reader to methodically plan out your project in advance.
Download our Polished Concrete Planner HERE.
Also check out some of our handy videos;
So thank you for reading my brief guide to GFRC. As ever if you have any queries, please contact us via the usuals - chat, phone or email. All the details are on our website.