SECTION 03490 Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)
SECTION 03490 Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)
SECTION 03490 Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)
PART 1 - GENERAL
1.1 DESCRIPTION
B. GFRC panel fabrication shall include all labor, materials, equipment, and related
services necessary to manufacture and deliver the panels as indicated and described
by the contract documents, including the following:
2. Shop drawings and engineering calculations for panels, stud frame, and
attachments to building structure.
C. GFRC panel erection shall include all labor, materials, equipment, and related
services necessary for the erection of the panels as indicated and described by the
contract documents, including the following:
1. Attaching all loose connection hardware between panel frames and building
structural frame.
A. The publications listed below form a part of this specification to the extent
referenced.
1.4 REFERENCES
A. Design Responsibility: Design of GFRC skin, metal frame, and connections shall be
by a registered professional engineer employed or retained by the panel manufacturer
and licensed to practice in state of project, using property data generated from
manufacturer’s actual production. Comply with procedures in Prestressed Concrete
Institute's MNL-128 and MNL-130. Panels shall be designed to meet all applicable
local and state building codes.
B. Manufacturer Qualifications
F. Welder Qualifications: In accordance with AWS D1.1 and AWS D1.3, certified
within the last year.
G. Testing: In accordance with PCI MNL-128, and MNL-130, including the following:
H. Tolerances: Manufacture and install GFRC panels so that tolerances for dimensions
and appearance shall be as indicated in PCI MNL-128 and MNL-130.
I. Records: Keep quality control records available for two years after final acceptance.
1.6 SUBMITTALS
A. Shop Drawings: Manufacturer of panels shall receive all applicable drawings and
specifications including structural, mechanical and related trades. Manufacturer of
panels shall submit for approval complete erection drawings showing:
B. Samples
C. Mix Designs: Submit on request all backup and face mix designs.
E. Test Reports: Submit on request 3 copies of all test reports required in section 1.56.
F. Welders Certificates: Submit certification that welders to be employed in work have
passed AWS qualification tests within previous 12 months.
1. Aggregates
2. Admixtures
3. Fiberglass Reinforcement
4. Cement
5. Metal framing components
6. Connection Hardware
H. Repair and Cleaning: Submit procedure and patch mix design for repairing and/or
cleaning panels.
I. Mock-up: Prior to installation of the work of this section, erect a sample at location
directed by or acceptable to the architect, using specified materials and illustrating
range of color, texture and workmanship to be expected in the completed work.
Once mock-up has been approved by the architect, retain until the work has been
completed and accepted.
1. Configuration: Two full size mock up panels – one to be retained at the plant and
one to be retained on the jobsite. The exact panel to be selected by architect.
2. Mock-up may not be incorporated into the final work; demolish and remove from
site when directed by the architect.
1.7 WARRANTY/GUARANTEE
A. The GFRC contractor shall furnish a written warranty against defects in materials or
workmanship for a period of one (1) year after substantial completion of project.
PART 2 - PRODUCTS
2.1 GFRC MATERIALS
A. Cement: Type I, White Portland Cement of one type, brand, source and lot
throughout project, meeting requirements of ASTM C150.
B. Sand: Fine, clean, dry sand, able to pass a no. 16 sieve, free of contaminants and
meeting ASTM C144.
C. Water: Fresh, clean, potable and free of any deleterious matter that would interfere
with color, setting or strength of concrete.
F. Aggregate (if used): Clean, hard, strong, durable, inert and free of deleterious
material, conforming to ASTM C33 except for gradation. Size to be less than ½"
diameter.
H. Admixtures: Conforming to ASTM C260 for air entrainment, ASTM C494 for
chemical admixtures, and ASTM C618 for fly ash or natural pozzolan admixtures.
Do not use admixtures that contain more than .1% chlorid ions.
Steel frame system shall be a welded prefabricated frame produced in accordance with
approved shop drawings, fabricated to meet design loads, wind loads, handling and
erection loads.
A. Metal Studs and Track:
1. Galvanized steel, conforming to ASTM A446.
2. Galvanized coating shall conform to ASTM A525 with a minimum G-60 coating.
3. Studs shall have a min. yield strength of 40 ksi.
4. Track shall have a min. yield strength of 30 ksi.
5. Members shall be 4" x 16 gauge and 6" x 16 gauge or as required per design
calculations.
6. Studs shall be indexed and shall be spaced at approx. 24" on center.
B. Structural Tubing: Shall be formed from steel conforming to ASTM A500. Finish –
Shop Prime painted
C. Flex Anchors: 3/8" or 1/4" diameter bent rod - ASTM A36, FY-36 ksi minimum,
electroplate galvanized.
D. Miscellaneous Steel (channels, angles, etc.): ASTM A36, Fy-36 ksi minimum, Fu-58
ksi, except tube shapes. Finish – Shop Prime painted
E. Reinforcing (deformed) Bars: ASTM A706 deformed billet steel bars, grade 60.
Galvanized rebar to ASTM 767, class II, grade 40.
A. Typical Mixes
1. Combine Portland cement, glass fibers, sand and selected admixtures in proper
proportions to meet design requirements.
2. Provide glass content of no less than 4½% and no more than 6%.
3. Provide average yield strength of not less than 900 psi and average ultimate
strength of not less than 2,500 psi.
C. Facing Mix: Thickness shall generally be the minimum possible to achieve the
desired finish.
D. GFRC Skin
1. Per skin design requirements. In no case shall the panel skin be less than ½"
thick.
2. Backup mixes shall have same proportion of pigments as face mixes to eliminate
the possibility of bleeding through of a different colored backup.
E. Coloring Agent: The amount of coloring agent shall not exceed 10% of the cement
weight.
2.4 FABRICATION
A. Forms
2. The glass fiber and cement slurry shall be metered to the spray head at rates to
achieve the desired mix proportion and glass content. These shall be checked in
accordance with standard procedures described in PCI MNL-130.
2. A mist coat consisting of the matrix without fiber may, if necessary, be sprayed
onto the form. The thickness of this coating shall generally not exceed 1/16 in. in
order to avoid an unreinforced surface.
3. Spray-up of the main body of material shall proceed before any mist coat or
facing mix has set.
2. Rigid embedded items bonded to the GFRC shall not create undesirable restraint
to volume changes.
F. Allowable Tolerances: Manufacture units so that each panel complies with the
dimensional tolerances listed below. For dimensional tolerances not listed below,
those listed in PCI MNL-130, shall apply.
Dimensional Tolerances of Finished Units:
1. Overall height and width of units measured at the face adjacent to the form:
(a) 10 ft or under.......................................................................................... ± 1/8”
(b) 10 ft and over ............................................................................. ± 1/8” per 10’
2. Thickness:
(a) Skin thickness: .............................................................................. ± 1/4”, -0”
(b) Architectural facing thickness: ....................................................... ± 1/8”, -0”
(c) Side return thickness: ..................................................................... ± 1/2”, -0”
(d) Panel depth from face of skin to back of steel stud or
integral rib: ................................................................................ ± 3/8”, –1/4”
3. Angular variation of plane of side mold: 1/32” per 3” depth or 1/16” total,
whichever is greater.
5. Length and width of blockouts and openings within one unit: ± 1/4”
Position Tolerances (measured from datum line locations as shown on the approved
erection drawings):
H. Cover: Provide embedded anchors, inserts, and other sprayed-in items with sufficient
anchorage and embedment for design requirements.
I. Curing
1. Immediately after the completion of spraying of the panel, a curing method shall
be used to ensure sufficient strength for removing the units from the form.
2. After initial curing, remove panel from form and place in a controlled curing
environment. Panels shall be kept continuously wet for a minimum of 7 days in
accordance with manufacturer’s standard curing practice. The temperature shall
be maintained between 60º F and 120º F during this period. In lieu of moist
curing, acrylic thermoplastic copolymer dispersion shall be used as a curing
admixture. Only copolymers shown to eliminate the need for moist curing
through published independent laboratory test data shall be used.
J. Panel identification
K. Acceptance: GFRC units which do not meet the color and texture range or the
dimensional tolerances may be rejected at the option of the architect if they cannot be
satisfactorily corrected.
PART 3 - EXECUTION
3.1 PRE-INSTALLATION/INSPECTION
1. The general contractor shall provide building lines, center and grades in sufficient
detail to allow installation of the GFRC units.
3. The general contractor shall provide for the accurate placement and alignment of
anchor bolts, plates, dowels or other items embedded in the concrete structure or
that are a part of the structural building frame.
4. Clear, well-drained unloading areas and road access around and in the building
(where appropriate) shall be provided and maintained by the general contractor to
a degree that hauling and erection equipment for the GFRC units are able to
operate under their own power.
5. The general contractor shall provide adequate traffic control, barricades, warning
lights or signs to safeguard traffic in the immediate area of hoisting and handling
operations.
C. Erector Responsibility
1. Verify that all parts of the supporting structure are complete and ready to receive
the panels and that site conditions are conducive to proper installation.
2. Prior to installation of the units, the erector shall check the jobsite dimensions
affecting the work under his contract. Any discrepancies between design
dimensions and field dimensions which could adversely affect installation shall be
brought to the attention of the general contractor and architect.
3. If discrepancies exist, installation shall not proceed until they are corrected or
until installation requirements are modified and reviewed by the architect and/or
Engineer.
1. Handle and transport units in a position consistent with their shape and design in
order to avoid excessive stresses or damage.
2. Lift or support units only at the points shown on the erection shop drawings.
5. Protect units from dirt and damage during handling and transport.
B. Storage at Jobsite:
1. Store units to protect them from contact with soil, staining and from physical
damage.
Only competent workmen who are properly instructed to handle and erect GFRC shall be
employed.
A. Setting
1. GFRC units shall be lifted with suitable lifting devices at points provided by the
manufacturer.
2. GFRC units shall be set level, plumb, square and true within allowable tolerances.
The erector shall provide temporary supports and bracing as required to maintain
position, stability and alignment as units are being connected.
C. Fastening
2. Field welding shall be done by qualified welders using equipment and materials
compatible to the base material.
E. Warpage: Maximum permissible warpage of one corner out of the plane of the other
three shall be 1/16" per foot distance from the nearest adjacent corner, or ¼" total
after installation.
F. Bowing: Not over L/360 with a maximum of 1", where L is the panel length in the
direction of the bow. Differential bowing as erected between adjacent members of
the same design shall be 1/4".
3.4 PATCHING
A. Method: Mix and place patch mixture to match color and texture of surrounding
concrete. If patching is not possible or if unacceptable to architect, GFRC unit is to
be replaced.
C. Damage: Damage caused by other trades that requires replacement or patching shall
be performed by the GFRC manufacturer and paid for by others after written
authorization to perform said work.
3.5 CLEANING
B. After installation, the manufacturer shall clean any soiled GFRC surfaces with
detergent and water, using fiber brush and sponge, and rinse thoroughly with clean
water.
C. Use extreme care to prevent damage to GFRC surfaces and to adjacent materials.
D. Soiled surfaces must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water immediately after using
cleaner.
B. The erector shall be responsible for any chipping, spalling, cracking or other damage
to the units after delivery to the jobsite unless damage is caused by others during site
storage.
C. After installation is complete and after any damaged or soiled panels have been
cleaned, repaired, inspected and approved, further damage is the responsibility of the
general contractor.
A. Acceptance: Final inspection and acceptance of erected GFRC panels shall be made
by the architect to verify conformance with plans and specifications.
B. Rejection: Panels may be rejected for any one of the following product defects or
installation deficiencies remaining after repairs and cleaning have been accomplished.
"Visible" means visible to a person with normal eyesight when viewed from a
distance of 20 feet in broad daylight.
The General Conditions, Supplementary General Conditions, and Divisions 1 and 0 are hereby
made a part of this section as applicable.
1. GENERAL
2. All substitution requests and requests for use of "prior approved equals"
must be received by the Architect at least FOURTEEN (14) days prior to
bid opening. If not approved by the Architect, a second submittal must be
received by the Architect at least TEN (10) days prior to bid opening.
A. The finished work shall be complete in all respects and shall fully conform to
the description thereof set forth in the drawings, specifications, and the
contract. The standard specifications of any named manufacturer or product
are hereby implicitly included in this specification by reference.
B. The intent of the Specifications is to obtain for the owner first class work in
all respects. All components shall be manufactured, fabricated, assembled,
and finished with workmanship of the highest quality throughout and in
accordance with the best recognized practice. All materials shall be new
and suitable for the conditions specified.
1.06 SUBSTITUTES
A. If, in the opinion of the Contractor, a more satisfactory result can be obtained
or a finished project of higher quality be insured while reducing the total cost
of the work to the owner, by the substitution of material or equipment not
specified for that specified, he may recommend such a substitution to the
Architect and owner in writing and submit it together with all the required
supportive data upon including an itemized listing of all deviations from the
characteristics of the specified material or equipment upon which his opinion
is based.
2. Will provide the same warranty for substitution as for specified product.
C. The architect and owner will review the request for substitution on the
following basis:
E. Requests for time extensions will NOT be approved for delays due to rejected
substitutions.
F. The Architect and owner may, at their discretion, waive any of the
requirements of this paragraph in the best interest of the owner and the
project.
**END OF SECTION **