Structural application of GRC in telecommunication towers

Glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) is a material made of a cementitious matrix composed of cement, sand, water and admixtures, in which short length glass fibers are dispersed. It has been widely used in the construction industry for non-structural elements, like façade panels, piping and channels. In this paper, the results of a research project are presented where this material was applied to the fabrication of structural elements, namely 30 m high telecommunication towers. Here, the lightness and tensile strength advantages of the GRC were associated with carbon and stainless steel reinforcement, leading to an innovative material with high durability.