Gator Bar 2

[BSVBD]

Has anyone specified or used Gator Bar?

With the current rising prices of steel, our primary General Contractor is inquiring about the use of Gator Bar, a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebar for use as mesh in flatwork and horizontal rebar in non-load bearing frost walls and footings.

Rust-free, Higher Tensile Strength, Lightweight, stays centered in thickness of slab.

Brief internet research shows that Neuvokas has been the primary producer since 2016.

Comments? Advice? Endorsements? Cautions?

Thank you!

 

[Settingsun]

Its stiffness is a quarter of steel. Cracks will be wider since it sounds like you're using it for crack control reo. But a lot of crack control steel isn't doing much either.

Why doesn't the steel reo stay in place?

 

[JoelTXCive]

I took a FRP class in graduate school. It is awesome stuff, but the stiffness issue is the Achilles heel.

We often found that you have to design for serviceability issues like deflection/cracking FIRST; and then check for the ultimate loading conditions.

 

[Settingsun]

Carbon bars have higher stiffness but I guess they aren't as cheap as I've never had one proposed as an alternative and there seems to be fewer sellers.

I like how under-reinforced design is drilled into us, only for over-reinforced to be perfectly acceptable when there's a new product to flog.

 

[STrctPono]

I design a lot with FRP reinforcing. See attached thread concerning Gatorbar. I had provided my opinion on the product.

Link