Why FRP and GRP Are Among the Most Effective Materials in the Fight Against Climate Change
- May 2
- 13 min read
The Material the Construction Industry Keeps Underestimating
When people think about sustainable construction materials, they typically reach for timber, recycled steel, or low-carbon concrete. Glass fibre reinforced polymer — known interchangeably as GRP and FRP — rarely features in that conversation, despite having one of the strongest whole-life sustainability cases of any structural material available at commercial scale today.
That is a specification problem, not a performance problem. FRP has been deployed in demanding infrastructure applications for over 50 years, from offshore oil platforms to utility-scale solar farms, coastal defence structures to data centres. The material science is established. The lifecycle data is extensive. And the embodied carbon case, when assessed honestly across a full asset life, is compelling.
This blog sets out the full picture: what the data shows on embodied carbon, how FRP performs against steel and aluminium across the metrics that actually matter, where it makes the greatest difference in practice, and why the UK construction industry's trajectory towards mandatory whole-life carbon assessment makes this conversation increasingly urgent.
What FRP and GRP Actually Are
FRP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer) is a composite material produced by combining continuous reinforcing fibres with a polymer resin matrix. GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) is the specific form in which glass fibres are used as the reinforcement, making it the most widely deployed variant in construction and infrastructure applications globally.
The most common manufacturing route for structural GRP products is pultrusion, a continuous process in which glass fibre rovings are drawn through a resin bath and a heated die to produce structural cross-sections including I-beams, channels, angles, box sections, and flat plate to precise and repeatable tolerances. GRP moulded grating is produced by a different route: glass rovings and resin are laid into heated moulds to create a bi-directional grid structure with uniform load distribution in both axes.
Key fact: Glass fibre reinforced polymer composites dominated the global FRP market with a 67.7% share in 2023, making GFRP the most widely used composite material in construction and infrastructure worldwide (Grand View Research, 2023).
The global FRP composites market was valued at USD 98.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 152.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% (Grand View Research, 2023). That growth rate is not driven by novelty. It is driven by documented performance advantages over traditional metals in corrosive, demanding, and long-life infrastructure environments.
The Embodied Carbon Case: FRP vs Steel vs Aluminium
Manufacturing Stage Emissions
The carbon intensity of construction materials at the manufacturing stage is one of the most important variables in whole-life carbon assessment for new infrastructure. The figures below are drawn from peer-reviewed and independently verified sources.
Material | CO2 Emissions at Manufacture | Notes |
GFRP / GRP | ~0.18 t CO2 per tonne | Composite-Tech, 2024 |
Structural Steel | ~1.80 t CO2 per tonne | Composite-Tech, 2024; STACK Infrastructure, 2025 |
Primary Aluminium | 8.2 to 11.2 t CO2 per tonne | ScienceDirect, 2025 |
Secondary (Recycled) Aluminium | ~0.6 to 1.0 t CO2 per tonne | ScienceDirect, 2025 |
Hot-Dip Galvanised Steel | ~2.0+ t CO2 per tonne | Additional galvanising process emissions |
90% less CO2 per tonne. Producing one tonne of GFRP generates approximately 0.18 tonnes of CO2 compared to 1.8 tonnes for structural steel — a reduction of 90% at the manufacturing stage alone (Composite-Tech, 2024).
These figures are cradle-to-gate. They do not yet account for transport, installation, maintenance, or end-of-life. When the assessment extends across the full product lifecycle, the advantage of FRP grows significantly further.
Lifecycle Embodied Carbon: The Full Picture
A peer-reviewed study presented at the Middle East Corrosion Conference 2023 compared FRP structural products against galvanised steel equivalents across a typical 4,000 linear metre handrail installation. The findings were unambiguous: the embodied carbon saving from using FRP could be as high as 5,300 tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the asset's service life, representing a saving of over 96% (AMPP, 2023). A parallel analysis comparing glass reinforced epoxy pipes against conventional carbon steel pipes found lifecycle carbon savings of at least 60% over a 20-year operating period (AMPP, 2023).
At the component level, independent life cycle assessments comparing GFRP to steel have consistently found 17% lower CO2 emissions per kilogram at baseline, rising to reductions of up to 85% when differences in structural configuration and maintenance cycles are fully accounted for across real-world scenarios (Ascione et al., 2024).
Head-to-Head: GRP vs Steel vs Aluminium Across Key Metrics
The carbon figures alone do not tell the full story. The table below compares GRP against structural steel and aluminium across the metrics that determine whole-life performance and cost for infrastructure applications.
Property | GRP / FRP | Structural Steel | Hot-Dip Galvanised Steel | Primary Aluminium |
CO2 at manufacture | ~0.18 t/t | ~1.80 t/t | ~2.0+ t/t | 8.2–11.2 t/t |
Weight vs steel | ~25% (one quarter) | 100% | ~100% | ~35% |
Corrosion resistance | Inherent, no treatment required | None without coating | Degrades over time | Moderate; oxidises in chloride environments |
Electrical conductivity | Non-conductive | Conductive | Conductive | Conductive |
Maintenance frequency (corrosive environments) | Near zero | Every 5–7 years | Every 5–10 years | Periodic |
Design life (corrosive environments) | 50+ years | 15–25 years | 20–30 years | 20–30 years |
Thermal conductivity | Low | High | High | High |
Recyclability | Limited (improving) | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Upfront material cost | Higher | Lower | Moderate | Moderate to high |
Lifecycle cost advantage | Strong | Baseline | Moderate | Variable |
Sources: Composite-Tech (2024); AMPP (2023); ScienceDirect (2024); ScienceDirect (2025); Madewell Products (2021).
Where Steel Still Has the Edge
A balanced assessment requires acknowledging where steel retains advantages. For primary structural applications requiring high stiffness and ductility — large-span beams, primary frames, seismic-resistant structures — steel remains the material of choice. It is 100% recyclable, benefits from centuries of design standardisation, and has better fire performance than standard FRP grades without additive treatment.
FRP is not positioned as a replacement for primary steel. Its strongest case is in secondary structural applications, cable management, access infrastructure, grating, drainage, fencing, and solar mounting — precisely the applications where corrosive exposure, maintenance liability, and whole-life carbon are the determining factors.
Why the UK Construction Industry Cannot Ignore This Now
The UK built environment accounts for 25% of the country's total carbon footprint (UKGBC, 2023). The UK Government's net zero strategy commits the country to a 68% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 against 1990 levels, and full net zero by 2050 (Osborne Clarke, 2023).
For years, policy attention has focused on operational carbon — the emissions from heating, cooling, and powering buildings. But embodied carbon from construction and refurbishment already accounts for around 20% of built environment emissions in the UK, and based on current trajectories is expected to represent over half of all built environment emissions by 2035 as buildings become more energy-efficient to operate (Norton Rose Fulbright, n.d.). For new buildings, embodied carbon from the construction phase alone can account for up to 50% of total lifecycle carbon impact (Gardiner and Theobald, 2022).
The regulatory direction is clear. The Environment Audit Committee has described mandatory whole-life carbon assessment as the single most significant policy the government could introduce to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment (Parliament, 2022). That consultation is underway. Projects specified today will be subject to that scrutiny.
Beyond regulation, the global cost of corrosion provides additional commercial context. According to NACE International's IMPACT study, the global cost of corrosion is estimated at USD 2.5 trillion annually — approximately 3.4% of global GDP — and implementing corrosion prevention best practices could save between 15% and 35% of that figure (NACE International, 2016). Every steel component that corrodes and requires maintenance, recoating, or replacement generates not only direct cost but embodied carbon at every intervention.
Specifying FRP in environments where steel corrodes addresses both the carbon liability and the maintenance cost in a single material decision.
FRP in Practice: Application-by-Application Analysis
GRP Cable Tray and Cable Ladder Systems
GRP cable tray is one of the most commercially mature FRP product categories and one of the clearest cases for substitution over galvanised steel in outdoor and industrial environments.
Qualitative advantages:
No bonding or earthing requirements — eliminates electrical isolation complexity in DC solar systems
No painting, coating, or rust treatment across the full operating life
Corrosion resistance is inherent to the material, not applied through a surface treatment that degrades
Non-magnetic, eliminating electromagnetic interference in sensitive instrumentation environments
Lightweight — approximately one quarter the weight of steel — reducing structural support requirements and installation cost
Quantitative performance:
Service life in highly corrosive environments documented beyond 15 years without structural degradation (ScienceDirect, 2024)
Lifecycle embodied carbon savings of up to 96% versus galvanised steel equivalents over the asset life (AMPP, 2023)
FRP composites have been in service in marine and industrial applications for over 50 years, providing real-world durability data that design standards now reflect (AMPP, 2023)
For utility-scale solar farms with 25 to 40-year asset lives, GRP cable tray is the specification that eliminates the maintenance liability galvanised steel carries in the same outdoor, UV-exposed environment. At Reinforce Technology, GRP cable tray and cable ladder systems form a core part of our supply into the UK solar and energy sectors.
GRP Moulded Grating
GRP moulded grating provides a direct substitute for steel bar grating across walkways, drainage covers, cable trench covers, access platforms, and process area flooring.
Qualitative advantages:
Bi-directional fibre structure provides uniform load distribution in both axes — structural performance without grain-directional weakness
Slip-resistant top surface, gritted or meniscus finish options, without the need for additional coatings
Chemically inert across a broad pH range, suitable for the most demanding industrial drainage and process environments
Electrically non-conductive — appropriate for live electrical environments and substations
Available in antistatic / dissipative grades for powder-coating, spray booths, and explosive-atmosphere environments
Quantitative performance:
Near-zero maintenance cost over design life in corrosive environments, versus steel grating requiring periodic inspection, repainting, and structural assessment
Service life effectively indefinite in the right application without structural degradation (ScienceDirect, 2024)
Whole-life carbon advantage further extended by the absence of maintenance-phase replacement emissions (AMPP, 2023)
Pultruded FRP Structural Profiles
Pultruded FRP structural profiles include I-beams, channels, angles, box sections, flat bar, and tube. They are used in secondary structural frameworks, access platforms, handrail systems, cable trench structures, support systems, and equipment mounting.
Qualitative advantages:
Mechanical properties matching or exceeding steel equivalents in the fibre direction
GFRP fatigue resistance of 420,684 cycles versus 23,162 cycles for steel under equivalent loading — 20 times greater fatigue life (Madewell Products, 2021)
Tensile strength up to double that of steel rebar on a like-for-like cross-section (Madewell Products, 2021)
Dimensional stability, no warping, no thermal expansion concerns in normal operating ranges
Easily cut, drilled, and bolted on site without specialist equipment
Quantitative performance:
Structural Property | GRP Profile | Structural Steel |
Tensile strength | Up to double steel rebar | Baseline |
Weight | ~25% of steel | 100% |
Fatigue cycles to failure | 420,684 | 23,162 |
Corrosion resistance | Full | None without treatment |
Design life (corrosive) | 50+ years | 15–25 years |
Sources: Madewell Products (2021); AMPP (2023); ScienceDirect (2024).
STACK Infrastructure, one of the world's largest data centre developers, has been supplementing its secondary steel packages with FRP for screen walls and access platforms, directly reducing embodied carbon in construction while reducing installation time and rigging cost (STACK Infrastructure, 2025). That adoption pattern is replicated across water treatment, offshore, petrochemical, and renewable energy sectors globally.
FRP Solar Mounting Frames
FRP solar mounting profiles are engineered specifically for the performance demands of long-term outdoor PV infrastructure in ground-mount and rooftop configurations.
Qualitative advantages:
Corrosion resistance and UV stability designed for 25 to 40-year outdoor exposure without degradation
Performs without structural change in coastal, tropical, high-humidity, and marine environments where galvanised steel corrodes
Electrically insulating — eliminates potential-induced degradation (PID) risks associated with conductive metallic mounting frames in DC systems
Lightweight construction reduces roof load on flat-roof installations and simplifies ground-mount assembly
No grounding or bonding requirement for the mounting structure itself in non-conductive FRP systems
Quantitative performance:
Solar asset design life of 25 to 40 years; FRP mounting frames address the full duration without maintenance (AMPP, 2023)
Inherently lower embodied carbon at manufacture than equivalent aluminium or steel frames (Composite-Tech, 2024; ScienceDirect, 2025)
For marine, floating, and coastal solar installations where steel corrosion is a live operational risk from day one, FRP mounting addresses a performance gap that galvanised systems cannot reliably close across a 30-year asset life.
GRP Drainage and Fencing
GRP drainage channels and fencing systems round out the application range for aggressive and corrosive environments.
GRP drainage: Fully resistant to the chemical loading found in industrial process drainage, water treatment outflows, and agricultural runoff. Does not corrode or crack under ground movement. Requires no internal lining, coating, or periodic treatment. Performs in aggressive pH environments where steel channels corrode within years and HDPE channels deform under load.
GRP fencing: The specification of choice for perimeters where galvanised steel panels would corrode unacceptably within a 5 to 10-year window — coastal infrastructure, water treatment sites, chemical plant boundaries, tidal flood defence perimeters. GRP fencing carries no corrosion liability, requires no painting, and retains structural integrity and appearance across its full design life.
The Whole-Life Carbon Argument: Why Upfront Cost Is the Wrong Metric
One of the most persistent barriers to FRP specification is upfront material cost. GRP products typically carry a higher initial price point than equivalent galvanised steel. This comparison is not wrong — but it is incomplete, and increasingly it is the wrong metric by which to evaluate infrastructure materials.
The maintenance cost of steel in corrosive environments is well documented:
Steel in corrosive environments typically requires major maintenance every 5 to 7 years
Steel structures in marine or chemical environments often require full replacement within 15 to 25 years
Every maintenance and replacement cycle generates embodied carbon: recoating materials, new fabrication, transport, rigging, labour, and disposal of spent components
The lifecycle cost advantage of FRP is substantial:
A peer-reviewed life cycle cost analysis found GFRP-reinforced concrete achieved approximately 50% cost savings over a 100-year study period versus conventional steel-reinforced equivalents, primarily through the elimination of corrosion-related maintenance (Younis, Ebead and Judd, 2018, cited in reinforcetechnology.com, 2026)
FRP systems typically recover their upfront cost premium over steel within 3 to 7 years through maintenance savings alone in corrosive environments
For any project subject to whole-life carbon assessment — a requirement that is moving towards mandatory in UK construction — GRP generates documented CO2e savings at every stage: lower cradle-to-gate manufacturing emissions, near-zero maintenance-phase emissions, and an extended design life that defers or eliminates end-of-life impact within the project's operational horizon.
The regulatory direction reinforces this. As the UK moves towards mandatory whole-life carbon assessments for new buildings and infrastructure, procurement teams will be required to account for embodied carbon at specification stage, not just operational energy. When that full calculation is made, FRP's advantage in most secondary structural and cable management applications is not marginal. It is decisive.
Frequently Asked Questions About FRP and Sustainability
Is FRP recyclable?
Recyclability is the honest limitation of FRP compared to steel and aluminium, both of which are 100% recyclable. Current GRP recycling routes — mechanical, thermal, and chemical — are technically available but not yet at the industrial scale of metal recycling. However, the recyclability argument must be weighed against design life: an FRP component lasting 50 to 100 years in an application where steel would be replaced two to four times generates substantially lower total lifecycle carbon, even accounting for end-of-life limitations. The composites industry is also investing heavily in recycling infrastructure; Hexcel Corporation announced a 10-year recycling agreement with Fairmat in 2024 specifically to address composite end-of-life (Grand View Research, 2023).
How does FRP perform in fire?
Standard GRP has lower fire performance than steel without additive treatment. However, fire-retardant GRP grades are available and widely used in applications requiring specific fire classifications. Fire-retardant grade is specified at quotation stage for projects with fire performance requirements. In most infrastructure applications — cable management, solar mounting, grating, drainage, fencing — standard GRP grade is appropriate and fire performance is not a primary specification driver.
Can FRP be used for primary structural applications?
FRP is well suited to secondary structural roles: cable management, grating, access platforms, handrails, drainage, fencing, and solar mounting. For primary structure — main frames, large-span beams, primary seismic resistance — steel and concrete remain the appropriate specification in most cases. The most commercially established approach is a hybrid model: primary structure in steel, secondary infrastructure in FRP, capturing the carbon and corrosion benefits of FRP in the elements where they have the greatest impact.
What is the design life of GRP products?
GRP products in non-chemically aggressive environments are routinely designed to service lives of 50 years or more with minimal maintenance requirements. The Australian standard AS 5100.8:2017 for bridge design considers 30 years a conservative design life for FRP, based on real-world installations now approaching 40 years of service. In highly corrosive settings, FRP has been documented performing structurally well beyond 15 years without degradation (ScienceDirect, 2024).
Is FRP more expensive than steel?
GRP products typically carry a higher upfront material cost than equivalent galvanised steel. However, lifecycle cost analysis consistently shows FRP delivering lower total cost of ownership in corrosive environments, with upfront cost premiums typically recovered within 3 to 7 years through the elimination of maintenance cycles. Over a 50 to 100-year design life, the cost advantage of FRP in the right application is substantial.
Which sectors are adopting FRP most rapidly?
The solar energy and renewable infrastructure sectors are among the fastest adopters of GRP cable management and structural products, driven by the combination of long asset lives and outdoor or coastal exposure. Data centres, water treatment, offshore oil and gas, and chemical processing have established GRP as a standard specification for secondary infrastructure. The global FRP composites market is forecast to grow from USD 98.5 billion in 2023 to USD 152 billion by 2030 at a 6.5% CAGR, with construction and infrastructure among the primary drivers (Grand View Research, 2023).
The Bottom Line
FRP and GRP are not experimental or niche materials. They are commercially proven, independently tested, and already deployed across the most demanding infrastructure environments on earth. The embodied carbon advantage over steel is 90% at manufacturing stage and up to 96% on a full lifecycle basis. The performance advantage in corrosive environments — in service life, in maintenance requirement, in whole-life cost — is unambiguous.
The UK construction industry is legally committed to net zero by 2050 and facing increasing regulatory pressure on embodied carbon. The material that addresses that pressure most directly, in secondary structural and cable management applications, is already available and already proven.
At Reinforce Technology, our entire product range is built on glass fibre reinforced polymer. Every GRP cable tray, grating panel, structural profile, drainage system, fencing panel, and solar mounting frame we supply puts a lower-carbon product into UK infrastructure in place of a higher-carbon alternative. If you are specifying for a solar farm, data centre, water treatment facility, or any project where corrosive conditions, whole-life carbon, and long-term performance are on the table, we are glad to help you make the case.
References
AMPP (2023) 'Reducing embodied carbon by using fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) rather than steel', Proceedings of MECC 2023, Gulf Hotel, Kingdom of Bahrain, 13–16 November. Available at: https://content.ampp.org/mecc/proceedings-abstract/MECC_NOV2023/2023/1/62133 (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Ascione, F. et al. (2024) 'Comparative life-cycle assessment of steel and GFRP rebars for procurement sustainability in the construction industry', Sustainability, 16(10), p. 3899. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/3899 (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Composite-Tech (2024) The impact of composite materials on ecology and sustainable development. Available at: https://composite-tech.com/2024/11/11/the-impact-of-composite-materials-on-ecology-and-sustainable-development (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Gardiner and Theobald (2022) Reviewing the UK Green Building Council's net zero targets. Available at: https://marketintel.gardiner.com/building-the-case-for-net-zero (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Grand View Research (2023) Fiber reinforced polymer composites market report, 2030. Available at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fiber-reinforced-polymer-frp-composites-market (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Madewell Products (2021) GFRP vs steel reinforcement: these are the differences. Available at: https://www.madewellproducts.com/blogs/msb-form/gfrp-vs-steel (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
NACE International (2016) IMPACT: international measures of prevention, application and economics of corrosion technologies study. Houston: NACE International.
Norton Rose Fulbright (n.d.) Reducing embodied carbon footprint: a key consideration to meet the UK's 2050 net-zero target. Available at: https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/33d4ba06/reducing-embodied-carbon-footprint (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Osborne Clarke (2023) Net zero in UK construction: where are we now? Available at: https://www.osborneclarke.com/insights/net-zero-uk-construction-where-are-we-now (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
Parliament (2022) Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction. Environmental Audit Committee. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmenvaud/103/report.html (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
ScienceDirect (2024) 'Sustainable materials selection in industrial construction: a life-cycle based approach to compare the economic and structural performances of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) and steel', Journal of Cleaner Production, 475. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/article/pii/S0959652624030907 (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
ScienceDirect (2025) 'Sustainable composites for metal replacement: environmental assessment and material selection of fiber-reinforced polymer across industries', Composites Part C, 16. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/article/pii/S2667378925000513 (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
STACK Infrastructure (2025) Using FRP to lower the carbon footprint of data centers. Available at: https://www.stackinfra.com/resources/blog/frp-replaces-secondary-steel-lowers-embodied-carbon-of-data-centers (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
UK Green Building Council (2023) Whole life carbon roadmap: achieving net zero in the UK built environment. Available at: https://energyadvicehub.org/ukgbc-launches-first-ever-uk-roadmap-for-achieving-a-net-zero-built-environment-by-2050 (Accessed: 2 May 2026).
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