For decades, steel has been the default material for platforms, walkways, structural profiles, and safety systems. While its strength and availability are well-established, it also presents challenges — corrosion in aggressive environments, significant weight requiring heavy lifting equipment, electrical conductivity that necessitates earthing, and maintenance cycles that increase both costs and carbon emissions.
GRP addresses these challenges directly. Manufactured to standards such as BS EN 13706 for structural profiles and BS EN 4592 for gratings, GRP delivers tensile strengths between 483 and 1600 MPa while being up to 75 percent lighter than steel. This makes it easier to handle and install, especially in restricted-access locations where cranes or heavy plant are impractical.
Its non-conductive nature improves safety around live electrical equipment, removing the need for earthing and enabling safer installation in rail, power distribution, and telecom environments. In corrosive settings such as coastal infrastructure, water treatment plants, and offshore platforms, GRP’s resistance to rust, UV degradation, and chemical attack significantly extends service life.
From a sustainability perspective, GRP offers lower embodied carbon than many traditional metals and requires far less maintenance over its lifecycle. A well-specified GRP installation can last more than 50 years without repainting or corrosion repair, reducing lifecycle costs by 30 to 50 percent compared to steel.
The reduced maintenance also minimises operational downtime, an increasingly important factor for sectors such as rail and data centres where access for repairs can be costly and disruptive.
Real-world applications now span multiple sectors:
Transport and Rail: GRP handrails, walkways, and platforms reduce installation time within short possession windows while cutting future maintenance possessions.
Utilities and Water: Corrosion-resistant GRP access structures and fencing protect infrastructure from chemical and moisture damage, avoiding costly early replacements.
Telecoms: Non-metallic GRP platforms eliminate electromagnetic interference, safeguarding signal integrity at base stations and rooftop sites.
Data Centres: Open-mesh GRP flooring optimises airflow for cooling efficiency, reducing operational energy demand and supporting sustainability targets.
Construction and Architecture: GRP profiles, gratings, and safety systems integrate easily with existing designs, offering an alternative to steel without major redesign.
The growing interest in GRP is also supported by its compatibility with green building certifications such as BREEAM and LEED, with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available to verify its environmental performance. The material’s versatility means organisations can standardise on GRP across different asset types, simplifying procurement and compliance reporting.
Engineers and contractors who have traditionally relied on steel are beginning to recognise that GRP offers not just an alternative, but in many cases, a superior choice for long-term performance, safety, and environmental responsibility. As infrastructure demands continue to grow and sustainability targets become more stringent, the adoption of GRP across multiple sectors looks set to accelerate.
Further technical information and case studies on GRP applications are available from Engineered Composites, the UK’s largest independent supplier of GRP products for industrial and infrastructure markets.