GFRG Panel Construction: A Potential Building Technique
Glass fibre reinforced gypsum (GFRG) panel or Manufacture and Transportation of GFRG Panels
Rapid wall is a modern building element devised by the
GFRG Building System Australia for mass-scale
construction of houses in a very short span of time. A GFRG
panel is basically calcined gypsum plaster, reinforced with
glass fibres which when filled with reinforced concrete in
an appropriate proportion becomes strong enough to act as
a load bearing and shear wall.
GFRG panels can even resist the lateral loads due to
earthquakes and wind. Not only the walls, but the roofs,
floors, sunshades and the boundary walls can be also made
using GFRG panels. Looking at its success and innumerable
advantages, the technology spread like wildfire and is being
adopted heavily throughout the construction industry.
Demonstration building being built using GFRG Panels
GFRG panels are originally white in colour (due to gypsum)
and have a smooth finished surface. They can be
whitewashed or painted without cement plastering the
walls, therefore, providing some scope of creativity for the
client. The typical dimension of a GFRG building panel is
12 x 3 x 0.127m which weighs around 1.6 tons. It is provided
with 4 cavities within 1 meter of the panel.
Details of a GFRG Panel
The manufacture of GFRG panels is done in a semi-
automatic plant using the slurry obtained by heating the
calcined raw gypsum.
The Calcined raw gypsum(plaster) is mixed with water,
white cement and certain chemicals like D50(retarder) and
BS94(water repellent) in a mixer.
Different layers of slurries are then spread over a table and
are interspersed with glass fibres and aluminium plugs (for
creating hollow cavities).
After half an hour or so, the aluminium plugs are removed
and the panels are sent to a dryer.
Manufacture of GFRG Panels
GFRG panels can be easily transported from factory to site
via trucks or trailers. It must be ensured that the panels are
put in a vertical position (using stillages) to avoid any
damage during transportation.
Applications of GFRG Panels
• As a light-weight bearing wall
• As high-capacity vertical and shear load bearing wall
• As partition wall
• As roof slabs/horizontal floor
• As compound wall/Security wall
• As pitched roofing
• As cladding in industrial structures
Construction with GFRG Panels
• The construction processes up to the plinth level
remains similar as in the conventional method. No
special foundation is required for the installation of
GFRG panels.
• Concrete belts are built at the plinth area with
protruding iron rods which are meant to strengthen
the interlocking with the cells of the panel.
• GFRG panels are placed at the appropriate positions
using mechanical means, preferably a crane, and
external supports are provided to maintain the
verticality. Necessary cuts for doors, windows, sanitary
fittings, vents etc. are made as per the design.
• The hollow cavities are filled with concrete and
reinforcement as per the requirement to strengthen
 the panels. Generally, concrete is filled in every third
cavity of the panel and the remaining cavities can be
filled with waste materials like quarry dust.
• Finally, waterproofing treatment is carried out for the
roofs and floors of the building.
Construction with GFRG Panels
Advantages of Using GFRG Panels
1) Quicker Construction
Conventional buildings with G+1 that are usually
constructed in a span of 6-8 months can be constructed in a
month with GFRG panels.
2) Economical
GFRG reduces the consumption of cement by almost 50%,
steel by 35% and sand by an astonishing 76%.
3) Fire Resistant
In an event of fire, GFRG panels release 15-20% moisture of
its own weight which largely reduces the surface
temperature and fire damage.
4) Earthquake Resistant
GFRG panels have been found to be successful at resisting
the impacts of earthquakes in the fifth seismic zone as their
panels can be turned into shear walls as well.
5) Cooler than a Conventional building
When compared with the conventional building materials,
GFRG panels can keep your building cooler by up to 4
degrees.
6) Strength and Durability
The strength and durability of GFRG panels is five times
that of the conventional construction materials. Besides,
gypsum is known for its strength and offers excellent
dimensional stability and durability.
7) Water Resistant
Certain chemicals are added to the mix during the
manufacture of GFRG panels which make them impervious
to the attack of water.
8) More Carpet Area
Since the thickness of the walls made with GFRG panels is
less (5 inches) when compared with the conventional walls
(9 inches), a greater carpet area is accessible in a GFRG
building.
Limitations of GFRG Panels
The panels are required to be handled with extreme care
and specific machinery is needed for their movements.
The panels cannot be used for wall with circular or higher
curvature.
The panels need to be neatly stacked in order to avoid
abrasion.
The clear span is limited to 5m for residential buildings.
Conclusion
Construction projects are bound by time constraints. It is up
to the contractor to innovate and come up with new
material designs to overcome this restriction while staying
true to the specifications of the plans. GFRG system has
proved to very effective in all the aspects of construction
especially in time and cost.