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Capabilities · GRC and GFRC facade panel installation

GRC and GFRC facade panel installation

SA Construct is an Adelaide cladding, roofing and facade contractor, founded in 2011 and based in Beverley, and a Master Builders SA award winner since 2014.

GRC (glass-fibre reinforced concrete, also written GFRC) is a thin cement panel reinforced with alkali-resistant glass fibre, light enough for slab-edge brackets and large lifts. Specialist casters make the panels. We supply and install GRC facade panels for head contractors in South Australia and interstate.

Delivered on: feature GRC cladding on Henley Beach Library for Mossop, GRC feature modules on Scotch College for Badge, and the GRC entry band on Landsdale Library in Perth.

Projects

Projects

Buildings with GRC we supplied and installed. Open any of them for the details and the photos.

For GRC elements built into larger off-site units, see panels built off site. More of this work: libraries and civic buildings.

What a GRC install involves

  • A survey of the structure before bracket positions are set, because the frame is rarely where the drawings put it
  • Shop drawings that coordinate the panel, the brackets and the slab edge, drafted in 3D by our in-house team (see shop drawings and bracket design)
  • Gravity brackets and restraint fixings with slotted holes and shims to take up building movement and tolerance
  • Lift plans with panel weights, pick points and rigging, using our own lifting equipment or the site crane
  • Joints sealed with backer rod and facade-grade sealant, or left open over a drained cavity, as the design requires

Questions

FAQ

What is GRC (GFRC) and how does it differ from precast concrete?

Glass-fibre reinforced concrete is a cement mortar reinforced with alkali-resistant glass fibres, sprayed or premixed into thin shells, typically a 12 to 20 mm skin on a ribbed or stud-frame back. GRC and GFRC name the same material. It weighs roughly 30 to 45 kg/m2, against several hundred for precast, so it fixes to lighter sub-frames and lifts in larger pieces. Precast is steel-reinforced concrete to AS 3600, usually 100 mm or thicker.

Who designs the GRC panel and its fixings?

The GRC maker designs the panel shell to GRCA and National Precast guidance. A facade or structural engineer designs the fixings, brackets and supporting structure for AS/NZS 1170 loads, to AS 4100 or AS 3600. The shop drawings coordinate panel, bracket and slab-edge geometry so everything is certified before the first lift.

How are GRC panels fixed to the building?

Stud-frame panels hang on gravity brackets at the slab edge, with restraint fixings above. Single-skin panels use cast-in sockets or undercut anchors into a rail system. The fixings allow for building movement, thermal expansion and installation tolerance while holding the panel face within the architect's tolerance.

Is GRC non-combustible?

GRC is cementitious, and manufacturers hold AS 1530.1 reports for their mixes. The full wall still needs its cavity, insulation and membrane to comply with C2D10 on Type A and B buildings, and the certifier will want the evidence for every layer.

Who makes the panels?

Specialist GRC casters, chosen for the architect's finish and the programme. We supply the panels from the caster and install them.

Price a GRC install

Send the panel schedule, elevations and crane assumptions through our tender page, email tenders@saconstruct.com.au or call +61 8 7123 0833.