Brea, CA – ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), a member of the International Code Council family of solutions and the experts in building product evaluation and certification, issued the first two evaluation reports for Fiber-reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars in accordance with the Acceptance Criteria AC454 (Acceptance Criteria for Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars for Internal Reinforcement of Concrete Members). The evaluation reports were issued for Tuf-N-Lite, LLC (ESR-4664) and Neuvokas Corporation (ESR-4526), providing evidence that the FRP reinforcing bars are in compliance with code requirements of the 2021 and 2018 International Building Codes (IBC) and International Residential Codes (IRC).
Acceptance Criteria AC454 applies to glass or basalt fiber-reinforced polymer reinforcing bars, in cut lengths, bent shapes and continuous closed stirrups and ties (hoops), that are used to reinforce concrete structural members. AC454 includes provisions for evaluation of FRP reinforcing bar material properties, performance under accelerated environmental exposures, performance under exposure to fire conditions, and structural design procedures. FRP bars under this criteria are used as flexural reinforcement in structural concrete members such as beams, shallow foundations and one-way or two-way slabs, and as shear reinforcement for flexural members; as well as used as longitudinal reinforcement in columns or walls.
To date, the IBC and IRC (as well as IBC referenced ACI 318) do not include provisions for use of FRP reinforcing bars as replacement of steel reinforcement. Therefore, AC454 was developed by ICC-ES to demonstrate that FRP reinforcing bars have been independently evaluated to show building code compliance in terms of quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety. Having an evaluation report from ICC-ES helps code officials, design engineers, and inspectors safely use FRP reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction with confidence, as well as manufacturers to safely market their product.
ICC-ES encourages manufacturers to comply with the most current codes to increase market acceptance. For more information about updating your product’s code compliance to the current codes, contact ICC-ES at 800-423-6587 or es@icc-es.org.
