How ‘Green’ Is GFRC?

Question:
Are countertops made of glass-fiber-reinforced concrete as environmentally friendly as standard concrete countertops?

Answer:
GFRC is roughly on par with other forms of concrete countertops in terms of “greenness.” GFRC tends to use about twice as much cement as ordinary concrete, but it has a higher strength-to-weight ratio so the countertop thickness can be less. In comparing a 1.5-inch-thick concrete countertop to a 3/4-inch GFRC countertop, the same amount of cement is used.

GFRC uses acrylic polymers, rather than ordinary water, as a key ingredient. The need to ship the acrylic makes GFRC less green. Both traditional cast concrete and GFRC can use recycled aggregates, such as crushed glass. Conventional concrete countertops use steel reinforcing, which is greener than the alkali-resistant glass fibers used in GFRC, since steel is a recyclable material.