TECHNICAL INSIGHT · SPECIFICATION · ASSURANCE

A folder full of certificates is not automatically a technically approved GRP system. The evidence needs to prove the characteristics that the project actually relies upon.

Start with the design requirement

Before asking for evidence, define what needs proving. Is the project relying on structural capacity, corrosion resistance, reaction to fire, electrical behaviour, slip resistance, chemical resistance, dimensional quality or a combination of these?

The evidence schedule should map each important requirement to a document, calculation, declaration, test or project-specific design output.

Product identity

The submission should clearly identify the manufacturer or controlled supply route, product family, resin/material type where relevant, profile or grating reference and revision. Evidence from a different formulation or product should not be assumed to apply automatically.

Structural material properties

For pultruded structural profiles, the BS EN 13706 series provides a recognised framework for designation, test/general requirements and profile-property requirements. The specifier should request the declared properties actually used in the calculations, not merely a statement that the profiles are “to EN 13706”.

For grating and proprietary systems, request the load/span data, test basis and relevant limits used by the design.

Project structural design

Material test data does not prove the finished platform. The project should receive drawings and calculations appropriate to the design responsibility, including loads, spans, serviceability criteria, supports, reactions, connections and any assumptions about existing structures.

Grey pultruded GRP hollow box section viewed at its open end
Profile detail · section form from retained Vital product literature. The image identifies the profile shape; properties and dimensions require product data.

Fire evidence

If fire performance is relevant, define whether the project requires reaction-to-fire classification, fire resistance, smoke-related performance or another characteristic. Request the actual classification/test evidence for the specified product and check the field of application.

A phrase such as “fire-retardant GRP” is not a measurable approval criterion. See Fire Performance in GRP: What the Specifier Actually Needs to Define.

Anti-slip performance

Where flooring or stair surfaces rely on slip resistance, the submission should identify the surface type, test information and relevant condition. A dry laboratory value should not be used carelessly to imply identical performance in every wet, oily or contaminated environment.

Environmental and chemical suitability

Generic statements that GRP is “chemical resistant” are too broad for aggressive process environments. The resin system, chemical, concentration, temperature and exposure conditions may all affect suitability. Project-specific confirmation should be obtained where the environment is significant.

Electrical characteristics

If non-conductive material behaviour is part of the design intent, identify the relevant product property and also record metallic components in the finished assembly. Product evidence does not replace project electrical clearances, earthing, bonding or electrical-safety design.

Connection and fixing information

Ask how loads move through bolts, plates, clips, baseplates and anchors. For proprietary connections, request suitable data; for engineered connections, the project calculations and drawings should show the relevant arrangement and fixing specification.

Installation requirements

Approval should consider whether the system can be installed in accordance with the design. Installation instructions should cover cutting, drilling, fixings, tolerances, site modifications, handling and inspection. Where site cutting changes the structural design, the approval process should say so.

Quality, traceability and revision control

The more safety-critical or regulated the project, the more important controlled records become. The technical pack should allow the approving team to identify what was designed, what material was supplied, which revision was installed and how non-conformances or substitutions were managed.

Evidence should match the claim

A strong approval schedule can be written as a matrix:

  • Requirement: 5 kN/m² platform load → Evidence: project structural calculation and drawing.
  • Requirement: pultruded-profile grade → Evidence: declared BS EN 13706 property data.
  • Requirement: Class B reaction to fire → Evidence: applicable EN 13501-1 classification evidence for the specified product.
  • Requirement: anti-slip surface → Evidence: relevant product/test data.
  • Requirement: chemical environment → Evidence: resin/product suitability for stated exposure.

Approval should prove the system the project is buying—not the reputation of the material category.

For the project-document route, see What Should Be Included in a GRP Technical Submittal? and the Vital GRP Assurance Centre.

Need a GRP approval pack?

Vital GRP can assemble material, structural, installation and assurance evidence around the specific project requirements rather than supplying a generic certificate bundle.