It is a fact that we often come across sculptures in some public areas which have been made from bronze. However, it might be the fact that these sculptures might not be made from bronze whatsoever. Instead, it is actually an FRP statue whose full form happens to be fiber-reinforced plastic. In spite of this, they appear to be similar to bronze statues after coloring.
FRP implies a composite material made from synthetic resin as well as glass fiber. These types of sculptures are quite lightweight, comparatively affordable, and corrosion-resistant. Let us look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of a fiber statue in the following paragraphs.
The advantages
- Lightweight and strong – It is a fact that FRP materials happen to be one of the strongest materials obtainable at present. as compared to the conventional building materials, it is much stronger in various ways. It is feasible to make use of thin sections thanks to the toughness of FRP, and stiffness can be achieved by making use of structural core materials without much increase in weight.
- Corrosion-resistant – There is no possibility for the FRP statues to become rusted or corroded as compared to metals. FRP materials come with a longer service life under adverse conditions and will perform quite efficiently in moist environments as well. This makes them quite durable and resilient as compared to other materials.
- Outstanding manufacturability – It will be possible to select the molding process quite flexibly as per the technical requirements, shape, quantity, and uses of the products. It is a rather simple process and the fiber can be molded at a given time. Furthermore, the economic effect is remarkable, particularly for items having complicated shapes and which are tough to form.
- Resistant to impacts – There is no possibility of fiberglass to break or become deformed in shape under impact, unlike the conventional construction materials. The presence of the glass mat will be able to allocate impact load for preventing any damage to the surface even in extreme conditions.
The drawbacks
In case you have bought a fiber Buddha statue, you ought to be aware of the fact that the sculpture’s elastic modulus happens to be 2 times bigger as compared to wood and 10 times smaller as compared to steel. As a result, it will be possible to deform the structure easily. It might be transformed into a sandwich structure, a thin shell structure, and this can be compensated by reinforcement ribs or high modulus fibers. In general, it cannot be used at high temperatures for a long time. The strength of the FRP material is going to reduce in conditions above 50℃.
At present, many people are purchasing statues from FRP animals suppliers on a wide scale. This is due to their comparatively reduced price and several other beneficial features. We often come across these types of sculptures in hotels, residences, squares, parks, and so on.