The document is entitled Pre-Standard for Load & Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) of Pultruded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Structures, and has been funded through the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA).

This US$1.4 million programme has been in development for 3 years in collaboration with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and will now go through an ANSI standards process through ASCE before being adopted as a national standard.

ACMA believes this document will open up new markets to the composites industry, and expand existing ones.

According to the ACMA, this standard will allow FRP composites to compete on a level playing field with other construction materials like concrete, steel, wood and aluminium. Performance criteria for design, specification and installation will mean a higher degree of confidence for the professional designing with and specifying FRP composites, the contractor installing FRP composites, the owner purchasing FRP composites, and the building code official inspecting the construction.