EPC and road contractors
Packages where corrosion, bar weight and placement rate show up in the programme and the BOQ.
Application page · GFRP rebar
GFRP rebar for roads, highways and drainage
For road packages where the steel is sitting in water, saline soil or a long drain run. This page covers highways, RCC drains and stormwater channels. The bar is designed to IRC:137-2022. It is not a copied TMT schedule.
Published by 7 Star IMPEX LLP · 14 October 2026 · Weights below are from 7 STAR’s published product table. They are not a substitution chart.
01
Who this page is for
NHAI and state road work, and the drains that go with them, are one page. The buyer is usually a contractor or a consultant, not a retail counter.
Drainage contractors
RCC drains, roadside channels and stormwater sections with long runs of small-diameter steel.
Infrastructure departments
Authorities checking whether GFRP is admissible under IRC:137-2022 for the element in question.
Consultants
Designers who need the tensile and stiffness difference stated clearly before they touch a drawing.
02
Why GFRP rebar on a road or a drain
The public case is corrosion plus weight. Cost follows from those two, once the schedule is redesigned. A single percentage is not printed here, because the BOQ depends on the section.
Drains stay wet
Roadside drains, medians and stormwater channels keep steel in the one condition it handles badly. GFRP does not rust, which is why it is considered for these sections.
The bar is light enough to change the crew
Published weights are about one fifth of TMT at the same nominal diameter. On a long channel that changes how bars are carried, lapped and placed. It does not remove the need for a method statement.
Road use has a code path
IRC:137-2022 names the road components that may use GFRP bars. They include drainage structures, box culverts, crash barriers, retaining walls and concrete pavements. Each package still needs the project authority’s approval. See the standards page for the full list.
Saline soil and coastal roads
The same corrosion argument applies on coastal roads and saline ground. This page is not a marine-structures specification. Quay walls, jetties and other marine members need their own design review.
Tensile strength is not stiffness
7 STAR’s FAQ cites tensile strength above 1,000 MPa, about twice that of ordinary steel. GFRP is also less stiff. A drain designed by copying the TMT bar marks will be wrong.
Freight, scrap and cover
Lower weight per metre cuts transport. Custom lengths cut scrap. Published notes also cite a smaller cover than steel because the bar does not rust. Cover still follows the project specification.
What this page does not cover
- Columns and members that work mainly in compression. GFRP is used in tension.
- Road components outside the IRC:137-2022 list. The guideline says GFRP bars shall not be used for them.
- Site bending, couplers, and thermal or shear cutting, which IRC:137-2022 does not permit. Stirrups and bends are ordered from the factory.
- Tunnel soft-eye and other specialist works. Those need a separate technical note and are not specified here.
- A universal saving. Ask for a like-for-like drain or road BOQ with the steel price, lap and labour written down.
03
Applications on a road package
Use the sections below to brief a consultant. Project names and photographs are released only after the client allows them.
Concrete pavements and approach slabs
IRC:137-2022 lists jointed plain concrete pavement, continuously reinforced concrete pavement, short-panel pavements (cast-in-situ and precast) and approach slabs.
RCC drains
Longitudinal drains and covered drains. The usual comparison is bar weight, placement time, lap steel and the cost of replacing a rusted section later. Send the cross-section for a BOQ.
Stormwater channels
Open channels and flood sections that stay wet and are awkward to maintain once the road is open. Reinforcement choice is about the life of the channel, not only the rate on day one.
Culverts, barriers and walls
Box culverts, slab culverts, crash barriers, bridge parapets, noise barriers, retaining walls and MSE wall panels all appear in the IRC:137-2022 list. Shaped bars are factory-bent.
What to send for a comparison
Cross-section, bar schedule, concrete grade, exposure, and whether the item is an NHAI, state PWD or private road package. A drain BOQ is only useful if the GFRP and steel quantities are for the same section.
04
Published weight and tensile force
From 7 STAR’s published product table. Tensile force is the breaking load of the bar in newtons. It is not permission to replace a TMT bar of the same diameter.
| Nominal diameter | GFRP weight, kg/m | GFRP tensile force, N | TMT weight, kg/m | TMT tensile force, N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mm | 0.079 | 40,700 | 0.395 | 25,150 |
| 10 mm | 0.129 | 66,400 | 0.617 | 39,250 |
| 12 mm | 0.169 | 86,546 | 0.888 | 56,550 |
| 16 mm | 0.322 | 165,046 | 1.58 | 100,500 |
Straight bars and coils
Published packing: coils up to Ø 12 mm, straight bars from Ø 14 mm in 12 m lengths. Confirm the current packing for the diameter on your schedule before you price freight.
05
Why 7 STAR on an infrastructure package
7 Star IMPEX LLP supplies GFRP bars, mesh and factory-bent elements. The Shri Rathi Group’s steel relationships are a separate record from this GFRP product line. The Armastek technology collaboration is the one already published on 7stargfrp.com.
For a road or drain, the useful next step is a section-wise comparison: steel schedule on the left, GFRP schedule on the right, with lap, cover and labour stated. That is the BOQ this page is asking for. It is not a blanket rate.
Works at Masuri, Hapur and Kushkhera, Bhiwadi. Corporate office: A-29, Sector 65, Noida. Phone +91-7669275932.
IRC:137-2022The road guideline named in 7 STAR’s FAQ.
IS 18256:2023Product standard, with IS 18255:2023.
Factory bendsStirrups and shaped bars are ordered, not bent on site.
About 1/5 the weightAt the same nominal diameter, in the published table above.
06
Road and drain questions
Can an NHAI package use GFRP?
Yes, for the concrete components IRC:137-2022 permits, designed and built to that guideline and approved by the project authority. The guideline says GFRP bars shall not be used for any other concrete component of a road project.
Where does it fit in drainage?
RCC drains and stormwater channels are the main drainage uses on this page. The comparison that matters is a like-for-like section: bar quantity, lap, labour, freight and the cost of corrosion later.
Why not replace each TMT bar with the same GFRP diameter?
The published table shows a higher tensile force at a much lower weight. GFRP is less stiff than steel, so crack control and deflection are designed, not assumed. Bond and cover are also checked.
Can it be used in coastal or saline road work?
Yes, that is a normal corrosion case, and 7 STAR’s FAQ recommends GFRP in coastal and saline conditions because it does not rust. Jetties and other marine structures are outside this page.
How do site crews cut and tie it?
IRC:137-2022 allows only tying and field cutting on site. Bending, straightening, couplers, and thermal or shear cutting are not permitted. Bars are tied with self-locking plastic straps or plastic-coated wire, and laps need the Engineer-in-Charge’s approval. Store bars off the ground and, above 45°C or in direct sun, under opaque covers.
What about metro soft-eye or tunnel work?
Not on this page. Soft-eye and similar specialist uses need their own design note, test evidence and approval. Ask separately if that is the package.
07
Ask for a section comparison
Send one drain or road section. The reply is a comparison for that section, not a generic percentage. You can also call +91-7669275932 or write to contact@7stargfrp.com.
Application pages: Flooring · GFRP vs TMT · Standards · Precast & Bent. Or read the 7 STAR GFRP blog.