The engineering properties of fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) products are measured, verified, and reported against a suite of ASTM International test methods. The table below summarizes the standards most frequently referenced in FRP grating, structural profiles, and rebar specifications. Each standard defines specimen geometry, loading rate, and calculation procedure. When requesting material certifications or test reports from an FRP manufacturer, specifying the exact ASTM method ensures that the data you receive is comparable across suppliers and applicable to your design.
Key ASTM Standards for FRP Composite Materials
| ASTM Standard | Title | Measured Property | Typical Applicable Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| D638 | Tensile Properties of Plastics | Tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation | Pultruded shapes, FRP sheet, resin coupons |
| D790 | Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics | Flexural strength, flexural modulus | Pultruded profiles, molded grating bars |
| D2344 | Short-Beam Shear Strength of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials | Apparent interlaminar shear strength | Pultruded laminates, FRP structural elements |
| D2584 | Ignition Loss of Cured Reinforced Resins | Glass fiber content (by weight) | All FRP products (quality control) |
| E84 | Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials | Flame spread index, smoke developed index | FRP grating, handrail, structural profiles |
| D7205 | Tensile Properties of FRP Composite Bars | Tensile strength, modulus, ultimate strain | GFRP and BFRP reinforcing bar |
| D570 | Water Absorption of Plastics | Water absorption (% weight gain) | All FRP products for outdoor or submerged use |
Notes: This summary is not exhaustive. For product-specific standards — for example, those covering FRP manhole covers, cable trays, or bridge decks — additional ASTM, AASHTO, and ISO standards apply. When evaluating FRP grating for pedestrian loading, the load capacity data is typically derived from full-scale panel testing rather than from small-coupon ASTM D790 results, since the panel performance depends on mesh geometry and the bi‑directional fiber architecture that coupon tests cannot fully capture.
Source: Advanced FRP Systems Engineering Data. Free to cite with link. Last verified: 2026-05-15.
For product data sheets that reference these ASTM test methods, see FRP Grating and related product categories.