[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] #InfraTechnix, a joint venture (JV) between KOREA PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES and Samwoo Enterprises, announced on the 2nd that it has established South Korea’s first mass production system for 60 GPa-class high-modulus glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) rebar and has begun full-scale production.

InfraTechnics Corporation is a joint venture established in 2024 by KOREA PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES and Samwoo Enterprises to expand their eco-friendly construction materials business. The company’s strategy is to strengthen its portfolio of eco-friendly materials and expand synergies with its existing construction materials business through the production of GFRP rebar.

With the recent growing demand for carbon neutrality and longer-lasting infrastructure, GFRP rebar is gaining attention as a next-generation construction material set to replace conventional steel rebar. Although it weighs only about one-fourth as much as standard steel rebar, it has more than twice the tensile strength and is highly resistant to corrosion, making it expected to reduce maintenance costs for social infrastructure (SOC) such as bridges, tunnels, and ports.

However, existing GFRP rebars had a lower modulus of elasticity than steel rebar, which limited their application in high-load structures by requiring increased reinforcement quantities.

Through joint research and development with KOREA PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES and Samwoo Enterprises, INICS Corporation has succeeded in raising the modulus of elasticity—which was previously around 45–50 GPa—to the 60 GPa range. The product’s performance has been verified through accredited testing, and it meets the modulus of elasticity standards required by SUNJIN Co., Ltd. and the Korea Expressway Corporation, laying the groundwork for its application in various SOC projects, such as highway bridges.

The company is currently pursuing patent applications for its core technologies and obtaining green certifications, and is also carrying out a national R&D project in collaboration with the Korea Expressway Corporation to develop eco-friendly GFRP that can be recycled after use.

An official from InfraTechnix stated, “The mass production of this 60 GPa-class high-modulus GFRP rebar is a significant achievement that has raised the competitiveness of Korea’s composite materials technology to a new level,” adding, “Based on KOREA PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES’s material technology and Samwoo Enterprise’s expertise in composite materials production, we will continue to develop next-generation construction materials that offer safety, durability, and cost-effectiveness to secure a competitive edge not only in the domestic market but also in the global infrastructure market.”