Partner

A sister organisation of the GFRP Institute, the US-based FRP Institute plays a central leadership role in driving the adoption and advancement of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) technology in concrete infrastructure. Established in 2022, the FRP Institute is a prominent trade group dedicated to promoting the expanded use of FRP reinforcement in critical infrastructure such as bridges, roadways, seawalls, and related structures.

In its leadership position, the FRP Institute not only champions the vision of advancing FRP materials but also fosters collaborative efforts with a wide range of stakeholders, including federal agencies, state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), AASHTO, standards-setting bodies, and academic institutions. This broad network enables the Institute to co-create strategies that elevate the visibility of FRPs, shape industry standards, and drive innovation in the field. 
The FRP Institute’s work in certification, standardisation and technical testing is guided by a shared commitment to excellence and industry best practices. It is through this collaboration that FRP Institute, led by its dedicated staff engineers and Dr. Rudi Seracino, develops and refines all technical services, codes, standards and educational offerings. These resources are then integrated and presented through the GFRP Institute, ensuring that both organisations remain at the forefront of FRP advancement, training, and knowledge dissemination.

In this way, the FRP Institute plays a pivotal role not only in the advancement of the organisation but also in shaping the future of the FRP industry through co-created technical programming, research initiatives and standard-setting efforts that impact the entire sector.

FRP Institute Board Members

Richard Krolewski

Founder and CEO


W. Cabell Garbee II, P.E.

Board of Directors Chairman

Joseph Stilwell, P.E.

Auditing Chair/Technical Services Chair

Dr Rudolf (Rudi) Seracino, M.ASCE, F.ACI, F.IIFC

Lead Auditor

Matt Chynoweth, P.E.

Codes and Standards Chair

Accreditation and Auditing

To become a designated supplier of FRP materials and listed on the GFRP Institute, members need to complete an accreditation and auditing qualification process, developed and prescribed by the FRP Institute. This entails undertaking product qualification tests with an approved third-party testing facility and maintaining an audit certificate. This audit is performed annually as developed and prescribed by the FRP Institute.. Lastly, members need to meet the requirements set forth by the FRP Institute. Mechanical, physical and durability tests shall be performed on three products, on lots for each bar size produced. The audit team will also review the Quality Management System (QMS) and then perform an on-site audit. All auditing and certification carried out by the GFRP Institute will be follow these specifications as set out  by the FRP Institute.

Our institute actively engages with engineers of record, transportation professionals, building construction professionals, design engineers, and consulting engineers to promote the adoption of our auditing program. We aim to have these professionals recognize the critical importance of specifying that manufacturers of relevant materials must maintain an FRP Institute audit to be considered for projects.

Our goal is to ensure that our auditing requirement is included in the specification documents for material acceptance. We collaborate with governmental departments on specifications mandating an FRP Institute audit. Including this language in their documents sets a clear expectation and acts as a safeguard against substandard materials.

FRP Institute Members

Richard Krolewski

Founder and CEO

Richard Krolewski has 20 years of experience working to develop certification programs for precast concrete manufacturers and serving as a liaison between the precast industry and federal, state and local transportation officials. In addition to developing longstanding relationships with dozens of Departments of Transportation, he has worked with the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of engineers and many local governments, specifying agencies and engineering firms.

W. Cabell Garbee II, P.E.

Board of Directors Chairman

Manufactured Products Engineer | Materials and Tests Unit | North Carolina Department of Transportation

Cabell Garbee manages the NCDOT’s acceptance programs for metals, concrete, timber, plastics and composite products used by the Department.  Responsibilities include facility audits and approvals, product evaluations and inspections. He is responsible for materials product tracking by use of RFID/barcode identification and participates in the Department’s specification development. He is the Co-Chair of the AASHTO Product Evaluation Program Composite Concrete Reinforcement Committee, Chairman of the FRP Institute DOT Advisory Board, and a Professional Engineer licensed in North Carolina and Virginia.

 

Joseph Stilwell, P.E.

Auditing Chair/Technical Services Chair

Subject Matter Expert, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Inland Navigation Design Center

As a subject matter expert for the Army Corps’ Inland Navigation Design Center, Joe provides engineering, design, analysis and review services for studies, new locks, new navigation dams, major rehabilitation of existing inland navigation locks and dams, and significant inland navigation lock and dam operations and maintenance projects.

In his previous position as a fabrication engineer with the Maine DOT, Joe worked in bridge construction, structural design and project management. As structural designer, he actively worked with composites and developed (in conjunction with Kenway Composite) an FRP Pile wrap system for making in-service repairs to pipe piles that doesn’t require annular grout. Joe is a steering committee member of AASHTOs’ National Transportation Product Evaluation Program, a member of COMP  TS-3b (Fresh Concrete) and TS-4f (Metals), and provides composites fabrication guidance to the vice-chair of T-6 (FRP Composites). He is an ACMA-certified composites technician-VIP.

Dr Rudolf (Rudi) Seracino, M.ASCE, F.ACI, F.IIFC

Lead Auditor

Professor of Structural Engineering | Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering North Carolina State University

Dr Rudi Seracino has more than 20 years of research experience in the application of FRP materials and systems in civil infrastructure. He has a record of successful technology transfer of FRP reinforcement and systems for concrete bridges with the NCDOT. He is a voting member of: ACI Committee 440 on FRP Reinforcement; ASTM International Sub-Committee D30.10 on Composites for Civil Structures; PCI FRP Committee; and the NSF International Product Category Rule (PCR) Committee on Composite Products. Dr. Seracino is also a member of the ACMA FRP Rebar Manufacturers Council and is an Editorial Board Member of the ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction. He is a Fellow of ACI and the International Institute for FRP in Construction.

Matt Chynoweth, P.E.

Codes and Standards Chair

Vice President/National Bridge Discipline Leader RS&H

The former Chief Bridge Engineer for MDOT, Matt joined the architectural and engineering firm RS&H in 2023, bringing more than 22 years of experience in structural analysis, design, constructability review, and independent technical review of complex bridges. These include cable-supported bridges, post-tensioned concrete bridges, damaged bridge assessments, and load ratings. As MDOT Chief Bridge Engineer, he developed MDOT technical policy for large, complex, and movable bridges and implemented bridge-related policy and procedure to ensure compliance with AASHTO, FHWA, and all applicable technical, quality, and safety standards related to national bridges. Matt is currently serving as Owner’s Engineer on the RS&H Gordie Howe International Bridge Owners Representative contract with MDOT. Matt chairs TRB AKB10: Innovative Highway Structures and Appurtenances and is a member of ACI 440. He also teaches Bridge Design and Engineering at the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological University.