NEx Releases Featured Talk by Richard Kmack: Owner Perspectives on Paving Design and Construction with GFRP Rebar

At the ACI 2025 Spring Convention in Toronto, ON, NEx hosted a technical workshop titled Design of GFRP-Reinforced Slabs-on-Ground and Paving. Among the 11 featured speakers, Richard Kmack, P.E., Americas Regional Civil Technical Lead at ExxonMobil, delivered an insightful session titled Owner Perspectives on Paving Design and Construction with GFRP Rebar.

In his presentation, Richard shared lessons learned from global paving projects and highlighted how Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebar is being adopted as a corrosion-resistant, durable alternative to traditional steel reinforcement. With a focus on real-world implementation, he provided an owner’s perspective on design challenges, field performance, and the long-term value of nonmetallic solutions such as Proxxima™ in civil infrastructure.

Please visit our YouTube channel to view the video.

Richard Kmack, P.E., is the Americas Regional Civil Technical Lead at ExxonMobil with over 16 years of experience in civil and structural engineering across global energy and infrastructure projects. He brings deep expertise in the integration of nonmetallic reinforcement solutions, particularly Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebar, into large-scale paving and construction initiatives. Richard has played a key role in aligning innovative materials with the practical demands of owner-led design and implementation, drawing on his leadership in structural integrity management and industry standards development. His work continues to advance the use of durable, corrosion-resistant technologies like Proxxima™ to enhance the long-term performance and resilience of modern infrastructure.