玻璃钢学名纤维增强塑料，俗称FRP（Fiber Reinforced Plastics），即纤维增强复合塑料。根据采用的纤维不同分为玻璃纤维增强复合塑料（GFRP），碳纤维增强复合塑料（CFRP），硼纤维增强复合塑料等。它是以玻璃纤维及其制品（玻璃布、带、毡、纱等）作为增强材料，以合成树脂作基体材料的一种复合材料。纤维增强复合材料是由增强纤维和基体组成。纤维（或晶须）的直径很小，一般在10μm以下，缺陷较少又较小，断裂应变约为千分之三十以内，是脆性材料，易损伤、断裂和受到腐蚀。基体相对于纤维来说，强度、模量都要低很多，但可以经受住大的应变，往往具有粘弹性和弹塑性，是韧性材料。
Fiberglass reinforced plastics, commonly known as FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics), are fiber reinforced composite plastics. The fiber is divided into glass fiber reinforced composite plastic (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced composite plastic (CFRP), boron fiber reinforced composite plastic and so on. It is a composite material with glass fiber and its products (glass cloth, tapes, felt, yarn, etc.) as reinforced material and synthetic resin as a matrix material. Fiber reinforced composites are made up of reinforced fiber and matrix. The diameter of fiber (or whisker) is very small, generally less than 10 m, and the defect is less and smaller. The fracture strain is less than 30/1000. It is brittle material, easy to damage, fracture and corrode. The strength and modulus of matrix are much lower than those of fibers, but they can withstand large strains, often viscoelastic and elastoplastic. They are tough materials.