Fibreglass as a constructional material enjoys a broad range of characteristics which render it a useful and versatile medium. In particular, fibreglass is readily mouldable into a tough, durable material having highly predictable strength characteristics. Fibreglass has a high strength to weight ratio and good thermal and electrical insulating properties. Fibreglass also has excellent resistance to corrosion and other beneficial properties which render it a particularly attractive material for the construction of ladders and the like.
However, among the restrictions that fibreglass suffers is a limitation applied to its workability by virtue of its lack of ductility. Ductility allows a material to be pressed and pushed into shape. Hence, in the construction of multiple molding constructs of fibreglass, any joints must be either welded, glued or fastened together to effect a reliable joint. Such requirements place a considerable limitation on the type of joining economically available to fibreglass constructs and in particular to small surface area, medium to high stress joints exposed to shear forces and bending about a plurality of axes, for example the rungs of a ladder as they are joined to the stiles. Such joints are difficult to execute in fibreglass as the usual method of pressing ferrules formed in the rungs abutting the stiles cannot be formed on a non-ductile material like fibreglass. The use of glues or welding is limited by the difficulty of injecting sufficient glue into the joint so as to effect maximum bonding of the small surface areas involved.