Greater strength from lightweight is one of the major advantages of composite materials. This is derived from two constituents:

• Glass or carbon fibre reinforcement which binds together and spreads any load over a wide area
• Thermosetting resins cannot be softened or made malleable by the application of heat. Consequently, composites resist well the impact damage of mindless vandalism and do not readily distort or ignite, like thermoplastics, when attacked with a heat gun or incendiary device.

This makes composites ideal in a hostile or severe environment, where structural integrity needs to be preserved without requiring an overtly large structural design, as would be the case with any other material.