The Use of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete

Fibers have been used as reinforcement since ancient times, when straw was used to reinforce otherwise brittle mud bricks. Similarly, concrete on its own is a relatively brittle substance, with low tensile and ductile strengths. Steel fiber reinforced concrete, or SFRC, is concrete containing small steel fibers which increase concrete's structural capacity. For this reason SFRC is favorable in applications where additional durability and ductile strength are required.


How Does It Work?


When added to the concrete mixture, steel fibers help enhance many of concrete's mechanical characteristics. The fibers can be between 30mm and 100mm in length, and come in straight, textured and hooked varieties. These fibers improve structural properties, including toughness, durability and tensile strength of the concrete. Most importantly, the fibers help to restrain cracking which occurs during the curing process, by restricting movement of the concret

Shotcrete

Shotcrete is a highly fluid type of concrete which can be sprayed onto almost any surface. It is used in applications where the concrete is being projected onto irregular or vertical surfaces. Steel mesh can be installed prior to spraying, to provide a substrate for the shotcrete to adhere to. Shotcrete is often reinforced with steel fibers to increase its cohesion during application, which eliminates the need to install traditional steel wire mesh.

Precast Elements

Precast concrete elements are made in an off-site facility before transportation and installation on site. They are used in almost all types of construction, including apartment buildings, offices, bridges and tunnels. Steel fibers are often added to the concrete mix in the casting facility for applications such as bridge building, where qualities such as durability and flexural strength are required. In some cases, the addition of steel fibers also allows smaller, lighter sections to be made, as there is no requirement for traditional steel bar reinforcement.

Industrial Ground Slabs

Steel fiber reinforced concrete is commonly used for industrial ground slabs, such as in warehouses and airport runways. Concrete slabs in these applications are subject to constant, repetitive use from forklifts and other traffic. In this environment, SFRC provides extra durability to the surface of the slab and added strength against cracking, particularly along edges and joints where the slab is more prone to weakness.

Tunnels

Tunnel linings are traditionally constructed from precast concrete elements, cast-in elements, shotcrete or a combination of these. Tunnels are under a constant load from either soil or water above, and require high resistance against these forces. Steel fiber reinforced concrete is commonly used in tunnel construction, as it provides additional flexural strength, reduces shrinkage cracking and reduces permeability.


Fiber reinforced concrete is a composite obtained by adding a single type (steel or synthetic) or a blend (steel + synthetic) of fibers to the concrete mix.

WIRAND® steel fibers are used to reinforce the concrete adding mechanical properties that can be used for structural design purpose.

FIBROMAC® synthetic fibers are used as a complement for the concrete to control the effects of moisture and water lost in the first stage (24 to 72 hours) of curing.

Adding fibers to concrete improves mechanical properties:

* Increases toughness
* Increases ductility and flexural resistance
* Gets higher and more stable tensile strength
* Increases shear resistance

And can improve control for the following effects:

* Fatigue
* Impact
* Shrinkage
* Fire resistance

Fiber reinforced concrete technology is in continuous growth and expansion, and is now included in most relevant concrete codes around the world. The codes refer to the technical considerations to define this material with or without structural responsibility for design purpose, and guide accurate use of the technology.

The traditional sectors where the fiber reinforced concrete is applied are:

* Lining for tunnels
* Industrial floors
* Precast elements

Dramix ® steel fibers for concrete reinforcement
Advantages

* High ductility and load bearing capacity
* Cost effective reinforcement solution
* Quick and easy to apply

Product description
Dramix
© Bekaert

What if you had a material that provided you with unlimited possibilities to build and develop your projects? Meet Dramix®, the proven steel fiber concept from industry specialist Bekaert, which has set a new standard for concrete reinforcement. What you get from Dramix® reinforced concrete is ductility and high load bearing capacity.


Technological features

Applications

* Construction
* Concrete reinforcement
* Dramix® for residential applications
* Dramix® for precast elements

* Dramix® for tunnel applications
* Dramix® concrete reinforcement for civil works
* Dramix® for industrial floors