What is Fibre-Reinforced Concrete?
Fibre-reinforced concrete is a concrete mixture that contains various fibrous materials. Fibres are contained in the mixture specifically to increase the concrete’s structural integrity and control cracking in the drying process from the shrinkage of the concrete. The fibres are arranged uniformly within the concrete and also serve to lessen the bleeding of water through the concrete and reduce its permeability.
Advantages of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
There are several advantages to the use of fibrous concrete, namely:
Where reduced cracking and high tensile strength are desired, fibre-reinforced concrete is useful in that it reinforces in this way when there is no other typical method of reinforcement available.
The composite material used will have a greater strain capacity as the fibres that reinforce the concrete give it more strength and lessen the growth of cracks.
Macro-synthetic fibres can also be used in the reinforcement of the concrete and make the concrete that much stronger, particularly where it is used for industrial applications. The fibres are large and long and can be used in the place of fabric or bar reinforcement.
Concrete that is reinforced with fibres also has an extended life in that it keeps the concrete stronger for longer, and allows it to have a better freeze-thaw threshold and resistance.
It also pumps well over long distances and it has a great mix cohesion.
During curing it also is less resistant to plastic shrinkage, helping the concrete remain strong and durable.
Because the fibre reinforcement is strong, the need for steel reinforcements is reduced, to maintain the structure of the concrete.
The size of the cracks in the concrete is also reduced greatly with fibre reinforced concrete, and the presence of the fibres within the concrete helps it to remain together and reduces the amount of water bleed due to it being so compact. With this comes a higher level of fatigue strength, making it more durable and long-lasting.
The fibres will also increase the capacity of beams that are used in the production of the structure with fibre-reinforced concrete.
There are a variety of different types of fibre-reinforced concrete that can be found. Contact our specialist sales team at Pretoria Readymix for more information.
