AN ALTERNATE CONCRETE REINFORCING MATERIAL.
Fibrex™has high tensile strength, hence the capacity to bear
high load and absorb deformation. The hooked ends anchor in
to the concrete, enabling the transfer and distribution of stress
effectively. Due to its small volume, the steel fibers are fully
enveloped by alkaline concrete matrix, rendering it corrosion
resistant. Hence corrosion resistance of Glued Steel Fiber is
considerably higher than other reinforcing steel.
Fibrex™Glued steel Fibres concrete absorb and dissipate
energy more efficiently than normal concrete without fibers.
Hence normal concrete is brittle while concrete with Fibrex ™
is ductile.
High energy is required to pull out Fibrex ™ fibers from the
concrete matrix, hence the flexural strength is high. The fibers
offers post crack ductility- i.e Normal concrete would
completely collapse on cracking (Brittle behavior) , while
concrete reinforced with Fibrex ™ would continue to bear load
even after cracking (Ductile behavior).
Glued Steel fiber concrete offers high impact resistance &
performance under dynamic loading. The improvement is due
to reduction in stress concentration and better anchoring of
fibers to aggregates in the matrix. Improvement in wear
ability by 50% & fatigue resistance by 100% (Typical values)
are observed in comparison to normal concrete without steel
fibers.
Glued Steel Fibers can partly or wholly replace re-bar & mesh
in applications, offering cost savings & convenience in
construction. Steel fibers can be added in concrete mixer
along with other materials during mixing. Hence, these are
easy to incorporate unlike mesh and re-bars, which are
cumbersome and take time to fix and align. Due to its high
reinforcement capacity, reduction in slab thickness to the
extent of 20% is possible. This effect in considerable savings
on material and time.
The fibers impede crack formation and development of
hairline cracks in to major cracks by acting as tiny bridges.
This not only provides better cosmetic looks but also makes
the concrete impervious to water (leaks).
Flexural toughness improves on addition of Fibrex ™. Concrete
with Glued Steel Fibers offer improved abrasion resistance,
cavitation resistance and erosion resistance, which makes
them an ideal choice for dams, canals, ports & bridge decks.
Glued Steel Fibers perform better than locally made loose
fibers. These mix well with concrete unlike locally made loose
fibers which tend to form fiber balls. Fibrex ™, due to high
aspect ratio has better reinforcing capacity than loose fibers,
hence lesser quantity is needed in comparison.
Following is the table depicting improvement in Concrete
Physical properties using Fibrex ™
Characteristics Improvement over Normal Concrete
(without fibers)
Compressive Strength up to 30%
Cracking & Flexural strength 100 to 200%
Fatigue Resistance 100%
Resistance to impact 100 to 300%
Shock absorption 15 times
Abrasion & Corrosion resistance 40 to 50%
Ductility Several times
Applications: Typical applications include:
Slabs & Flooring: Flooring for warehouses, Factory flooring ,
Flooring for Commercial buildings , Residential buildings,
Porticos, Port hangars, Aircraft hangars, Car parks & Bridge
decks.
Precast: Precast architectural & structural elements, Railway
sleepers , Septic tanks, Sewer pipes, Cable ducts, Prefab
cabins, Housing walls, Rainwater collection units.
Shotcrete: Lining of mines, Tunnels, Canal lining, Slope
stabilization on hilly terrains, Repairs of old buildings &
structural repairs.
Structures of strategic importance: Safety vaults / strong
rooms, Military applications like anti missile hangars &
underground shelters, Explosion proof areas, Seismic resistant
structures, Nuclear containment shielding & Off shore building
projects