Onward Chemicals Introduces FIBREX™ GLUED STEEL FIBERS : An alternate concrete reinforcing material
Glued Steel Fibers are cold drawn steel fibers, glued together to form bundles and deformed to have hooked ends. They are manufactured by repeated mechanical drawing of low carbon steel wire rods, until the specified thickness is attained. The individual fibers are glued together by means of water soluble glue, to eliminate formation of fiber balls (bunching of fibers) during concrete mixing process.
Fibrex™Glued steel Fibers conform to ASTM A 820 & EN 14889-1: 2006 standards.
Glued Steel Fiber Function & Advantages.
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.
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 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 cumber- some 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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
NBM&CW February 2012
