What is Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)?
Steel fibre reinforced concrete (“SFRC”) comprises hydraulic cements containing aggregate (fine, or fine and course) and steel fibres. A plasticiser or superplasticiser is often used to enhance mix workability. Steel fibre products (“SFR” or “steel fibre reinforcement”) are available in a variety of types and sizes from various manufacturers. However, the underlying principle of all SFRC designs is to provide discrete, discontinuous reinforcement and effective crack control. 2) How do Steel Fibres work? Unlike wire mesh or rebar, steel fibres reinforce in three dimensions throughout the entire concrete matrix. The fibre functions to reinforce and restrain micro-cracking essentially acting as “miniature reinforcing bars”. Thus, the earlier a crack is intercepted and its growth inhibited, the lower the chance of it developing into a major flaw. 3) Are Steel Fibres a replacement for structural steel? The sensible answer is “no”: nothing takes the place of a properly engineered application
Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) is a composite material with specific properties and advantages. By adding steel fibre reinforcement to the concrete prior to discharge at site, SFRC obtains a material resistance similar to that of traditional reinforced concrete. This load bearing resistance can be used to substitute, partially or completely, more traditional forms of reinforcement (bars and/or mesh) for many applications, allowing major cost and time savings.
Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) comprises hydraulic cements with fine and coarse aggregates, mixing with discrete steel wires in straight or deformed shape. These steel wires, or so-called “steel fibres” are dispersed evenly in the cement paste by means of vibration and thus grant the brittle concrete matrix its homogeneous behaviour in resisting tensile stress – in a way we said steel fibres reinforce concrete.
