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3 Things to Know About Steel Fiber Concrete
Admin • Apr 04, 2019
To those outside the concrete industry, all concrete seems like more or less the same thing. Yet the more you learn about the world of concrete, the more you recognize the incredible diversity it contains. Manufacturers and contractors constantly experiment with new and exciting ways to improve concrete performance.
One technique that has continued to gain traction goes by the name of steel fiber concrete. Unfortunately, many customers still don't understand the advantages posed by this particular type of concrete mix. If you would like to develop a more thorough knowledge of today's concrete options, keep reading. This article outlines three key things to know about steel fiber concrete.
1. Five Types of Steel Fibers Exist
You've probably already guessed that steel fiber concrete gets its name from the addition of thin strands of steel. Generally speaking, these short pieces of wire boost the overall strength and stability of the concrete. That said, the performance of the concrete depends a lot on the attributes of the particular steel fiber used.
The steel fibers used to reinforce concrete come in five different types and differ in terms of their production. For instance, Type I fibers consist of cold-drawn wires, while Type III Fibers consist of melt-extracted steel. Each type of fiber boasts a slightly different tensile strength. Likewise, different types have slightly different shapes, which contractors often refer to as aspect ratios.
A contractor must closely consider such properties when selecting the best type of fiber for a given project. Another key factor involves the average length of the fibers. While longer fibers tend to result in stronger concrete, they present more difficulties for mixing. Contractors can more easily and evenly distribute shorter fibers in a concrete mix.
2. Steel Fibers Increase Strength in Numerous Ways
As noted above, the chief advantage of steel fiber concrete lies in its greater strength as compared to conventional concrete. The steel fibers boost strength in a number of key ways. First of all, they improve the hardened concrete's flexural strength. In other words, steel fibers allow the concrete to resist bending forces up to 3 times better than conventional concrete.
This property makes steel fiber concrete a great choice for applications such as building floors and bridge decks. Steel fibers also boost the concrete's fatigue resistance by almost 1.5 times. Fatigue involves the tendency to rupture beneath repeated loadings. Compression, torsion, and bending forces all contribute to concrete fatigue.
Finally, cured steel fiber concrete exhibits greater strength when it comes to resisting impact and abrasive forces. Impact forces happen when heavy objects strike the surface of the concrete. Abrasion includes surface-level friction and wear, as well as processes like spalling, which can leave the top layer of concrete pitted and rough.
3. Steel Fibers Reduce Shrinkage Cracks
Steel fibers also directly benefit concrete before it has reached a hardened state. Specifically, those metal fibers decrease the likelihood of plastic shrinkage cracks. Plastic shrinkage cracks occur when water evaporates out of the curing concrete at a greater rate than it rises up to the surface.
This accelerated evaporation causes a volume decrease at the top of the concrete. This volume change creates shrinkage forces that often result in small cracks on the surface. While steel fibers cannot eliminate this volume change, they give the concrete the extra boost of strength necessary to hold together under such forces.
To best resist plastic shrinkage cracks, a contractor must add a certain percentage of steel fibers. Shape, or aspect ratio, also plays an important role in reducing the total cracked area.
Steel fibers boost the performance characteristics of concrete. For more information about whether steel fiber concrete would make a good choice for your next building project, please contact the industry veterans at Central Carolina Concrete.
If you need more information to help you understand the concrete pouring process, get in touch with us at Central Carolina Concrete, L.L.C. today.
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