Types of fibers

Fiber is a small discrete reinforcing material produced

from steel, polypropylene, nylon, glass, asbestos, coir or
carbon in various shape and size. They can be circular or
flat. A numerical parameter describing a fibre is its
aspect ratio which is defined as the fibre length
divided by an equivalent fibre dia. Typical aspect ratio
range from 30 to 150 for length dimensions 0.1 to 7.62
cm. Typical fibre diameters are 0.25 to 0.75 mm for steel
and 0.02 to 0.5 mm for plastic.

Steel fibre
Glass fibre
Plastic fibre
Carbon fibre
Asbestos fibre
 1. STEEL FIBRES:
The diameter may very from 0.25 mm to 0.75
mm.
The steel fibre is likely to get rusted and lose
some of its strength.
Steel fibres have been extensively used in
overlays or roads, pavements, air fields, bridge
decks.
Incorporation of steel fibres decreases
workability of concrete.
 GLASS FIBRES :
Glass fibre reinforced concrete uses fibreglass,
much like you would find in fibreglass
insulation, to reinforce the concrete.
 PLASTIC FIBRES:
Fibres such as polypropylene, nylon, acrylic,
aramid and polypropylene have high tensile
strength but low Youngs modulus thus
inhibiting reinforcing effect.
The amount of plastic fibres added to
concrete is about 0.25 to 1% by volume.
 CARBON FIBRES:
Carbon fibres possess high tensile strength
and high Youngs modulus.
The modulus of rupture of an aligned carbon
fibre reinforced cement composite with
8%fibre volume can be as high as 1623N/mm2
The use carbon fibre in concrete is promising
but is costly and availability of carbon fibres in
India is limited.
 ASBESTOS FIBRES:
Asbestos is a mineral fibre and has proved to
be the most successful fibre, which can be
mixed with OPC.
The maximum length of asbestos fibre is
10mm but generally fibres are shorter then
this.
Tensile strength of asbestos varies between
500 to 900 N/mm2.
 Factors Affecting properties of fibre
reinforced concrete:
Volume of fibres
Aspect ratio of fibres
Orientation of fibres
Size of coarse aggregate
Workability and compaction of concrete
Mixing
 Volume of fibres
The strength of fibre reinforced concrete
depends on volume of fibres of used in it.
It has been found that increase in the volume
of fibres, increase approximately the tensile
strength and toughness of concrete.
 Aspect ratio of fibres
Shah and Rangen reported that upto aspect ratio of 75, increase in
the aspect ratio increases the strength and toughness of concrete.
Beyond 75, relative strength and toughness are reduced.
Table shows the effect of aspect ratio on strength and toughness of
concrete specimens containing a constant amount of fibre (1% by
volume)

Type of concrete Aspect Relative Relative

ratio(L/d) strength toughness
Plain concrete 0 1.0 1.0
With randomly 25 1.5 2.0
Dispersed steel 50 1.6 8.0
fibres 75 1.7 10.5
100 1.5 8.5
 ORIENTATION OF FIBRES:
In conventional reinforcement bars are
oriented in the direction desired while in fibre
reinforcement, fibres are randomly oriented.
It has been found that the fibres aligned
parallel to the direction of applied load offer
more tensile strength and toughness then
randomly oriented or perpendicular fibres.
SIZE OF COARSE AGGREGATE:
Investigations showed that the maximum size
of coarse aggregate should not exceed 10mm,
to avoid appreciable reduction in strength of
composite.
 Workability AND COMPACTION
OF CONCRETE:
Addition of steel fibres decrease the
workability of concrete.
Poor-workability adversely affect the
compaction 0f concrete.
The workability of such concrete can be
improved by incresing water/cement ratio by
water reducing admixtures.
 MIXING:
Fibres should be mixed concrete thoroughly, to avoid bleeding of fibres
and segregation.
Mixing of fibres becomes difficult, when aspect ratio and volume of fiber
is more.
Typical proportions for fibre reinforced concrete are as under:
Cement content :325 to 500 kg/m3
w/c ratio :0.4 to 0.6
Maximum size of C.A:10mm
Sand content, % of total aggregate :50 to 100%
Air content :5 to 9%
Fibre content :0.5 to 2% by volume of mix
:steel-1% 78 kg/m3
:Glass-1% 25 kg/m
:Nylon-1% 12 kg/m3
 ADVANTAGES OF FRC:
Reduction in shrinkage and cracking.
Improvement in bond strength.
Better toughness.
Lower permeability of concrete.