Fiber for concrete: properties, application

Fiber is an auxiliary building material, which are synthetic fibers used to micro -targeting concrete structures. Fiber is often also added to dry mixtures and solutions in order to increase their properties and characteristics. With the advent of this material, the developers got rid of a large part of the trouble associated with pouring concrete, now numerous processes have significantly accelerated and simplified, and the finished objects have become more reliable and durable. What is a fiber for concrete, what species exist, how is it used correctly and what are its advantages?

Content:

Why is fiber used for concrete

In modern construction, such universal and proven material as concrete is widely used. This is explained by the properties of concrete, such as:

strength;
durability;
the ability to use for the construction, installation and decoration of various objects;
low cost.

Concrete is good in many respects and an analogue has not yet been invented. Despite the abundance of new materials, it still does not go out of use and will be in demand for more than one decade. But at the same time, concrete has its own shortcomings. With constant and intensive loads, under the influence of weather factors, wind and moisture, with temperature changes and shrinkage, this material is subject to mechanical damage, such as cracking and destruction. In particular, the edges and places of compounds of the elements of concrete structures suffer. To increase the strength of concrete, improve its structure and extend the life of microfiber fibers is added to the solution due to this excellent building material becomes even better.

Advantages of concrete connection to microfiber

When reinforcing concrete, Fiberia receives such valuable qualities:

plasticity and viscosity, which makes more convenient, quick and easy work with it;
frost resistance;
water resistance;
lack of deformation after solidification;
abrasion resistance;
strength and durability.

In what areas are the fiber uses

The areas of application of fibers are practically unlimited like concrete.

It is used for the construction of concrete road surfaces and sites, hydraulic facilities (pools, drains, water channels and reservoirs), bridges and piles for them, filling the foundation, fragmentation and plastering, erecting monolithic structures and industrial premises (hangars, warehouses, trading halls) .

It is also used in the manufacture of figured cast products of any shape and size, which allows you to create original architectural designs for decorating buildings.
Often, a solution, which contains polypropylene, glass, basalt or other fibers, decorate the facades of the building, since the concrete completely does not change its appearance, but at the same time it becomes more plastic, it holds the shape better and does not destroy for a long time. Thanks to the use of fiber, the deformation, cracking and chips on the edges of concrete joints and prefabricated structures can be prevented.

What are the varieties of fiber

The following varieties are distinguished depending on raw materials and sizes.

Glass fibra. This type is used only for hotel and decorative work, so the fibers quickly become fragile and are not able to withstand a large load in concrete structures. When these fiberglass are added to the solution, the consumption of cement and water is significantly saved by 15 and 20%, respectively. Consumption per square meter of concrete on average one kilogram.

Fiber basalt. The main advantages of this variety: non -combustibility of the material, non -toxicity, resistance to aggressive chemicals. The peculiarity of the fibers is that when connecting with cement, they completely dissolve in it and increase its strength. Due to its characteristics, the basalt fiber can be used to build heat -resistant concrete structures. A one square meter of concrete is consumed from 1.5 kg of material. The consumption of cement and water is reduced when using basalt fiber is also by 15 and 20 %.
Polypropylene fiber for concrete. This variety of material has excellent technical characteristics, increases the strength of concrete at times, does not form cracks and is very durable without reducing its properties and qualities. Most often used for a dry floor screed, installation of walls and foundation. The material consumption per square meter is approximately 1 kg.
Steel fiber for concrete. The most popular and often used type of material, as it can provide unlimited possibilities in construction. Gives buildings and structures high strength and resistance to external influences, reliability and durability. Material consumption per square meter from 30 to 40 kg.

Fiber Anchor. This material is pieces of wire, added to concrete, if you need to design bends of buildings and other structures, gives the design additional strength. One square meter of concrete requires 20 to 40 kg of material. The consumption of cement and water is reduced by 15 and 20 %.

Also, a fiber is depending on the purpose and the scope of use of different sizes 6, 10, 12, 18 and 20 mm in length and from 0.3 to 0, 5 mm in diameter. To work with various materials by concrete, plaster, dry mixtures and solutions, various types of fiber are designed.

How and where the fiber is used depending on the length

Manufacturers have not in vain developed several different options for the length of this material.

Small fiber 6 mm It is used to increase the strength and improve the geometric shape when working with mixtures such as cement, sand, gypsum, in plaster and grouting mixtures, as well as when working with foam concrete.
Fiber for concrete size in 12 mm They are used to strengthen and increase the strength of various floor slabs, non-avoiding gas and foam concrete, for bulk floors of concrete and foundations, piles, hollow concrete structures, hydraulic facilities.

The largest fiber with fibers length 18-20 mm Designed to work with heavy and especially heavy concrete, which are kneaded with the addition of a large filler of crushed stone, gravel, coarse sand. It is indispensable in the construction of bridges, laying the road surface and other overall structures that require increased strength and resistance to mechanical influences.

Fiber knit technology

In order to combine fiber with cement, gypsum and other mixtures, in addition to the materials themselves, a concrete mixer or a solution of mixer and water. There are several ways to knead the solution. As a rule, the following technology is most often used.
Initially, dry raw materials cement, sand, gravel or their mixture, fiber fibers are filled into the concrete mixer - then water is added in accordance with the proportions indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

It is not recommended to violate these proportions. With a too thick solution, it will be difficult to work, and excessively liquid will give a large shrinkage, will become fragile and quickly give cracks. To prepare the solution, from 5 to 10 minutes of mixing is required. If it is desirable to increase the elasticity of the material, a plasticizer is also added to the mixture. Sometimes fiber is shut up precisely in the plasticizer, and not the water before adding to the cement mixture.
When a small amount of material is required, kneading can be done using a mixer. Sometimes another technology for preparing a construction mixture is used. At first, the fiber is filled with water. After the fibers are evenly distributed throughout the volume, they are connected with cement.
Fiber consumption for concrete depends on what purposes the solution will be used. So, 30 kg/m3, and for walls about 50-55 kg/m3, is enough for the floors.

Additional Information

On the sale of a fiber is available to the consumer in packages of various volumes from one to twenty kilograms. Small packages are packed in addition to corrugated pallets made of dense polyethylene. Packages can be both plastic or paper. If we talk about the use of material, it is much more convenient to use it in paper packaging. When kneading the solution, it is not necessary to open and remove it, or you can immediately lay it in a concrete mixer. In the process of connecting dry mixtures and water and stirring, the paper package will completely dissolve. Such packages are called water permeable and are very popular among builders.
The finished mixture, which contains a fiber, is convenient to serve. This method is used in the development of overall structures and structures to accelerate the process.

Sometimes, after solidifying on the surface of the concrete, you can notice separate adopting hairs. If no finish coating is planned anymore, the hairs are soldered with fire using a special lamp. If a paint or other finishing material is applied on top, it is recommended to leave protruding villi. Thanks to this technique, increased adhesion of a concrete surface with an external coating is ensured.
To obtain a high -quality solution, which will ensure, after solidification, the required effect is important to accurately observe the dosage provided for by a special GOST. The duration of mixing is also important. Typically, time is calculated according to a very simple formula: by the time required for mixing in the apparatus of a cement mortar without a fiber, another 15 %should be added if the fiber is added. That is, if mixing the base solution should last ten minutes, when the fiber is added, the time will increase by another one and a half minutes.
When developing large industrial facilities to save time, the solution is often kneaded in automobile mixers. In this case, packages with fiber are placed in a mixer along with other components. While the car reaches the destination, the mixture will be completely ready. In the event that the fiber is added to the finished cement mortar located in a car mixer, the stirring time for full distribution will be from five to eight minutes.

Polypropylene fiber is often used by architects and sculptors to create small figures and decor elements cast in forms. With its help, you can give additional strength to gypsum products. Often it is acquired for artistic creation at home.
Thanks to such universal material as fiber fiber, you can get several more advantages: if the concrete is poured into the formwork, then you should not worry about its deformation or cracking after the formwork is removed. It is much more convenient to control and adjust the spreading of a cement mortar during shrinkage if a fiber of any variety was added to it. And after its solidification, the so -called cement milk will never appear on the surface.

Buy fiber for concrete

Many are surprising why the price of a fiber for concrete is so varied. The cost is determined, first of all, based on how the material is made. The most expensive those for which the polypropylene synthetic fibers were used. The most affordable steel and wires. But, given the large consumption of the latter, it is hardly possible to save something. Therefore, it is worth choosing a type of fiber not in price, but in its qualities and purpose.

The manufacturer and the region also plays an important role. The same variety of different brands can vary significantly in price. If building materials are delivered from afar, the price for them can increase significantly.

A fiber for concrete of any kind is indispensable in modern construction, today no installation of reinforced concrete and other structures is complete without this material. As a conclusion, we can say that its main advantage is the ability to give strength to concrete and other materials.

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