Challenges & Applications
Fibre-reinforced concrete with numerous advantages
Fibres have been used since ancient times to improve the material properties of building materials. At that time, for example, plant or animal fibres were added to the production of clay bricks and clay tiles to make the material behaviour more ductile. Nowadays, fibres play a particularly important role in concrete construction. The addition of fibres significantly improves the hardened concrete properties. This is due to the fact that fibres bridge any cracks in the concrete tensile zone and transfer the forces across the crack flanks. As a result, fibres in the concrete matrix also increase the tensile, bending and shear load-bearing capacity and are very effective in limiting the crack width. These advantages of fibre-reinforced concrete can be used to optimise component cross-sections and conventional steel reinforcement. The result is not only economic savings, but also sustainable advantages.
Fibre-reinforced concrete for sustainable construction
Modern concretes with sustainability requirements must fulfil not only physical but also functional requirements. When using reinforcing steel, for example, reference is made to its energy-intensive production, heavy weight and cost-intensive transport. With regard to the sustainability of buildings, however, the energy advantage is particularly important. Fibres, especially polymer fibres, contribute to CO2 reduction as their production requires significantly less energy than steel.
By partially or completely replacing reinforcing steel with fibres, lightweight and slender components can also be produced. These are produced without the time-consuming laying of steel mesh. This saves time, energy and labour on the construction site.
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