What is fiber reinforced concrete?

[@TylerLey]

I made an updated version of this video. Check it out here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXm0h5ytrdarmrMsi=AlbzwdNrPQfpDpVR

[@davidsebastiancotesprieto1448]

I'm developing my master's degree tesis on this topic and academic stress helped to make me forget the beauty of this topic. Your passion, sir, gave me a fresh breath and remainded me this is AWESOME. Thank you for your video and keep on being a passionate concrete freak!

[@robertbarrett778]

Thats how you do a presentation; enthusiasm, clarity and no boring monotones. This Guy is so engaging, Thank You.

[@rickw4160]

I've had a garage floor that needed to make up a 1/2" gain in height- we mixed in fiber (fiberglass strand type) and trowed to a smooth finish. While not directly exposed to the elements, it has had cars, trucks, etc. worked on with jack stands, etc for over 10 years. still holding up well, in the freeze/thaw climate.

[@TylerLey]

Rick, Thanks so much for sharing this success story! Do you know how much fiber you used?

[@rickw4160]

Tyler, that will be a hard one, but I will try to check. it wasn't that much, because it was actually mixed by hand. I will try to find the left over packets of fiber, but I think it was roughly one ounce to 50lb dry, course sand, no klinker. I love your channel!

[@LizzyAshton-24]

I only wanted to see what a fiber cement looks like but I ended up watching the entire video lol. This is so informative and the way it is presented really made me interested. Thanks for this!

[@roboodonnell3224]

Thanks Tyler for your quality videos. I am a retired contractor now full time artissn / craftsman in deep play with cementious materials. I just recently did your channel and would like to express grattitude for your enthusiasm and willingness to share. Thanks

[@aussietaipan8700]

Hey Tyler, here is AU I came across fiberglass woven mat where the woven strands are every 2mm and is a 6 oz mat. I've used these in garden bed walls that can be walked on with heavy wheel barrows. 20 years on and not a crack. Basically I lay 30-40 cm of concrete then the first mat, another 40cm concrete and second mat and keep going to the relevant height required.

[@aravindbalaji7412]

We casted around 12 column using fiber reinforced concrete in both pcc and rcc. The fibers were actully prety coool. The cracks were minimised and ductility improved . We used 3d hookedend fibers.

[@MrFmiller]

Concrete tunnel liner segments use polyethylene fiber for fire protection. It does not hold the concrete together but rather melts allowing space for the concrete to expand without as much damage.

[@Giove83]

It was my grandfather who designed this with his friend and patented it. True story however I think it’s been changed over the years because it was done with stainless steel pins when they made it

[@davidh4374]

9000 BCE is when the basic idea was invented. Your grandfather's achievement would be exactly what you're implying there at the end, one specific combination of materials that isn't the same combination shown in this video.

[@bearfoot100]

Now, if I can just get my Home Builder, to get this excited about fiber. I really learned a lot from your videos.

[@ryszardbargiel7256]

Would be nice to know the advantages of using one fiber over another. Acrylic, pva, fiberglass, carbon, basalt.

[@TylerLey]

Ryszard, This is a good question. In my opinion there is not a lot of good data on this. Most testing has focused on the strength of the fiber reinforced concrete after it has cracked. I am not sure this is really what is important. I think it is better to focus on how well the fibers can keep the cracks small. Also, most of the testing is from external loading. Very little work has been done to investigate the performance in cracking from freeze thaw or drying shrinkage. While is known that the micro fibers only really help at early ages, no one has really quantified how much they help. We are starting to work a lot with fibers in my lab and so stay tuned for more details.

[@dancolombo6050]

@@TylerLey - I have a question concerning "Tarantula" - have You ever used it in the context of Recycled Agg Concrete?

[@Veldtian1]

@@avid0g Barchip Inc has the best plastic barchip reinforcement on the market, they seem to be the standard.

[@nahanom11]

@@Veldtian1 All the companies listed on the Fiber Reinforced Concrete Association (fiberreinforcedconcrete.org/) are great suppliers of quality plastic fibers. Check out the site!

[@avid0g]

I know basalt does not rust, expand, or corrode like steel, is ultimately stronger yet extremely brittle, failing abruptly. Specifically, basalt is less rigid (1/3) than steel rebar in the steel's elastic sense, but has a much higher ultimate strength. But when it does fails it does so abruptly and totally. There is little warning, so safe evacuation of structures is dependant on active monitoring of abnormal stress, which requires planning and fidelity. Basalt fabric has properties that have not been properly exploited by industry. It can be placed at the surface of concrete so that it's tensile strength minimizes initial cracking. However _prestressing basalt_ fabric has not been investigated enough.

[@saurabhtiwari2757]

Your way of teaching is amazing.. Really love it..

[@para2konrad]

Thanks to your videos some concepts concerning concrete just become easier to understand :)

[@MrPJBarney]

Hi, Mr. Ley. I have not used fibers in my projects, but for my civil engineering materials end of semester presentation, I may summarize some of the current research of fiber reinforced concrete. Your video has inspired me and helped me to select my topic.

[@papi7356]

Dr Ley, I have been getting push back from Contractors especially on slab on grade application. There argument is it is challenging to finish, like you showed on your video. I like the video it is truly helpful.

[@mullboll33]

Try adjusting the paste volume of your mix with fibers. Make a designated mix design with fiber built in. I find a 30-35% paste volume works well with typical macrofiber

[@mullboll33]

@lackoffkgivity most of these issues can be fixed with paste volume and using clean aggregate Also don’t throw all the fibers in at once. Do one bag at a time slowly

[@crazyoldhippieguy]

7-VII-2021.We artist have been using fibers in our clay plaster and concreat sence the the Renaissance, today we have green strenth and fired strenth fibers, in Malta my Greath Grand father pionerded the usage of fibers in concrete back in 1906. Much more to tell you about.

[@tonyhall4201]

Thanks for this video it has helped me advise my customer accurately

[@TylerLey]

Great!!!

[@Ariccio123]

After learning all about concrete over the past few years from watching and rewatching your videos (among others) I'm now standing here in Costco having an aneurysm that they didn't fiber reinforce their beautiful densified concrete floor! So many cracks!!!!

[@johanedduque]

Dear Professor Ley, thanks a lot for your video. Now that you talk about fibers we are making concrete, we are making concretes with Waste to Energy Ash, we use ash instead of sand and aggregates, this is big because all the ash is pozzolan. Concretes made with this type of waste are Photocatalytic meaning help breakdown air pollution and are impermeable and self-healing and yes, they have micro-reinforcement.

[@replyhere590]

Careful with ash, especially fly ash from coal burning electric plants. Home Depot learned that the hard way years ago near Richmond VA when their contractor used 30% fly ash in the foundation and floor slab for a new HD store. If memory serves, some of the metal shelving posts broke through the new floor when they stocked them. The entire building was condemned and razed so they could start over.

[@snort455]

Dude, this is the best into of any video on KZbin! You got style. U get right i to the subject.

[@clem95627]

Im going to use both Owens Corning 32-500 fibers and a fiberglass rebar grid in my wood stove hearth. Im hoping it will increase the strength and minimize cracks.

[@louisshambarger2230]

I specified fiber reinforced concrete once. It was a pad for a portable MRI at a hospital. It was moved from place tp place in a semitrailer. I wanted to keep iron or steel away from near it because that would affect the image and the machine would have to be “shimmed” or adjusted each time it was parked before it was used.

[@thomassutrina7469]

Have you considered for steel fibers using magnetic flux field to align the fiber direction. Example is iron particles on paper that have a magnetic field extending through the paper shows the alignment. So assume that you can lay the concrete into a form in the direction that you want the fiber majority to be aligned to. One way of aligning them is a use a tube with DC current flowing through wire wrapped around the tube. The flux field will be parallel to the axis of the tube and flow direction.

[@Wild_Bill57]

I would think the density of concrete would require a very strong magnetic field and that would draw the fibers to that side of the pour. Remember your example is in a very nonresistive medium(air) and the filings are being kept separated from the magnetic source by the (relatively) strong paper.

[@TylerLey]

Thanks Thomas! William is right, it is very hard to get the fibers to align where you want them to. Also you need a very strong magnet. However, maybe somebody can figure this out. Someone should try and make it happen.

[@jasonvoss1984]

Maybe magnetic alignment could work whilst the concrete is being vibrated, because everything would be more mobile. Interesting idea. Test it yourself and make a video :)

[@Kenzofeis]

@@jasonvoss1984 Or the magnetic field can be pulsed, this could even do the vibrators job.

[@revolution6133]

Metal in concrete is a bad idea especially in humid climates. Metal will expand and contract causing cracks. That and metal rusts like a bitch in concrete because of water.

[@lillianreid1878]

This was helpful. I want to pour concrete in a thin, half-inch mold, but Ai didn't know whether this would help. I guess it won't prevent it from cracking, but it might help it from splitting? I'll still try it out and see how much it helps.

[@williambreakiron2859]

We are pouring a 1 to 6 inch topping slab on a WWT plant containment SOG. 130 foot x 100 foot. 4 foot high containment wall all around. All concrete has rebar, topping slab has microfiber reinforcement. Trench drain along centerlines.

[@williambreakiron2859]

About 2200 cubic yards for the slab, equipment pads and steel support pads

[@majjood02]

Great video as usual! informative, brief and super interesting! Thanks Prof. Ley for sharing your knowledge and passion!!

[@TheArchicad]

Wow, you are genius, the way you explain something becomes super easy to understand.

[@joeblow6037]

We've been having good luck using large weave fiber sheets lain at 1" depths during the pour

[@fortacorp]

Love the video!!! Thanks for getting the word out on fibers! And FORTA is always willing to help with tips on finishing . We have seen many amazing finished floors over the years... that still look great!

[@TylerLey]

Thanks so much for the comments. Also, thanks for providing fibers for my students to use in my lab. It would be cool to learn more about finishing with fibers.

[@fortacorp]

@@TylerLey We have some finishing videos, but nothing as cool as yours! And many are out dated. We need to step it up...

[@martindekker8203]

Hey great info. What would you do for a Barndominium concrete slab where half the building will be habitable and concrete will be polished with underfloor heating and the other half will be garage/workshop.

[@luisluigiconcretellc9604]

We like to use micro fiber on our slabs regardless we have rebar or WWM -- have not tried @ a column and beam levels before... will look to try on our next pour

[@adamw2785]

A long long time ago, I saw a "futuristic wall" on a tv show, and it was just concrete with a lot of glass fibers in it, and in the day time, the wall would actually sorta glow as it let some light through it.

[@hamidrezar1040]

thank you dr ley . repeat and repeat and repeat . i must watch this 1000 times.

[@TylerLey]

Thank you for the awesome picture.

[@Wild_Bill57]

Tyler, it's been too long, glad to see this post AND it's on a question I ask you about quite awhile ago. Awesome video, worth the wait! Thanks for continuing to teach us about concrete. Never would have guessed how complex and interesting a subject, concrete is. Can't wait for more!

[@TylerLey]

Thanks for being patient William! I am glad you are enjoying the videos. Basalt/FRP rebar coming pretty soon.

[@cchemmes-seeseeart3948]

Thanks for the helpful videos. For building sculptures, I was hoping I could shred my own recycle plastics to use as macrofibers. Any reason not to do that?

[@gowtham313]

Can you share your insights on hempcrete and bamboo?

[@mattragas9635]

I'm addicted to Tyler! He's so awesome!! I wanna be a concrete freak too :)

[@Pharesm]

Hey Tyler, much thanks for all your information! I'm trying to line a cave I have on my farm with concrete, but without using steel... The alternative would be using the more than thousand year old method of combining wood and mud, as has proven successful in Europe, with those houses standing for over 1,000 years with only minor repairs...

[@woodyahh2110]

Idea for you Use a drywall texture gun / hopper to blow the cement on the walls It's called gunite/ shotcrete

[@tedscott]

Thought: if you poured a few inches of concrete, and then placed a sheet of fiberglass in the area of the most stress, and then repeated, concrete and glass sheets? This would be instead of random fibers, and would be in addition to rebar.

[@장범수-t6f]

Dear prof. Ley, My name is Jang. I'm college student in Korea, University of Seoul. I'M REALLY DOPPED in your channel about conc. Now, i'm in major of UHPC(Ultra high performance concrete) and its piezoresistivity. If you don't mind, would you upload a clip about UHPC on KZbin? Thank you for reading my direct message :)

[@joethomas1146]

clearly explained, thanks. I am trying to decide if i should use steel mesh or fibers in my 10 inch tubes for the footers under my shed. I am in savannah, so there is no frost line, and my footers are not very deep.

[@judysingh3611]

Thanks fir explaining about fibers. I make concrete flower pots, flowers, and crafts, etc. I put a lot of work and details in them and would like to make them stronger. Please yell me which is best to use. Many thanks!😊

[@ryanm8998]

Thanks so much for this video Tyler! I've been waiting for something like this and just happened to catch it within minutes of going up.

[@TylerLey]

Glad you liked it!!!

[@imtiazahmedmoolla7718]

Great channel. Thanks Prof How can we get hold of you if we have any questions.

[@Rezovate]

Thanks a lot Tyler. Love the way how you make complex topics simple. I had one question though. What if we use Glass fibre mesh instead of the fibres? Will it solve the alignment problem?

[@yodaiam1000]

A lot of engineers don't like specifying fibers since there is no code requirement and they don't want to increase construction expenses. You need an economic argument for the client to accept the specification. What are the economic advantages to fiber reinforces concrete? What is the relationship between fiber reinforcing and corrosion? Can fiber reinforcement help reduce corrosion in parkades where there is freeze-thaw and lots of salt?

[@TylerLey]

Thanks Andrew, I agree that more work needs to be done on this to get the data that you want. Right now the fiber companies are relying on engineers that want to create concrete with less cracks. It is like all the extras on an ice cream sundae beyond the ice cream. You don't need them but they sure make it better. I guess the question is whether cracking is important to your structure. If it is then you should consider adding fibers.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Lower rebar placement labor is why I'm starting to use it in residential foundations and walls. Going from a #5 12" mesh to 20lb a yard steel fiber if i remember right

[@designsinorbit]

Hi, I just had a 5" fiber reinforced concrete slab poured for my future garage. Do I need to wait a MONTH to stain and seal it? Thanks so much for any information!!!

[@daniallemons7028]

I worked in a mine that you would drive in and out of in vehicles with rubber tires. They use the shotcrete (concrete) with the steel fibers to reinforce the roof and walls of the mine. Many flat tires later, they stopped using steel fibers.

[@TylerLey]

Cool story but not cool for your tires. This would be a good application for macro synthetic fibers.

[@g.b5680]

I love adding microfibers to all my concrete and screeds. It's a costly habit but I love it and I have used it for years now.

[@nichiniker]

What about using magnetic fields or static charges to align the fibers as the concrete solidifies?

[@dominiquebarnes3262]

Reminds me of horsehair plaster! Is there a method of aligning the fibers to control the way they will support stress? Perhaps running some sort of comb through the wet concrete in a single direction?

[@almajohnson9646]

I us it all the time when finishing driveways & house slabs.

[@Blizake54]

I need to patch several pot holes in a parking lot. The traffic is light but there is forklift, 4000Lb, and tractor trailer deliveries. Would fiber reinforce concrete say 4-6 inches in the bottom of the pothole with asphalt patch on top work? This is in a desert environ, southern Utah, very little rain and hotter than hell in the summer.

[@mars009]

Starting looking at replacing my driveway in northern climate, and the contractor says he uses sika micro fiber in mesh + dowel steel rebar. Not knowing what any of that meant, and coming from warmer climate, I thought a steel fiber mesh was necessary, but seems tech has changed a ton

[@youdhagarnacharry4026]

Thank you for your good information, we're keep an eyes for these good knowledge soon.

[@ramblin_man23]

Micro fibers= cracks 1-6 hours Macro fibers= cracks days to years I used to be a driver now I'm a batch man so I'm watching all your videos on concrete so I can sound smarter 😁

[@hippo-potamus]

And how exactly do you ensure even distribution of the fibers in the mix?

[@pantsharad]

Can we use old cloths and torn them into pieces and use them as fiber to make fiber cement?

[@faqadyousuf2073]

I used microfiber to test its influence on mitigating autogenous shrinkage but I got negative results. It seems the kind of fiber I used increase the self desiccation of cement paste.

[@ehsnils]

Suggestion for coming video - how to repair old concrete with new. The problem often seen is that the repair cracks off from the old concrete, like when an outdoor concrete staircase is repaired.

[@TylerLey]

Are you talking about the new concrete pulling away from the old?

[@hasanshirazi9535]

You need to use an epoxy resin concrete bonding agent (e.g. Nitobond EP from FOSROC) to bind old and new concrete.

[@BilalHussain-yd6ck]

Hello Tyler Ley @2:20 you said fibers do not stop the cracks from forming. How I think of it is, macro-fibers do not stop the macro-cracks from forming and micro-fibers do not stop the micro-cracks from forming. But macro-fibers added with micro-fibers can help a lot. Micro-fibers will help the micro-cracks to not propagate into macro-cracks. This is just my opinion. What do you think about this? Would love to hear from you. Thanks.

[@robertdunn3500]

Do you have any suggestions for concrete roofs

[@subirnath4229]

Sir, recently heard that, colloidal silica use in concrete as an admixture. My question is why colloidal silica use? And what is the optimal dosage of colloidal silica in concrete mix design?....thanks for educated us for make better concrete...

[@TylerLey]

Thaks subi, I hope to make a video about this someday. These are all good questions!

[@subirnath4229]

Thanx for quick response....🙏🙏🙏

[@Ifeelgreat68]

Is there fibers like piano wires that you can place like rebar then mix the other fibers into the concrete?

[@niyelmartinez7774]

can you make a video explaining the amount of rebar spacing in a balcony ?

[@mikecochrane2074]

hey Tyler. I'm a concrete finisher and so glad i found your channel. question:. why would my concrete driveway crack right next to a control joint months after we poured it. thanks.

[@AlexPadula-l5c]

What would be best for a wood oven structure to take heat and fire?

[@zamanamir4319]

Can you make any cost comparison of using various fibers and rebars?

[@jscancella]

Can you do a video about no slump or compacted concrete? Specifically using something like roller compacted concrete for residential home building

[@longarche1717]

Would it be smart to add a top coat of some sort of using fiber-reinforced concrete for residential floors (without any tile or other additional surface materials)?

[@RoughRidersTV]

Great video, very helpful. Thanks for posting.

[@shenoyglobal]

If you mix these helix fiber along with Rebar.. will it be much more stronger? than just rebar pour

[@bl7355]

How do glass fibre concretes stand up against extreme conditions such as earthquakes when compared to regular concrete?

[@bonanzatime]

I first saw and heard and about fibers in 1993. My understanding was that it was a replacement for concrete wire (the 6"x6" grid wire about 5' wide that comes rolled up and a pain in the ass to handle; yeah that concrete wire).?. Which is used to resist shrinkage and freeze/thawing cracks, not necessarily loads. That's what the rebar is for..? what do you say about that?

[@dennispope8160]

Thanks for all your videos, I am planning a workshop build and every concrete contractor has a different idea of what would be best. Educating myself with your videos are helpful through this process. Do you have any videos or insight on how in Slab radiant heat with under slab insulation effects concrete? Thanks again.

[@TylerLey]

Thanks Dennis, I don't but that is a good idea for the future.

[@mikedsjr]

Thanks! I have a client who wants to use CFRC cladding on a building with purposeful placed holes in the concrete. How will this affect the concrete?

[@enotdetcelfer]

Here's the question though... why do they use loose, mixed-in macro fibers instead of woven cloth with pre-tension? we already do pretension with rebar on foundations and bridges etc. I imagine if they did that with the fiber, ie putting some fiber tow into the concrete and applying tension during curing... wouldn't that be a simple step to ad a whole lot more toughness?

[@saqlainhaider5]

Should we use fibre by volume or by weight while casting cylinders for research

[@derp1198]

Best channel! Thanks a lot for the knowledge!!

[@tillman002000]

Can you still seal micro fiber concrete. I recently had a patio poured and it has microfibers. I can see them. It is also dusting due to poor prep by my contractor. This is why I want to seal it. I greatly appreciate any response and knowledge.

[@bisaular5333]

I am planning to make a small drainage. 50 ft in length, 6 inches wide, 2 inches side wall, and 1 inch thick. Do i need these fibers or should i just use 1"x1" wire mesh?

[@sherifnabil9663]

Wanna pick your brain on this subject. so what if rebar corrodes? I read somewhere that only the exterior surface corrodes but the rebar core remains strong. The surface corroded layer also prevents the core from getting corroded. So is rebar corrosion really cause of concern for structural failure? Thanks in advance and hope to hear your thoughts on this!

[@fahimfahim4148]

Hi, can we used bumboo in building ringfourcment? How it possible to make a building beam, colam and slab.

[@nainka11]

Is it a good solution for cracked concrete bases..........ie addding to a mortar mix and then place in the cracks?

[@kevintaylor8832]

helpful, where do i buy concrete fiber?

[@Fredflinstone23]

Can we use post tension cable+rebar+fiber reinforcement?

[@ScottHiler]

What type of fibers should I use when making concrete Atlas Stones for strongman challenges/competitions? These range in size from 10" to 24" in diameter. Was looking at Basalt and Polypropylene - either of these better than the other for an application like this? And what length of fiber - seeing 19mm, 36mm and 50mm as options from Amazon suppliers. Thanks!

[@christopherburnside796]

Do you put a thin layer of concrete without fibers, for example, in a mold, then add more with fibers? Otherwise, the fibers may be seen on the surface.

[@baldrick2352]

I worked for a company which made concrete pipes and we used fibre in the manufacture. It was called...asbestos. That was very tough cement with a very long life. (Longer than some of my colleagues)

[@mannyapp1214]

What do you think about hollow block with concrete for big project flooring verses concrete a

[@bahnamceramigres4431]

would be happy to know the pros and cons of GFRC vs UHPC

[@jordandayton]

Is it a good idea to have fiber-reinforced concrete on a post-tension court? Or not necessary at all?

[@rizvabahrum3779]

Hey Tyler! I have a question regardinf how to reinforce concrete object. Let's say I'll make weight plate with 45cm diameter and 5cm thickness with hole in the center. What if I add steel chicken wire surounding the plate plus Chopped Stranded Mat fiberglass on the mixing. Will they make a better strength or just use either one instead? Thanks in advance.

[@dougsandford]

I live near the beach where much of soil is sandy. Also, it is wet. I leve near wetlands, maybe 50 feet from where I wanrt to put a concrete pad for a carport/garage. ANt recommendations, tips on things a rookie like me needs to look out for in terms of fiber, or rebar. Any tips at all?

[@firearmsstudent]

What if you added a sheath of reinforcing material around the concrete, like covering it in carbon fiber composite, creating a honeycomb. The composite would take the normal forces and the concrete could be the web and take the shear forces. Aerospace engineer here, so I don't know diddly squat about concrete, just wondering.

[@jimmystuckey1412]

You should see what they do when they go through a impact crusher. The mono fibers will fuzz up and kinda float when they turn loose The steel ones separate more and when they come under the magnet it looks like it’s raining needles

[@Southernburrito]

I need to make some concrete plate weights for workout lifting purposes 🏋🏼. Some sold molds come with a metal loop & what appears to be plastic fibers. I’ve seen dudes use rebar. I heard of some kind of a metal mesh being used. I imagine it was 2 pieces cut to weight size, 1 placed after the initial surface layer of concrete is applied, & a second piece applied more towards the top beneath the top finishing layer of concrete. I imagine I’ll spray finish them with rubberized flex spray. I also imagine I’ll replace the pvc inserts with steel. Any suggestions if plastic or metal fibers would work better? Should I use rebar or mesh as well? I’ll definitely have to buy a scale due to additions altering dimensions of weight density distributions. Thanks for the info 👍🏻

[@that_guy_right_there_2945]

Interesting! What are your recommendations for a concrete counter top, interested in the mixture recommendations.

[@julianchoque7402]

super light concrete could potentially benefit from fibers: organic, natural, metalic , wich will last longer? concrete absorbs humidity and stores it?