What is fiber reinforced concrete?

Fiber reinforced concrete (aka fibre reinforced concrete) is an essential method of reinforcing for complicated and thin members. However, fiber reinforced concrete can also be very helpful to maintain small cracks. These small cracks help with both the aesthetics and the durability of the concrete. The video explains the use of both macro and micro fibers. It explains the differences between these two materials and also shows their performance in concrete. Examples of plastic fibers, glass fibers, steel fibers, and polypropylene fibers are also shown in reinforced concrete.
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A huge thanks to Hailey Goodale, my director of awesome, for editing this video.

[@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!

[@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

[@Samkrisha]

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!

[@robertbarrett778]

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

[@majjood02]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!!!

[@TheArchicad]

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

[@bearfoot100]

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

[@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...

[@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

[@saurabhtiwari2757]

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

[@para2konrad]

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

[@mandyb423]

Thanks again Tyler for the great videos!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@RoughRidersTV]

Great video, very helpful. Thanks for posting.

[@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 😁

[@derp1198]

Best channel! Thanks a lot for the knowledge!!

[@PriyankaGupta-zt3jj]

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?

[@united3689]

Thanks alot for that 101- couldnt have hoped for a better explanation of FRC!

[@snort455]

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

[@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.

[@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!!!!

[@HergerTheJoyous]

I'm doing more testing but I added exfoliated graphite to my aircrete mix and it is amazing! One of my viewers asked me to do a freeze and thaw test and I'm on day three and no change or degrading in strength. It also doubled the compressive strength. Crazy!

[@TylerLey]

Cool! Graphite and Graphene are getting more economical.

[@HergerTheJoyous]

@@TylerLey I made my own exfoliated graphite. It's a little dangerous but I can make quite a bit for my tests and I don't have to wait to receive it.

[@hamidrezar1040]

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

[@TylerLey]

Thank you for the awesome picture.

[@tonyhall4201]

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

[@TylerLey]

Great!!!

[@youdhagarnacharry4026]

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

[@anirudhcr]

Thanks for this video. Really informative!

[@kiranpatil6414]

Thank you so much for this video sir its really helpful to me.

[@mattragas9635]

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

[@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!😊

[@reejakamath863]

Gave us a lot of confidence to fill a woodfire chimney vent on steel roof. Good explanation. Can i send u a photo after the work gets over?

[@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.

[@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

[@muhammadadeel5008]

Thanks your videos help me alot.

[@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.

[@joeblow6037]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@Jean.34]

That is an amzing video. Very informative. I have been doing a research latley about MDF cement which actually can be a potential solution. In addition to that, using Nano Structure cement has a greater potential which has tensile strength more than steel.

[@bhanvarchandmeena7847]

Hi

[@jscancella]

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

[@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)

[@abdelrahman8826]

your explain is very good thank you

[@demesewmereid9147]

thank you thank you because you respond to my questins which has been in my mind . You are really smart 100% thanks

[@rajbuildcon1397]

Tyler I'm a new subscriber to your channel, I be great full if you can do a video on fiberglass rebar vs steel rebar

[@lawrencemwai9316]

Great content..love it

[@khaldounrahal3306]

Thanks for your efforts

[@TylerLey]

Thanks!

[@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.

[@husnod]

Brilliant video thanks Tyler! I've just inspected a commercial building that is made of what I think is a straw-reinforced concrete. I can't find any information online about this to help me advise the buyer. Can you help? I have photos available...

[@that_guy_right_there_2945]

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

[@jameswyatt1304]

Another great video in the series! Also some good concrete tech videos on Practical Engineering. Y'all both do great work and I'm looking forward to more.

[@TylerLey]

Thanks James!!! It is awesome to be compared to Practical Engineering.

[@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.

[@user-sn1eo9sj5g]

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 :)

[@sighpocket5]

Nice!!! ( awesome as always!!)

[@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?

[@lauravitale9486]

Great video! Have you ever checked out Helix Micro Rebar? You should! Great stuff!!

[@jayveemanlutac3492]

Great video sir. We’re planning on using carbon-reinforce-concrete or condesed-silica-fume-concrete to be our thesis title. But I think our professor would declined it because it’s gaining popularity now and probably lots research are already been there. Can you suggest some materials to be used in our research relating to improving of concrete some sort of things that may be new or unique. Thank you very much! 😊

[@rudyrudy4290]

Pre kumusta thesis niyo?

[@sudanusnet]

Really good video I love it >>>>>> thank you

[@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?

[@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.

[@elemenop2741]

Awesome video

[@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?

[@paulinbrooklyn]

I’m a relatively new subscriber to your excellent channel. I therefore don’t know if you’ve covered this elsewhere, but I have a question about the global sand shortage. I’ve seen beach sand vs. desert sand under a microscope and understand very well how the former is infinitely preferable for making concrete over the latter, but couldn’t excellent concrete be made with desert sand (of which there is no shortage whatsoever) plus micro fibers plus macro fibers?

[@oligould8575]

also... if we put desert sand into the sea, does it become beach sand over time?

[@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?

[@johnfleming7879]

I worked on a new warehouse, we used fibered concrete with fiberglass and8x9 wire reinforcing. There was something special about the concrete besides the fiber, but I forgot what that was.

[@shahulhameedbatharudeen4371]

Thanks Very good knowledge

[@dustineldreth2102]

I am using your knowledge and article to help write a paper in my materials class. Do you have any good advice for a young Environmental Engineering student? I have found your videos and background very inspirational.

[@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.

[@snowwolf8186]

What is you thought on Helix Steel as used in Pensmore manor?

[@amad8099]

Brilliant stuff

[@karelarecipes8693]

Hi Tyler , have you done any studies on using mica powder in the fiber concrete to improve properties ??

[@mohamedabdelalim896]

Thanks Tyler

[@bahnamceramigres4431]

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

[@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

[@firemann16]

I have an outdoor pathway, I'm using 6 sack concrete mixing myself. I would like to have these pathways about 1 inch thick. From your video's I think both wire mesh and microfibers would work best? Steps I will use: integrate microfibers in the wet concrete, pour a 1/2 inch put the wire mesh down, then pour the top coat? Is that the best method?

[@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.

[@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.

[@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)?

[@mohamedthasneem7327]

Thank you very much brother

[@jibranjilani1947]

Thank you so much.

[@faqadyousuf2073]

Thanks for this professor

[@TylerLey]

Thanks for watching!

[@Papiiswagg]

Can you elaborate on being careful when you finish? Is it just making sure the fibers dont stick out?

[@almajohnson9646]

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

[@BilalHussain-yd6ck]

Hello Tyler Ley @<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="140">2:20</a> 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.

[@BanBiofuels]

Can glass macrofibers be used in ICF wall construction to eliminate rebar, which rusts over time? Would glass macrofibers last longer than rebar?

[@imtiazahmedmoolla7718]

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

[@tonyhawk123]

Any benefit to using both micro and macro fibres in the same concrete? Any advancements on best known fibres since this video was made? Cheers!

[@benjaminho4290]

Super understandable!

[@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.

[@zamanamir4319]

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

[@WiltopiaDomestead]

is there any reason that I can't use radiant floor heat (pex ) in a steel fiber reinforced concrete slab on grade? Also, any idea where I can find a good resource on how much steel fiber to use based on my pad size while trying to avoid contraction joints?