TUF-STRAND SF - Structural Synthetic Fibers

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Structural Fibers for Concrete Reinforcement

A presentation to Engineers, Owners, Contractors, Producers, Architects and Specifiers interested in macro-synthetic fibers and the use of Fiber Reinforced Concrete

by: Michael Mahoney The Euclid Chemical Company

Introduction

Fiber reinforced concrete and shotcrete are now becoming a viable alternative (economic and technical) to conventional reinforcement in concrete applications However, national and local specifications do not provide guidance (and sometimes, even a reference) to their use as a replacement for structural steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete New Synthetic Fibers Pre-Cast Concrete Slab on Grade Concrete Shotcrete Special Notes

Presentation Topics

What is Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC)?

FRC is a mixture of: Conventional Concrete (cement, water, rock and sand) + Fibers what type of fibers should I use?

Fibers can be made available in many different material types: Steel Synthetic - polypropylene, nylon, carbon, polyester, aramid, etc. Natural (cellulose) Glass (alkali resistant)

Why Use Fibers?

Before knowing which fibers to use, it is necessary to understand what they do and where to use them. Over the past 20 years, R&D in the field of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) has shown that steel and new synthetic fibers can provide a better reinforcing alternative than welded wire mesh and light bar reinforcing (sometimes at lower cost as well).

Additional benefits

toughness, impact resistance, fatigue endurance, freeze-thaw resistance, abrasion resistance, etc.
All proven from standards tests and applied research: ASTM C 1018 Flexural Toughness Test Method ASTM C 1399 Residual Strength Factors ASTM C 1550 Round Determinate Panels etc..

Why Use Fibers cont.

Problems encountered with WWM: Fabricating cages for complicated shapes, thin walls Cage placement in forms Labor costs Corrosion and durability issues Warehousing of rebar and mesh Safety

Compacting/consolidating heavily reinforced pieces

and of course - the price of steel!

The Industry Today

By todays standards, the macro fiber industry (steel and synthetic) is estimated to be between $100 to $160 Million dollars per year.

Approvals have been granted in the following areas for complete replacement of steel for the following products:

Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia - septic tanks Georgia - manhole risers and flared end sections Canada - septic tanks Quebec, Virginia - poured foundation walls
plus: engineered approvals for industrial floors, elevated decks, shotcrete applications, tilt-up projects, etc.

How Do Fibers Work in Concrete?

How can a whole bunch of short little toothpicks do the same job as rebar?

tiny little hairs

big, strong bars

Fibers actually provide the same function as conventional reinforcing prevent cracks that form in concrete from opening - the key is how much.

How Fibers Work cont.

All fibers behave differently in concrete. It therefore is important to understand the properties and benefits of each and how they work.

Always remember: You get what you pay for!

fiber failure

matrix cracking fiber / matrix debonding fiber bridging

fiber pull-out

Micro Fibers

Fibers for Plastic Shrinkage Only

Mostly the Domain of Synthetic Fibers at Low Fiber Addition Rates (0.1 to 0.3% Vol.) 1 to 3 lb/yd

Fibers have been shown to reduce plastic shrinkage cracking by up to 80-90% by providing concrete with early tensile strength and by intercepting and arresting cracks as they travel through concrete.

Beyond Plastic Shrinkage

Protection against plastic shrinkage cracking in concrete can be properly managed with the use of commercially available products but what happens beyond the initial set of concrete when these low volume fiber products or improperly placed WWM reinforcing alternatives are challenged by other loading conditions?

Drying Shrinkage Thermal Induced Shrinkage (thermal shock, seasonal) Structural (static and live loads, reflective, creep) Chemical (corrosion, ASR, DEF)

Resistance is characterized by Toughness

Macro fibers

Large fibers are too far apart to arrest, deflect or modify the behavior of micro-cracks in any significant way.

No good for shrinkage control

Will affect only post-cracking behavior

steel or synthetic fiber lengths usually greater than 1 (25 mm)

Bridging the Gap

For most applications, what is truly desired is a combination of plastic shrinkage resistance and good toughness that could provide some structural component over time. Products can be combined (WWM and low denier and/or blended fibers) in concrete to achieve this but it is ultimately the responsibility of the owner / specifier to decide what is required. Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant effort to develop such synthetic products that combine plastic shrinkage protection, toughness and load carrying capabilities while eliminating the need for WWM and its costly side effects. Structural Fibers
Note: new fibers must comply to standards such as ASTM C1116

Synthetic Fiber Typical Comments

Ive seen these fibers before get out the lawnmower! I used these twenty years ago and I still got cracks! You want me to put how much of that stuff in my concrete?!

In reality, the new synthetic fibers available on the market today are capable of competing directly with steel fibers and welded wire mesh in a wide variety of applications for primary reinforcing requirements.

Issues: Higher reinforcing volumes than conventional synthetic fibers Workability and slump of concrete do not add water!

Synthetic Fiber Performance

Testing of many Synthetic Fibers is currently being done at Universities and private research companies.

ASTM C1116 C1018 C1399 C1550

other tests: impact fatigue creep scaling resistance plastic shrinkage toughness etc.

Fiber Performance cont.

Project: Date: Beam Type: Subject: Synthetic Fiber Comparisons March 19,2002 Synthetic Fibers @ 4.6 & 6.9 kg/m^3 ASTM C 78 and ASTM C 1018 with combined Toughness Levels (Morgan) at 28 Days

7 6

SnFRC1 @ 4.6 kg/m

SnFRC1 @ 6.9 kg/m

5 Stress (MPa)
Level V

4 3 2 1 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Deflection (mm) 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Level IV Level III Level II

Level I

Sample No.

Defl. @ Specimen Cross-Section Max. 1st crack (mm) 0.047 0.044 Base (mm) 102.3 104.2 Height (mm) 100.4 100.0

Flexural I5 3.71 4.12

Load Strength (kN) 24.15 22.39 (MPa) 7.03 6.45

ASTM C - 1018 Toughness Indices I10 6.52 6.96 I20 9.90 12.69 I30 13.88 18.77 I60 26.68 38.29 R5,10

ASTM C - 1018 Residual Strength Factors R10,20 33.78 57.24 R20,30 39.85 60.84 R30,60 42.67 65.07

Toughness JSCEt Performance (MPa) 3.22 4.40 Levelsx III-IV V

SnFRC 1 @ 4.6 kg/m SnFRC 1 @ 6.9 kg/m

56.19 56.94

* Value measured in the unstable zone

t x

Japanese Society for Civil Engineering University of British Columbia Toughness Performance Level Approach ( Dr. D. R. Morgan )

Fiber Performance cont. (2)

90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
Load (kN)

7 kg/m3 synthetic fiber with WWM reinforcing along potential cold joint

7 kg/m3 synthetic fiber

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 15 30 45 60 75 Deflection (mm) 90 105 120 135 150

4x4 8/8 WWM 40 kg/m3 steel fiber type #1 5 kg/m3 synthetic fiber

Fiber Performance cont. (3)

Steel vs. Synthetic Fibers

Although steel fibers provide excellent toughness and structural consideration, there are some issues with these materials that will may cause concern. Corrosion Steel fibers will lose crack bridging properties over time where exposed to moisture and/or chloride. Even on uncracked concrete rust staining from steel fibers is a major impediment to use - can be an aesthetics issue. Safety Steel fibers are stiff and sharp and can become be a safety hazard Wear and Tear Steel fibers cause wear and tear on certain pieces of equipment -Pumps, hoses, mixing units.

Pumping & Mixing Steel fiber length is limited to portion of hose diameter affects performance

Replacement of Specified Steel Reinforcing

Traditional engineering design must provide for reinforcement in most concrete products

Specified reinforcing levels have been based on moment, stress and/or minimum temperature and shrinkage requirements the most of which have been pre-defined in many Codes and publications.

If documented evidence for FRC can be shown that matches required performance with steel, can fibers be used? Note: In the past, micro fibers have been specified as replacement to WWM but it has now been proven that these fibers have no structural capacity or resistance to crack width opening.

Pre-Cast Concrete

steps curbs

tanks

pipes

manholes covers

Advantages of Fibers in Pre-Cast

Economic Advantages

Significant decrease in production cycle time Reduced labor costs Reduction in breakage and repair costs Elimination of the potential for corrosion

Technical Advantages

Crack - prevention Increased ductility and flexural toughness Good impact resistance Prevention of concrete spalling

but how do you design with fibers for structural reinforcement ?

Pre-Cast Design Assumptions

b

For pre-cast concrete, the relationship of bending moment capacities is used.

a d As

C T

Using data from ASTM C1399, a test method for fiber reinforced concrete, the moment capacity of FRC can be determined.

s = Mf y / I

By equating the moment capacity of the steel section to the capacity of the fiber reinforced concrete, we can establish dosages for equal performance.

Mr = fs As Fy (d-a/2)
s requirement fiber dosage

Pre-Cast - Design Example

Thin wall section of element contains 6x6 6/6 reinforcing placed at middepth of a 3 (75 mm) wall section. Concrete strength is 4000 psi (28 MPa), Steel reinforcing strength is Imperial Grade 60 60,000 psi. The contractor would like to replace this steel with synthetic fibers. What fiber dosage and type would be applicable? lbs/yd3

Pre-Cast Solution

Mr = (0.9) (0.058

in2/ft)

0.134 in (60,000 psi) 1.5 in 2

= 4487 in lbs

set this value equal to the required synthetic fiber performance

s=

(4487 in lbs) (1.5 in) (1/12) (12 in) (3 in)3

= 249 psi

therefore;
ARS value = 249 psi

Fiber dosage must provide an Average Residual Strength test result (from ASTM C1399) of 249 psi.

Fiber Dosage Solution

Average Residual Strength vs. Deflection
4.0 3.5 3.0

Stress (MPa)

2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 Deflection (mm) 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0

sample curve

250 psi (1.7 MPa) 5-8 lbs/yd3 (synthetic fibers) 30-50 lbs/yd3 (steel fibers)

Plot of Volume of Synthetic Fiber "X" vs. Average Residual Strength

9 8 7 6

y = 1.75x

kg/m3

5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 MPa 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Testing Verification

Fiber dosages should be verified by using vacuum testing on full-size septic tanks

FRC tanks exhibited similar failure loads

Pre-Cast Notes

ACI 318-02, 16.4.2 For pre-cast non-pre-stressed walls, the minimum allowable steel reinforcing ratio must be 0.1%. Testing on fibers using ASTM C 1399 must be able to meet or exceed this requirement. It is ultimately the responsibility of the engineer / owner / specifier to recommended a particular product. Fiber dosages should be prepared in accordance with ACI Design requirements. Lower fiber volumes than those specified by calculation will not have the intended effect on overall product performance and perhaps another product (micro fiber / fibrillated fiber) may be warranted.

Remember: The cheapest fiber isnt always the best fiber - Demand a performance solution!

Pavements & Slabs on Grade

Can fibers be used to resist dynamic wheel loads, static rack loads and uniformly distributed loads? What about fork truck traffic and impact from falling loads or equipment? Fiber reinforced concrete, which is designed as a homogeneous material, can provide a solution. Pavement Applications Airport pavements: runways, aprons and taxiways Highways and roads Parking areas Bridge decks Pavement repairs Overlays Canal and reservoir linings Slab Applications Factories Warehouses Hangers Concrete Overlays

Advantages of Fibers in Slabs

Economic Advantages Elimination of traditional mesh or rebar with reduced labor and material costs Reduction in slab thickness Increased joint spacing possibilities Less complicated construction leading to earlier completion Lower maintenance costs

Technical Advantages

Suppresses propagation of cracks and spalling Ensures a homogeneously reinforced product Increased toughness provides a high resistance to impact loading and abrasion Increase in fatigue resistance Same design question: How much fiber do I need?

Slab on Grade Design Assumptions

From ASTM C 1018 testing (another fiber reinforced concrete test), the capacity of fibers in tension can be approximated. This capacity can be converted to an equation that takes into account the flexural strength of the concrete. Re3 is the percentage of the post-crack tensile strength with respect to the concrete flexural strength.

fFRC = 0.667 fr
Equivalent tensile resistance

Re3 100

Shrinkage

Subgrade drag

fWWM =

As Fy 1.15 x b d

Slab on Grade - Design Example

Slab on Grade project is currently using a single layer of WWM 4x4 4/4 reinforcing placed near the top of an 6 thick slab. Concrete strength is 5000 psi (35 MPa), with an approximate tensile strength of 575 psi. Steel reinforcing strength is Imperial Grade 75 75,000 psi. The contractor would like to replace this steel with fibers. What fiber dosage would be applicable? lbs/yd3

Slab on Grade Solution

fWWM =

(0.12 in2/ft) (75,000 psi) 1.15 x (12) (6)

= 109 psi

set this value equal to the required fiber performance

fFRC =109 psi = (0.667) (575 psi)

Re3 100

therefore;

Re3 = 28.4

Fiber dosage must provide a toughness value to provide an Re3 = 28.4 - approximately 4 5 lbs/yd3 for synthetic fiber. - approximately 30 - 60 lbs/yd3 for steel fiber.

Slab on Grade Notes

Note: Exercise caution when recommending very low synthetic fiber dosages (< 5 lbs/yd3) as the benefits of increased toughness and shrinkage reduction are reduced with low fiber volumes. Check for economy as well.

Local Code Requirements: ACI vs PCA, etc..

Also; when recommending higher fiber dosages (> 8-10 lbs/yd), adjustments to the mix design may be required which will in turn affect the overall cost of the product.

Please refer to Presentation 3/3 for successful applications of TUF-STRAND SF slabs

The Contractor vs. The Engineer

When the Fiber Manufacturer / Supplier shows up..

The Engineer wants to know: who else has used it? what Code is it in? do you have independent test data? will you stand behind your work? we will need to write a spec for it. Well - youll need to get the contractor, owner, architect and readymix supplier to want to use it too. The Contractor wants to know: who else has used it? what Code is it in? how much does it cost? how do I finish it? where do I buy it from? will my engineer let me use it?

Application Potential

What types of projects should be considered for application using structural or macro-fibers? Remember - micro-fibers are for plastic shrinkage only.

Pre-Cast and Slab on Grade applications where WWM and light bar reinforcing is used as secondary reinforcing and light structural reinforcing are prime candidates for structural synthetic fiber use. Slabs on Grade with WWM or small bars (#s 3, 4, 5) at spacings greater than 12 c.c. Thin wall and pre-cast products with required residual strengths less than 500 psi. Shotcrete projects where reinforcing is provided by single layer WWM. Odd shapes and areas where shrinkage protection is important.

More than just Pavements

warehouse floors

designed for wheel loads, rack and post and distributed loads

Shotcrete

The Concrete Job

Every project has different requirements. Fiber dosages should always be selected on the basis of the required performance first.

Know the requirements, specifications and economics of the job.

Know the competition weaknesses and strengths

Concrete Mixture Notes

For higher fiber dosages (> 5 lbs/yd macro-synthetic, >40 lbs/yd steel) Concrete mixture proportions can be slightly modified with approval

- Easy fiber mixing - Good fiber distribution - Proper workability - Ease of pumping if required - Good finishability - Good consolidation

Ensure that the hardened properties are not adversely affected. compressive strength hardened air void-characteristics flexural strength, etc.

Typically, FRC mixtures require:

higher cementitious content higher fine aggregate content high range water reducers

Documents and Publications

To date, there are over 8000 publications of fiber reinforced concrete from University and other Research groups but the concept of FRC is still foreign to many in industry. Useful Documents ASTM, CSA relevant standards ASTM C 1018 ASTM C 1550 ASTM C 1399, etc.. ACI 544 State of the Art Report on FRC

Contact your fiber manufacturer / supplier for information

ACI 506 State of the Art Report on Shotcrete

ACI 318 Manual of Concrete Practice

Path Forward

Referenced jobs are now available to demonstrate macro synthetic FRC benefits

ACI Spring Convention Charlotte, NC; March 26-29, 2006

Symposium on Applications of Fiber Reinforced Concrete Past Present and Future

Conclusions
Demonstration projects using steel and new macro-synthetic fibers are now being recognized as viable alternatives to conventional reinforcing materials with follow up work now being scheduled and completed successfully.

The market is no longer a wait and see industry Fiber Reinforced Concrete works! Start saving today.

Thank you for your attention

If you have any additional questions on TUF-STRAND SF or fiber reinforced concrete, please contact your local Euclid Chemical Sales Representative.