University of Anbar

FIBER
REINFORCED
CONCRETE (FRC)
Preparation of students :
1- Abdulkader Kamil Abdulrahman
2- Abdullah Amer Hamed
3- Abdulsalam Abdulmonim Mohammed
4- Saif Saad Jamil
5- Mohammed Abid Ali Supervisor:
Dr. Mahmoud Kh. Mohammed
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Introduction:
In the early twentieth century, asbestos fibers were
used in concrete, and in the 1950s the concept of
composite materials appeared One of the topics of
interest was fiber reinforced concrete by the 1960s,
steel and glass (GFRC) and synthetic fibers such as
polypropylene fibers in concrete Research into new
fiber reinforced concrete continues to this day this.
Concrete is generally weak in tensile strength and
strong in tensile strength compression. The main goal
of researchers or concrete technologists is to improve
strength tensile strength of concrete. To overcome this
serious defect, a partial fusion of the fibers is
performed Fibers are used in concrete to combat cracks
caused by shrinkage of plastic due to drying Some types
of fibers have a very significant effect in resisting
concrete erosion In general, fibers cannot replace steel
because they do not greatly increase bending
resistance Fiber is added to the mixture as a percentage
of the total mixture volume The shape and dimensions
are two very important elements in the fibers, as the
short glass fibers will not be effective except in the first
hours after pouring the concrete, and the long fibers
lead to agglomeration in the mixture, which creates
difficulties in the workability of the concrete
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Definition of fiber reinforced concrete:

Fiber-reinforced concrete is a composite material
consisting of a fibrous material that increases its
structural integrity. It includes mixtures of cement,
mortar, or concrete, and suitable intermittent and
separate fibers. Fibers are used in concrete to
reduce or prevent cracks in concrete blocks and
thus increase resistance to reduce the
phenomenon of shrinkage, which is one of the
most important the reasons for the occurrence of
cracks in the concrete, this phenomenon causes
many problems in the concrete that affect the
concrete, its density and resistance, and these
cracks allow water to seep into the concrete,
which leads to the corrosion of the reinforcing
steel and thus the destruction of the concrete.
4

Basic materials:
Fiber reinforced concrete is made of hydraulic
cement, aggregate and separate reinforcing
fibers. Suitable fibers of steel, glass and
organic polymers (manufactured fibers) have
been manufactured to support the concrete.
Fibers made from asbestos and natural plant
fibers, such as jute and sisal, are also used to
reinforce concrete. Concrete foundations may
be mortars or mixtures, usually in equal
proportions, or mixtures specifically
formulated for a particular field or application.
Suppose that if concrete is designed and
engineered in an integrated manner, one of
the main benefits that can be gained by using
fibers in reinforcement is to improve the long-
term workability of the structure.
5

Types of fibers:
1-steel fiber (steel).

2-Fiber glass.

3-Synthetic fibers.

4-Natural fibers.
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Some types of fiber reinforced concrete:

1- Steel fiber reinforced concrete: Steel fibers have a
high modulus of elasticity. The incorporation of these
fibers into concrete causes changes in the concrete
properties such as fire resistance, cracking, bending,
insulation, leaching, and much more.

2- Glass fiber reinforced concrete: This type of concrete

consists of 4 to 4.5% of glass fibers. This concreteness
imparts transparency and in some cases translucency.
These types of concrete can be used for both
decorative and insulating purposes. This concrete can
bear weight but not too much heavy or dead load for
structures.

3- Carbon fiber: Carbon fiber has a high modulus of

elasticity. These fibers offer great advantages such as
high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance,
low thermal expansion etc…

4- Natural fibers: These fibers are mainly used for

industrial purposes, warehouses, and products

5- 5 Polyester fibers: These fibers are mainly used for

industrial purposes, warehouses, and products, and
they are of two types, fine and large.
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Steps for producing fiber reinforced concrete:

Fiber concrete is a composite material and must be mixed with
precise conditions to avoid fiber rupture, separation and mixing
uniformly. We must take into account during mixing that the fibers
spread uniformly and this can be obtained before adding water.

1) Cement is mixed with sand and coarse and fine aggregate, and the
largest nominal size of the aggregate should not exceed 9.5 mm,
using a mixing machine called dry mixing so that the materials are
homogeneous with each other, then water is added to make the
concrete mixture, and these steps are the same as in conventional
concrete, taking into account that No storage of fibers to each
other during mixing

2) We add the fibers to the mixture, and this is done by gradually

sprinkling the fibers, and the mixture must have a uniform
dispersion, and the fibers will be in one direction to prevent the
balls from breaking during mixing.

3) We use mechanical vibration to compress the concrete to avoid

breaking the fibers, and it is also preferable for the concrete to
have an external vibration to prevent the fibers from being isolated
from the components of the mixture.

4) The properties of fiber-reinforced concrete depend on the type

and percentage of the used fibers that are added to the concrete
because they greatly increase the durability of the material. These
added fibers are in the form of steel fibers, glass fibers, natural
fibers, synthetic fibers, and so on. And the content of these fibers
must be suitable in terms of size, and the length of these fibers
must be sufficient, and they must also be long in relation to their
diameter. and it is recommended to use fibers longer than the
maximum aggregate size.
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Characteristics of fiber reinforced

concrete:
1- Concrete resistance to repurchase
resistance.
2- Simply fibrous concrete, its
ownership of loads and ground factors,
especially in places with rapid water
flow
3-The increase in the strength and
resistance of concrete matters 10 times
to impacts such as impact and
explosions in unreinforced concrete.
4- 1.5% steel and polypropylene fibers
are loaded into the concrete which
increases the load.
5- Fibers in concrete reduce and
redistribute crack width.
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Applications and uses of fiber reinforced

concrete:
1- Fiber reinforced concrete is widely
used in aircraft stands, runways and
warehouses.
2- It reduces the rate of corrosion in the
reinforcing steel, so it is used in the
contact areas between the beam and
the column in the concrete structures.
3- Lining tunnels and fixing slopes, sides
of dams, water channels and sewers
exposed to water movement.
4- The bases of machines subjected to
dynamic and shock loads, and the bases
of machines that generate vibrations.
5- It is used in the works, maintenance,
restoration and repair of damaged
concrete parts.
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Advantages:
1- Improve shock, tensile and shear resistance.
2- Increased shrinkage resistance during concrete maturation
and therefore It reduces cracks and reduces the
phenomenon of creep in concrete.
3- Reducing the need for rebar used to control cracks and
reducing the need for work as a result
4- Prevents the formation of small cracks and reduces their
width, thus better improving the durability of concrete and
reduce permeability as well as increases the protection of
concrete from cracking edges.
5- Improve the cohesion of the mixture and improve the
pumping capacity for long distances.

Disadvantages:
1- The high cost of production, as the use of fiber increases
the cost of concrete production by 15-10 %.
2- The use of fibers reduces the workability of concrete,
which requires the use of plastic additives, which also
increases the cost of concrete production.
3- Its inability to replace reinforcing steel, as the addition of
fibers cannot be compensated for the iron used,
especially in the anti-bending feature.
4- The addition of fibers leads to an increase in the specific
gravity, and the relatively coarse rubble must be reduced
in order to obtain a high-quality fibrous concrete.
11

Suggestions:
Researchers are constantly working on developing
building codes for better construction. There are
different types of fibers such as: horsehair coconut
fiber, which is a natural species, glass fiber, carbon
fiber...etc. In order to reduce the cost, it is preferable to
use natural and abundant fibers such as straw, horse
hair and coconut fibers to reduce the high cost of the
fibers. It is also preferable to use additives in the
concrete mixture with the fibers to increase its
workability.

Conclusion:
Progress is being made in these areas to produce more long-
lasting fibers that can be incorporated into concrete to
enhance the properties of concrete. Ordinary concrete is a
brittle material that breaks easily. In order to get rid of this
problem, concrete was developed using materials called
fibers that improve concrete, increase its resistance, reduce
cracks, in addition to fire resistance, availability, and ease of
access. Therefore, it can be said that fiber-reinforced concrete
is much better than regular concrete, as these fibers produce
a good amount of resistance to any natural phenomena. Like
earthquakes and winds. Thus, it can be said that durability
with this concrete is now possible but must be looked at cost
to make it economical to use.
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Reference:

1- Erdem S., Kağnıcı T. and Blankson, M. A., (2015)"Investigation of Bond between Fibre
Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites Rebar and Aramid Fibre-Reinforced Concrete".
International Journal of Composite Materials, 5(6) pp 148-154.
2- ACE Committee 544, State-of-the-Art Report on Fiber Reinforced Concrete, ACI Concrete
Interna- tional, 4(5): 9-30 (May, 1982).
3- Parveen S., Rana, S. Fangueiro R. (2012), "NATURAL FIBER COMPOSITES FOR
STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS" Mechanics of Nano, Micro and Macro Composite
Structures.
4- ACI Committee 544, Measurement of Properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete, (ACI
544.2R-78), American Concrete Institute, Detroit, 7 p. (1978).
5- PCA (2011). "Fiber Reinforced Concrete" - University of California
6- Williamson, G.R., Response of Fibrous-Reinforced Concrete to Explosive Lading, U.S.
Army En-gineer. Division. Technical Report No. 2-48, Ohio River, Cincinnati, Ohio
(January, 1966).
7- Rai A., and Joshi. Y.P, (2014) "Applications and Properties of Fibre Reinforced Concrete"
Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, Vol. 4, Issue 5, May pp. 123-131
8- Consofacilitator, "Fiber-reinforced concrete - Advantages, types and applications" -
https://www.constrofacilitator.com/fiber-reinforced concrete advantages types and
applications/
9- Concrete Technology Theory and Practice, M.S. Shetty, S. Chand
10- Concrete: Microstructure, Properties, and Materials - P. Kumar Mehta, Paulo J. M.
Monteiro - S Google -https://books.google.iq/books/about/Concrete Microstructure
Properties and M.html?id= X84TAgAA QBAJ & redir esc = y
11- Shakor P. N. and Pimplikar S. S., (2011) Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete Use in
Construction, (International Journal of Technology And Engineering System (UTE.Jan
March Vol.2.No.2
12- Parveen S., Rana, S. Fangueiro R. (2012), " NATURAL FIBER COMPOSITES FOR
STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS" Mechanics of Nano, Micro and Macro Composite
Structures
13- Rai A., and Joshi. Y.P. (2014)" Applications and Properties of Fibre Reinforced Concrete"
Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, Vol. 4, Issue 5, May pp. 123-131
14- Chawla K. and Tekwani B., " (2013) STUDIES OF GLASS FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE
COMPOSITES, Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engineering. Resrearch