Advantages of Steel Fibers for concrete reinforcement compared to Mesh

Concrete is a fragile material, so that once it’s load limit is exceeded, instead of deforming, it directly breaks. Its flexural resistance is weak, and since the loads that a pavement must bear affect this type of resistance, it is necessary to resort to the reinforcement of concrete to improve this resistance and change it’s behavior.

The application of steel fibers in the concrete avoids using the welded mesh or mesh. Steel fibers are the effective and economical alternative, because:

• The entire volume of the concrete pavement is reinforced by the homogeneous three-dimensional distribution of the steel fibers.
• They greatly improve Flexural Traction Resistance, essential for supporting loads on the pavement.
• They increase the durability of the concrete, because the steel fibers control cracking and prevent the propagation of cracks.
  They greatly improve the ductility of concrete, avoiding its brittleness.
• Greater resistance to impacts and repetitive efforts.
• Prevention of oxidation. The mesh can rust if any of its parts is exposed to air, this causes the contact of the reinforcement to be Oxide – Concrete, reducing adhesion and therefore, reducing the reinforcement.
• The application of steel fibers is faster, easier and safer than mesh, avoiding the need for qualified personnel and increasing worker safety. Furthermore, their storage is very practical, as they are supplied in boxes grouped on pallets.
• Reduction of cost and weight.

Thanks to these advantages, we can use steel fibers instead of traditional mesh in endless applications such as: industrial or commercial pavements and screeds, precast concrete, tunnels, bridge structures, refractory concrete, special pavements, mining or slopes, security enclosures among others.

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