Author Archives: Fibretech

Fibres can be used at low dosages in traditional site applied renders to control plastic shrinkage cracking or at higher dosages to allow thickness reductions and one coat applications.

Significant improvements in flexural and tensile strength are achieved with reduced permeability and improved frost resistance.

• Wall Renders
• Swimming Pools
• Squash Courts
• Ponds

The recommended fibres (dosage rates of 10 to 20kg per m3 of concrete) for this application are:

• Roving AR5000H350Y
• Chopped Strand ACS13H350Y

The fibres can be added directly to the mixer or can be pre-blended with the dry ingredients.

Where additional localized reinforcement is required then a 10x10mm Alkali Resistant Net (AR Net FT) is recommended.

1 kg of NEG ARG Fibres contains over 200 million individual filaments when fully dispersed.

These filaments help to control early age plastic shrinkage cracking which in turn can lead to an improved surface finish and enhanced impact resistance.

• Ready Mix Concrete
• Site Mixed Concrete
• Ground supported floor Slabs
• Garage floors
• Conservatory bases
• Drives and Pathways

The recommended fibres (dosage rates of 600 to 1000g per m3 of concrete) for this application are:

• Roving AR2500H103
• Chopped Strand ACS13H03

At higher dosage levels NEG ARG Fibres not only control of plastic shrinkage but improve compressive, tensile and flexural strength and impact resistance.

The fibre also controls restrained drying shrinkage and when improvements to the long term properties of the concrete are required the fibres also act as a reinforcement.

• Shotcrete/Gunite
• Floor Screeds and Overlays
• Non reinforced Precast Concrete

The recommended fibres (dosage rates of 2 to 5kg per m3 of concrete) for this application are:

• Roving  AR5000H530X or AR5000H200
• Chopped Strand ACS13H530X

The benefits of using Alkali Resistant Glass Fibre in concrete applications are becoming increasingly well known and consequently their use is becoming widespread:

• Range of glass fibres available to sort all applications: from “low integrity” fibres designed to break down into large numbers of individual filaments or small bundles of filaments to high integrity fibres which maintain their integrity during mixing.

• Glass Fibres are inorganic and thus give an excellent fibre concrete bond.

• Glass has a similar density to concrete which ensures even distribution without the tendency for fibres to sink or float.

• Glass Fibres have a high elastic modulus (74GN/m2) considerably higher than that of the concrete.

• AR Glass fibres because of their zirconia content are alkali resistant. Concrete
  

  Figure 2 illustrates the difference between High Zirconia Alkali Resistant Glass fibres and E-glass fibre when tested in cement.

  made with OPC has a high alkalinity which attacks ordinary E glass fibres (as used with polyester resins GRP). The higher the zirconia content the higher the resistance. NEG AR Glass fibre contains a minimum of 19% zirconia.

• AR Glass fibres can be supplied as chopped strands or in roving form. When roving is used special chopping equipment is available to cut and dispense known quantities of fibre directly into a batching plant or truck mixer. Chopped strands can either be weighed and dispensed directly or again can be automatically weighed and dispensed using a “Chopped Fibre Feeder”.

• AR Glass Fibres do not rot or corrode.

• NEG AR Glass fibres are not seen in the surface of concrete or render, when trowelled they lie flat unlike synthetic or metallic fibres.