Fibre reinforced slab

[dugganjo]

Hi everybody,
I'm a final year engineering student doing a thesis on the impact of including steel and polypropylene fibres into regular 600 x 600 x 63mm concrete flags (ie. increased strength, durability, crack resistance etc.)

I was wondering perhaps if anybody had an thoughts/ideas/ suggestions on this topic?

Also if anybody had any information which you think may help me I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you.

[lutonlagerlout]

IME fibres work ok,the one positive they have over steel, is that they are unlikely to rust , expand, therefore cracking the slabs
regards LLL

[seanandruby]

Steel fibres are good they hold the concrete together solid. the double head on them make for a strong mix.

[andpartington]

what impact do they have for cutting i can see a lot of blades being fecked with the steel fibres

andy

[seanandruby]

.....Same as any reinforcing where you need to cut crack control joints. take some breaking out with jack hammers also.

[Tony McC]

For flags (this is why I dislike and rarely use the term "slabs" when we mean "flags") the PP fibres are preferred. I think John Clifford at Westminster Stone is well-up on the pros and cons of each and would probably be a useful person for you to contact.

[lutonlagerlout]

i thought it was flags for stone, and slabs for concrete guv?
LLL ???

[seanandruby]

I stand corrected and thought you were on about a slab pour. yes fibre for flags.

[Tony McC]

In reply to LLL, according to BS7533-4:2006, it is...

"Code of practice for the construction of pavements of precast concrete flags or natural stone slabs"

So those that never actually lay the damned things but tell the rest of us how to do it reckon it's actually flags for concrete and slabs for stone, which is the exact opposite of what you understandably thought.

So: what are flagstones? Flagstone slabs? How frickin' stupid is that??

[dugganjo]

Thanks for the reference Tony Mc C, I checked out the website and it looks really helpful.

Any interesting findings I come across will be posted

[Stuarty]

As LLL said, i thought slabs were concrete and flags for stone heh, each to their own i guess