FIBRES FOR ALL YOUR CONCRETE REINFORCING NEEDS
FLOORING
INTERNAL FLOORS
Adfil micro-synthetic fibres have been developed to replace conventional crack control mesh. They deliver a three-dimensional secondary reinforcement system thus improving the mechanical properties of concrete.
What happens without such reinforcement? Even before the concrete has hardened subjecting industrial floor slabs to external forces can lead to a reduction in the quality of the concrete and its future performance. Climatic conditions, such as excessive temperatures or crosswinds, lead to the formation of plastic shrinkage cracks. These cracks occur when excessive bleed water is allowed to evaporate from the surface due to inadequate curing. Plastic shrinkage cracks often penetrate the entire depth of the slab. Impact and abrasion to concrete will be a daily occurrence with the likes of forklift trucks continuously wearing surfaces and impacting on joints.
Therefore, it is advisable to consider the inclusion of Adfil micro and macro-synthetic fibres in your next project. Used on construction sites around the world they are a proven alternative to conventional steel reinforcement; delivering not only safety and environmental, but also economic advantages
EXTERNAL Hardstands
External concrete will be subjected to the worst that nature has to offer. But also to varying degrees of harsh treatment from users. Whether it's commercial, industrial or residential hard standings, external concrete will, over its design life, encounter destructive forces. More often than not these forces lead to its early and costly deterioration.
Adfil synthetic fibres offer a solution to these challenges: They improve the ability of concrete to resist the negative effects prevalent in many climatic conditions already during placement. These high-performance fibres are a proven alternative to steel crack-control mesh and provide three-dimensional secondary reinforcement. As such, the fibres reduce or even entirely prevent plastic shrinkage cracking.
This leads to improved durability as well as an extended lifespan of the finished concrete. In its hardened state, a combination of Adfil micro and macro-synthetic fibres help concrete to withstand impact and abrasion forces. The same applies to damage caused by cycles of freezing and thawing.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to plastic shrinkage and settlement cracks
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Reduced bleeding
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Increased construction speed
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Improved safety on site
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Reduced labour costs
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Enhanced abrasion resistance
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Improved impact resistance
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to freezing and thawing
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Enhanced resistance to plastic shrinkage and plastic settlement cracks
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Higher impact resistance
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Improved abrasion resistance
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Reduced permeability
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Increased speed of construction
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Cost savings (e.g. labour costs)
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Fibres will not rust or corrode
external
hardstand
waste centre
distribution
centre
steel
warehouse
internal floor
warehouse
internal floor
PRE-CAST CONCRETE
Concrete is a very versatile product. When constructed using precast technology the options are endless. As a result, precast concrete products today are used in a wide range of ways. And yet the risk of shrinkage cracks poses a challenge to manufacturers and is a concern to planners and end-users.
One option to address these concerns is the application of steel concrete reinforcement. However, its use is labour intensive and can increase the risk of accidents on site. There is a lot of wasted steel mesh and a lot of storage space is required for this bulky product.
Not so for Adfil synthetic fibres - a proven concrete reinforcement solution delivering significant advantages over steel products. No expensive labour is required for handling, cutting and placing the three-dimensional reinforcement. Adfil synthetic fibres are very lightweight and easy to add to concrete. At the same time, sharp edges protruding at the surface of the concrete causing injury are a thing of the past. Moreover, Adfil synthetic fibres comply with the highest reinforcement requirements and significantly increase the durability of precast concrete elements.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to plastic shrinkage and settlement cracks
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Reduced bleeding
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Increased construction speed
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Improved safety on site
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Reduced labour costs
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Enhanced abrasion resistance
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Improved impact resistance
Tunnel
segments
AGRICULTURE SECTOR
For over 30 years now, polypropylene fibres have been applied to improve the performance of concrete. Such growth is thanks to the many advantages they have over traditional steel mesh in the concrete.
Adfil macro and micro-synthetic fibres for farm roads, external hardstandings, barns, milk parlours, grain stores, waste tanks and silo bases are widely accepted in the agricultural sector. They arrive already mixed into the concrete, thus eliminating the need to order, store or move steel mesh around the farm. The use of fibres also eliminates the risk of injury to farm animals or livestock from sheets of steel mesh lying around after being cut, leftover on-site or protruding from partially completed concrete pours. No time or energy is wasted by having to cut steel mesh when using fibres. Polypropylene fibres are also non-toxic.
A number of Agricultural Building Contractors who specialise in the farming sector state that Adfil fibres are the way forward for the Farming Industry.
In addition to the obvious commercial argument for the use of polypropylene fibres, there is a large body of evidence that testifies to their performance benefits. This is in terms of enhanced resistance to freeze/thaw damage, abrasion, impact, corrosion and increased durability.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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3-dimensional concrete reinforcement
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Saves time
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Safer than steel reinforcement solutions
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No rusting, corroding or staining of the surface
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Reduced carbon footprint
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Reduced manual handling
MARINE & COASTAL
Marine concrete is subject to some of the harshest conditions on the planet, usually in the most critical of applications. Not only does the concrete face chemical attack from seawater. But it is also affected by continual impact from waves and the abrasive action of wave born sand and shingle with the ebb and flow of the tide. This impact and abrasion can be very severe leading to spalling of the concrete and corrosion of conventional reinforcement such as steel. Eventually, this will result in structural failure. Not so with Adfil concrete reinforcement fibres.
When added to the concrete mix, help concrete withstand those forces. Synthetic macro and micro-synthetic fibres are chemically inert and provide a three-dimensional secondary reinforcement system. Applied as an alternative to crack control mesh the fibres enhance the reliability of the concrete structure and significantly extend the lifespan of marine concrete. Adfil synthetic fibres
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to freezing and thawing
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Enhanced abrasion resistance
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Improved impact resistance
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Faster construction
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Labour cost savings
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Reduced permeability
Coastal
defence
sea wall
Container
terminal
Sea defence
Coastal
mARINE
Coastal
TUNNELING
internal floor
warehouse
internal floor
steel
warehouse
distribution
centre
waste centre
external
hardstand
Following several tunnel fires in Europe, design engineers have had their minds firmly focused on how to prevent the explosive spalling of concrete in tunnels. The phenomenon occurs when concrete is exposed to high temperatures such as those experienced during a hydrocarbon fire. The high-quality dense concrete that is associated with tunnelling projects means that in the event of a fire, moisture escaping from the heat source cannot escape quickly enough. Any voids that are present within the concrete soon become saturated.
This is where Adfil construction fibres come in: When mixed in concrete Ignis polypropylene fibres, specifically designed for the application in tunnelling, will increase the permeability of the concrete during heating. They do this by melting, creating voids and reducing pore pressure, thus allowing steam to escape and reduce the risk of spalling. For many years now, Ignis micro-synthetic fibres have been used in tunnelling projects across Europe to reduce damage in the event of a fire. Examples include T5 at Heathrow Airport, the Westerschelde Tunnel (the Netherlands) as well as the Dublin Port Tunnel.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Reduced explosive spalling
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Increased speed of construction
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Reduced labour costs
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Improved resistance to plastic shrinkage cracks
Tunnel
segments
STRUCTURAL TOPPINGS
Structural Toppings are a mixture of sand and cement that is laid over a concrete base to provide a surface, close to the specified level. It requires a high standard of flatness suitable to receive flooring material, such as carpet, plastic sheeting or tiles and are never left exposed to act as a wearing surface.
Some Structural Toppings contain mesh to control plastic shrinkage cracking. The function of steel mesh is to slow down the propagation of the shrinkage cracks from the screed surface and also to hold together any cracks that appear. However, if you have used steel mesh before, you will know that storage, handling and proper placing can be issues.
To avoid the challenges arising from the specific properties of steel as a heavy and bulky construction material, we have developed a range of high-performance synthetic construction fibres. Adfil micro and macro-synthetic fibres provide three-dimensional reinforcement serving as an easy-to-use, proven, as well as safe alternative to crack control mesh in Structural Toppings .
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Cost-effective
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Fibres will not rust or corrode
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Improved pumping characteristics
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Enhanced bond within the concrete
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Increased impact resistance
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Reduced construction time
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Reduced risk of curling and delamination
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Increased durability of concrete
OFFICE PARK
SHOTCRETE/ SPRAYCRETE
Sprayed concrete or shotcrete is high-performance concrete or mortar, which is sprayed pneumatically through a hose onto a backing surface. For nearly a century, shotcreting has been an accepted way of placing cementitious material in a variety of applications. It is the force of the spraying action that leads to the compaction of the concrete or mortar, which then forms layers of concrete to the required thickness.
Because of the high velocity of the impacting jet, not all the concrete projected on the surface remains in position. Some material rebounds. It has been quoted that rebound can waste 40% or more of sprayed concrete applied in a project. Rebound material consists of the coarsest particles in the mix so that the shotcrete in situ is richer than would be expected from the mix proportions batched. This may lead to increased shrinkage.
Adfil micro and macro-synthetic fibres are the answer to these and other challenges arising in projects involving sprayed concrete. They provide reliable three-dimensional secondary reinforcement. Added to the concrete mix Adfil construction fibres significantly reduce the rebound of shotcrete as well as shrinkage after completion of the project. As such, they not only improve the economics of tunnelling and other projects; but they also add to the durability and aesthetics of the finished concrete.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to plastic shrinkage cracks
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Enhanced bond
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Improved impact resistance
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Increased abrasion resistance
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Improved freeze/thaw resistance
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Reduced rebound of concrete
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Reduced permeability
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Increased speed of construction and reduced labour costs
BEAM & BLOCK
Construction time, cost and embedded carbon are crucial parameters in the development of residential housing construction. To this end, fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is enjoying increasing popularity amongst designers, contractors and project owners. Thousands of housing oversite projects have been constructed with Durus EasyFinish.
Three-dimensional Durus EasyFinish reinforced concrete has obtained approval from the NHBC via BBA third-party testing for beam & block flooring systems with only 3kg/m³. With this dosage, it is the most competitive reinforcing solution available today for this application. BBA and KIWA certificates are available to confirm compliance with relevant construction standards. Leading floor system companies have Adfil polypropylene fibres including Durus EasyFinish on their certificates.
Self-compacting or slump concrete reinforced with this macro synthetic fibre can be poured directly into the flooring system. There is no requirement to place and fix steel mesh. This significantly reduces construction time. Associated health & safety risks in the handling of steel are eliminated.
The finishing of the concrete is easily achieved with Durus EasyFinish. It is shorter than most alternative fibres creating a high-quality concrete surface. Sustainability credentials are greatly improved as embedded carbon can be significantly reduced by replacing steel mesh.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Comes readily mixed into the concrete
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Reduces the occurrence of plastic shrinkage cracking
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Creates durable, high-quality concrete floors with great impact resistance
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100% corrosion-free reinforcement
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Saves time and money
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Improves construction site safety
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Reduces the risk of failure from incorrect steel mesh positioning
Distribution centre
PLASTERS & RENDERS
Plastic shrinkage cracking occurs on surfaces where the rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of bleed. Such a situation is the cause of stresses in the cementitious material, which lead to hairline cracks, often penetrating the full depth of the material. When renders and plasters are applied to a backing material, on occasions there may be problems with the cementitious material’s bonding. This lack of adhesion can lead to hollowness, which in turn causes cracks and any impact will bring about delamination of the material.
At the same time, the migration of calcium hydroxide, a by-product of cement hydration causes efflorescence or lime bloom. Calcium carbonate crystals formed on the surface between the calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide leave unsightly staining on the finished product.
Many plaster and rendering contractors now realise the advantages of using Adfil polypropylene fibres designed for this application. They provide three-dimensional secondary reinforcement and allow high standard projects to be finished more economically.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved abrasion resistance
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Improved impact resistance
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Enhanced resistance to freezing and thawing
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Higher resistance to plastic shrinkage cracks
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Increased bonding
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Reduced delamination
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Reduced efflorescence and lime bloom
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Decreased permeability
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Shorter construction time
EXTRUDED CONCRETE
Many contractors have come to realise the advantages of using the Adfil range of polypropylene fibres in extruded concrete. The addition of these fibres today is a widely accepted practice when it comes to completing high-quality contracts.
Without the application of fibre reinforcement, fine plastic shrinkage cracks that occur in the surface of the concrete will result in greater penetration by water, petrol, chemical or de-icing salts. This significantly reduces the lifespan of the extruded sections. The particularly low water-cement ratio mixes used in extruded concrete can be subject to surface tearing when the extruder operates on corners and bends. This leads to early and costly deterioration. Often, the machines used are so efficient at compacting the concrete, the entrained air used to provide freeze-thaw protection is removed, thus leaving the concrete without the required protection. For projects using micro and macro-synthetic fibres as three-dimensional concrete reinforcement, these issues are a thing of the past.
Benefits from adding Durus fibres
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Improved resistance to plastic shrinkage and plastic settlement cracks
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Enhanced impact resistance
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Increased abrasion resistance
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Reduced permeability
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Optimized resistance to freezing and thawing
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Enhanced cohesion of the mix during placement
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Reduced surface tears
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Increased speed of construction
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Labour cost savings
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No rusting
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Chemical inertness
