Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

Adding fibres to cement-based construction materials is not new. The first patent for steel fibre-reinforced concrete dates from the year 1872. Many experiments were undertaken with different types of fibres in the 20th century. However, the first conclusive, scientifically substantiated concepts specifically for designing fibre-reinforced concrete composite materials have only been developed in the last few years. In combination with modern construction material analysis and process technology, these approaches make the target-oriented development of advanced high performance cement-based composites possible. Using these new types of concrete could revolutionise the planning, development, dimensioning, design, and construction as well as the renovation of building structures in special areas of application. In this article, two new types of fibre-reinforced concrete are introduced, which highlight with particular clarity the progress in fibre-reinforced concrete technology.