19-FRC COMMITTEE
EVALUATION OF FIBRE REINFORCED CEMENT BASED COMPOSITES
FIBRE REINFORCEMENT OF CEMENT AND CONCRETE
R. N. SWAMY (')
SUMMARY
The concept of reinforcing materials weak in tension is delight-
fully simple. Asbestos fibres are known to have been used almost
4,500 years ago to strengthen clay post. The use of continuous rein-
forcement is as old as reinforced concrete ; the use of short, discrete
reinforcing elements is relatively new, although the significance of
the fibre geometry and the need to improve the fibre shape to obtain
adequate fibre-matrix bond was recognised more than fifty years
ago. In spite of these eqrly attempts to apply the ideas of composite
action to building materials, the development and practical usage
of fibre-reinforced cement composites, like reinforced earth, is
barely two decades old. The world-wide interest, however, in the
potentialities of these new construction materials has resulted in
many meetings in the last five years, and the RILEM International
Symposium on Fibre Cement Composites to be held in London
from 17-17 September, 1975 is another step forward in consoli-
dating the future prospects o f these compos!tes. This paper
presents a preview of the achievements to date in this area.
INTRODUCTION
Several examples of the use of fibres to reinforce weak and brittle
matrices exist in nature as well as in the early history of mankind.
Wood is a low density, cellular polymer composite and compact
bone provides a natural reinforced composite material. The use of
straw in sun-dried mud bricks and heavy wails and that of horse hair
or sisal in gypsum plaster has heen known for many centuries. Asbes-
tos was probably the first inorganic fibre used in composite mate-
rials. It is now known that fine anthophyllite asbestos fibres were
used in Finland as early as 2,500 BC., to strengthen the sides of
lightly fired pottery [1]. Cooking ustensils produced in this manner
were not only light but also enabled food to be cooked more quickly !
In classical times asbestos cloth was used to preserve the ashes of the
(') Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, England.
eminent and the oldest known piece dates back to about 1740 [2].
The Romans had not long left London when the Great Arch of Ctesi-
phon - - made of burnt mud bricks and strengthened by courses of
reed - - was built on the banks of the River Tigris as a banqueting hall
for Sassarid King Chosroes II.
Much of the impetus for developing fibre reinforced cement com-
posites is derived from the successful development over the past
three decades of fibre and whisker reinforcement to up-grade the pro-
perties of resins, metals and ceramics. Asbestos and glass fibre-resin
composites have been extensively used in applications where steel or
alloys alone have previously merited consideration. Glass fibre rein-
forced plastics (GRP) for example, have been used for external clad-
ding and wide span roofs ; however, their flammability, large ther-
mal movements and weathering performance have hindered their
structural use. Carbon fibre composites, on the other hand, possess
high strength, high stiffness, low density, excellent fatigue properties
and good chemical resistance. However, their lack of ductility and
anisotropic behaviour require special consideration in design [3].
More recently a hybrid glass-carbon fibre tape has been introduced
for the local reinforcement of GRP mouldings.
Although the development of fibre reinforced cement and
concrete is barely two decades old, several examples of patents on
the use of reinforcing elements in cement matrices exist, one of the
earliest being that of Berard (1874). The concept of concrete as a
truly homogeneous structural material strengthened by the inclusion
of short pieces of steel was envisaged as early as 1910 by Porter [4].
Graham (1911) suggested the use of steel fibres in addition to
conventional reinforcement to increase the strength and stability of
reinforced concrete [5]. Ficklin envisaged similar improvements in
reinforced structures and wearing surfaces [6]. Suggestions were also
made as early as the 1920s to produce a moldable and machinable
material made of cement paste and reinforced with 40-50 % volume
of small steel fibres, 0.3 mm dia x 2 mm long [7]. Similarly, ideas of
mixing metal scraps in concrete [8] and of forming concrete pipes
with plain and corrugated steel fibres, 2.5 mm dia x 25-100 mm long
were also known [9].
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The need to improve fibre shape and the significance of bond
was recognised by Meischke-Smith in 1920 and Etheridge in 1933 - -
the former used fiat twisted wires with flat faces [101 while the latter
used annuli fibres of different sizes and diameters to improve crack
resistance and fracture of concrete [11]. There have been several such
patents issued in the following years in countries all over the world,
of which that of Constantinesco (1943) deserves special mention - -
the improvements in strength and cracking characteristics claimed
then by the use of steel fibres in the form of plain or corrugated
helical coil elements and the form of such reinforcing elements are
not much different from those currently established for fibre
reinforced concrete [12].
PRESENT DEVELOPMENT
One of the results of current developments in analysis, design and
construction is that structures tend to be more slender and possess
lower factors of safety demanding properties of materials other than
strength; indeed greater flexibility and stability of not only the
material but als0 of the structure as a whole are needed. The engineer
is therefore constantly engaged in the search for new materials,
improved methods of utilising existing materials, and for cement-
based materials, in exploring new areas of utilization, where their
own performance leaves much to be desired and that of others less
than adequate and satisfactory.
The concept of reinforcing materials weak in tension is
delightfully simple and so obvious that one can hardly believe that it
has not been developed before. It is a long time since Freyssinet
successfully prestressed concrete; it is longer still since Monier
began reinforcing it. Yet, in spite of the very early attempts to apply
the ideas of composite action to cement-based and earthen materials,
the practical usage of fibre reinforced cement composites, like
reinforced earth, is relatively new [13].
Much of the pioneering work on the use of fibre reinforcement in
cement-based matrices was carried out by Romualdi and Batson
[14], Krenchel [15] and Biryukovich et al, [16]. Since then many
European and American patents have been granted, and
considerable research on a clearer understanding of the mechanism
of fibre reinforcement has been in progress. The world-wide interest
application is reflected in the many conferences that have been held
and the reports that have been published in the last five years [ 17-27].
FIRE CEMENT COMPOSITES
It is now well - established that low modulus fibres such as nylon,
polypropylene and polyethylene are unlikely to lead to usable
strength improvement of the composites; their high elongation,
however, enables the composite to absorb large amounts of energy
and impart mainly toughness and resistance to impact and shock
loading [28-29]. High modulus fibres such as asbestos, glass, steel
and carbon, on the other hand, lead to strong and stiff composites,
and possess, to varying degrees, characteristics of toughness and
impact resistance.
The use of aligned, continuous straight fibres is as old as
reinforced concrete, and the properties of composites reinforeec
with such elements in relation to bond, cracking and strength are
w e l l - established. In the current development of fibre cement
composites, the use of short discrete fibres offers more exciting
prospects, in two and three - dimensional orientations, both in the
factory and in-situ. The use of continuous fibres, either individually
or in the form of fibre mats or woven fabric of special cement - coated
tapes [30] has a place in particular applications such as cylindrical
structures and thin panels where the fibres can be utilised to the
maximum to produce composites of high performance. Matrices,
other than cement, such as gypsum also offer scope under special
environmental conditions [31, 32]. The emphasis in this paper,
however, is on the use of short, discontinuous fibres in cement -
based matrices without or with fine or fine and coarse aggregates.
FIBRE COMPOSITE MECHANICS
Unlike the fibre composites in resin amd metal matrices, in which
the fibres are aligned and amount to 60 to 80 % of the composite
volume, fibre cement composites contain much less fibre content,
and the fibres are arranged in a planar or random orientation. The
cement matrix is not only not isotropic but also viscous and porous,
and its tensile cracking strain is very much lower than the yield or
ultimate strain of all the fibres currently in use (Table I). This implies
that matrix cracking will occur at some level of loading prior to the
maximum strength of the composite being reached. In the present
state of development of fibre cement composites, the composite
failure in the post-cracking stage occurs by fibre pull-out rather
than by fibre yielding of fracture.

TABLE I - Typical properties o f fibres and cement malxix

Young's Tensile Elongation

Diameter Specific
Fibre Modulus Strength at break
(gm) gravity
kN/mm 2 kN/mm 2 (%)

~sotile Asbestos 0.02-20 2.55 165 3-4.5 2-3

Glass 9-15 2.60 70-80 2-4 2-3.5

Graphite type I 8 1.90 380-415 1.5-2.1 0.50

Graphite type lI 9 1.90 240-280 2.4-2.6 1.00

Steel 5-500 7.84 200 1-3 3-4

Polypropylene 20-200 0.91 5-77 0.5-0.75 20

Polycrystalline Alumina 500-770 3.9 245 0.65

Kevlar-49 (PRD-49) 10 1.45 133 3.6 2.1

Kevlar-29 10 1.45 65 3.6 4.0

Sisal 10-50 1.50 0.80 3.0

Cement matrices - 2.50 10-45 3-7 x 10 -3 0.05

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