Steel Fiber Product Introduction

1. Product Overview

Steel fiber is a short fibrous metallic material produced from steel and alloy through various processes including fine wire cutting, cold-rolled strip shearing, steel ingot milling, or molten steel rapid cooling. The main shapes include hooked-end, crimped, and straight types, formed through cold drawing processes.

Steel fiber is a modern construction reinforcement material. When an appropriate amount of steel fiber is added to ordinary concrete, it forms a new composite material—Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)—which can be cast or sprayed.

Length-to-diameter ratio: 30–100
Common length: 10–60 mm
Common diameter: 0.2–0.6 mm
Elastic modulus: Up to 400 GPa or higher

2. Classification

Steel fibers can be classified into several types according to different criteria:

By Shape

By Cross-Section Shape

• Circular cross-section

• Rectangular cross-section

• Grooved cross-section

• Irregular cross-section

By Production Process

By Material

• Carbon Steel Fiber: Tensile strength typically 300–2500 MPa

• Stainless Steel Fiber: Grades include 304, 310, 330, 430, 446, etc.

• Other Metal Fibers: Aluminum fiber, copper fiber, titanium fiber, and alloy fibers

By Construction Method

• Spraying application steel fiber

• Casting application steel fiber

By Diameter Size

• Ordinary Steel Fiber: Diameter greater than 0.08 mm

• Ultra-Fine Steel Fiber: Diameter no greater than 0.08 mm, mainly used for reinforcing plastics and asbestos friction materials

3. Reinforcement Mechanism

The working principle of steel fiber reinforced concrete is to use uniformly dispersed short steel fibers to improve the brittleness of ordinary concrete. During loading, short steel fibers leverage their high tensile strength while concrete leverages its high compressive strength, resulting in a composite material with excellent comprehensive mechanical properties.

Main Reinforcement Mechanisms:

• Bridging Effect: When cracks occur in the concrete matrix, steel fibers spanning the cracks can transmit tensile stress and prevent crack propagation

• Crack Resistance: The presence of steel fibers effectively prevents the initiation and development of micro-cracks

• Toughening Effect: Energy is consumed when steel fibers are pulled out from the matrix, significantly improving material toughness

4. Main Applications

Industrial Flooring

Flooring in logistics centers, warehouses, manufacturing plants, cold storage facilities, and similar locations must withstand heavy machinery and forklift loads. Steel fiber reinforced concrete improves load-bearing capacity, crack resistance, and wear resistance while reducing joint requirements and maintenance costs. Industrial flooring is one of the largest markets for steel fiber.

Roads and Bridges

Steel fiber reinforced concrete is used in highway pavements, airport runways, bridge decks, and bridge deck repairs. Its excellent flexural strength and fatigue resistance significantly extend service life.

Tunnels and Underground Projects

Steel fiber reinforced concrete is widely used in tunnel linings, subway projects, mine roadway support, and shotcrete applications. Steel fiber helps reduce spalling in tunnel linings and improves fire resistance and seismic performance.

Hydraulic Engineering

Used in dams, spillways, water channels, port facilities, and similar hydraulic structures, steel fiber reinforced concrete offers good abrasion resistance and durability.

Building Structure Reinforcement

Steel fiber reinforced concrete can be used for building structure repair and reinforcement, precast components, and seismic structures, improving overall structural performance.

5. Mix Design Considerations

The mix design method for steel fiber reinforced concrete is generally similar to that of ordinary concrete, with the following differences:

• Dual Strength Control: Both compressive strength and flexural strength are considered

• Fiber Content Determination: Determined based on required flexural strength

• Water and Sand Ratio Adjustment: For each 0.5% (by volume) of steel fiber added, water demand increases by approximately 6 kg/m³, and sand ratio increases by 2%

• Typical Fiber Content Range: Usually controlled at around 50 kg/m³

Construction Considerations:

• Steel fibers should be uniformly dispersed during mixing to avoid clumping

• When using bundled steel fibers, the water-soluble adhesive dissolves during mixing, allowing fibers to disperse uniformly

• Both dry-mix and wet-mix spraying processes can be used; rebound rate for wet-mix spraying can be below 10%

6. Storage and Transportation

Storage Requirements:

• Store in a dry, well-ventilated warehouse

• Protect from moisture and rain

• Keep away from corrosive substances

Transportation Requirements:

• Cover during transport to protect from rain

• Handle with care to avoid packaging damage

7. Contact Us

For more product information or technical guidance on steel fiber, please contact:

Shenyang Xingzhenghe Chemical Co., Ltd.

Tel: 024-23509232 / 13889850231
Email: sales01@xzhch.com
Address: No.33 Nan'er Road, Heping District, Shenyang, China