How to Save Money When Buying Stainless Steel Reinforcing Fibers

Lelandwelds said:

Funny, I started out wanting a version of this idea. I wanted an epoxy regular garage floor. I also wanted a rock dust or crushed rock and fines floor for welding and working on equipment. It would be impossible to tear up and easy to freshen up messes.

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You can have both if you section the floor out. You don't have to rely on internet myths or "knowledge" here; the ACI document details this out.

Lelandwelds said:

What? Of course thicker slabs are stronger just like taller steel trusses are stronger.

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Not for a "thin" (8-ish inches, or less) slab. It's important not to confuse a thin slab, which is continuously supported by the ground with a simple beam, which is only supported on two ends.

With a simple concrete beam, you rely on the depth and the steel reinforcement to counteract the sheer forces and the large bending forces. (Neither of which should be seen in a slab on ground.)

With a continuously supported slab, you have the ground underneath resisting vertical forces, so there is typically no sheer. The ground underneath also helps the slab resist bending. (The slab will only bend as far as the ground beneath gives way.)

So, the pad depth and the reinforcing steel (on a thin slab) are not structurally significant with regard to vehicle traffic forces, other than spreading out the bearing forces on the ground (like the footing does on a foundation.)


Here's another way you can think about it: If you put a 1" thick sample of psi concrete on the ground and a 6" thick sample of psi concrete on the ground, both are going to break right at the point where you apply psi of pressure. (The 6" thick sample isn't any stronger than the 1" sample in that scenario.)

(Depending on how you use a slab and attach certain machinery/equipment to it, there could be situations where the depth becomes significant to resisting some bending of the slab, but I can't think of any off hand.)

Lelandwelds said:

Every slab I have ever been under or broken has a huge void area underneath.

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You just proved the point. The minute that you develop a void under the slab, things get really weak - you go from a continuously supported slab to the simple beam condition. (Shear happens at the edge of the void and there is room for the slab to bend into the void. Most thin slabs won't have enough reinforcing to deal with this and will crack.) < This situation isn't a slab issue, it's a ground or a sub base issue.


If you are concerned about the base and voids, you can structurally reinforce your slab. The ACI guide specifies how to do this also. My garage is built on top of some really poor quality fill and I went this way. I recall that I had to use #4 bar spaced somewhere around 6" OC for a 5" psi slab.

You can have both if you section the floor out. You don't have to rely on internet myths or "knowledge" here; the ACI document details this out.Not for a "thin" (8-ish inches, or less) slab. It's important not to confuse a thin slab, which isby the ground with a simple beam, which is only supported on two ends.With a simple concrete beam, you rely on the depth and the steel reinforcement to counteract the sheer forces and the large bending forces. (Neither of which should be seen in a slab on ground.)With a continuously supported slab, you have the ground underneath resisting vertical forces, so there is typically no sheer. The ground underneath also helps the slab resist bending. (The slab will only bend as far as the ground beneath gives way.)So, the pad depth and the reinforcing steel (on a thin slab) are not structurally significant with regard to vehicle traffic forces, other than spreading out the bearing forces on the ground (like the footing does on a foundation.)Here's another way you can think about it: If you put a 1" thick sample of psi concrete on the ground and a 6" thick sample of psi concrete on the ground, both are going to break right at the point where you apply psi of pressure. (The 6" thick sample isn't any stronger than the 1" sample in that scenario.)(Depending on how you use a slab and attach certain machinery/equipment to it, there could be situations where the depth becomes significant to resisting some bending of the slab, but I can't think of any off hand.)You just proved the point. The minute that you develop a void under the slab, things get really weak - you go from a continuously supported slab to the simple beam condition. (Shear happens at the edge of the void and there is room for the slab to bend into the void. Most thin slabs won't have enough reinforcing to deal with this and will crack.) < This situation isn't a slab issue, it's a ground or a sub base issue.If you are concerned about the base and voids, you can structurally reinforce your slab. The ACI guide specifies how to do this also. My garage is built on top of some really poor quality fill and I went this way. I recall that I had to use #4 bar spaced somewhere around 6" OC for a 5" psi slab.

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All along the beach in Newport, RI there is evidence of what happens when steel is used to reinforce concrete. Good for a short time and then the galvanic reactions occur. Spalling as it is called, pops large chunks of concrete apart. Especially near salt water, corrosion of steel and Portland cement is obvious and visible everywhere. Basalt fibers and reinforcements are the solution

Solutions are available today. 
Better concretes and additives. Volcanic rock fiber reinforcement basalt rebars, basalt meshes and basalt chopped fibers. These are materials which will never corrode and help prevent cracking of the cement from the start. Once water gets in (and freezes) it is the beginning of the end.

Extensive (and expensive) repairs can be prevented by building with the correct materials from the start. In this case, using basalt rebar instead of steel rebar, the concrete wall would have a much longer lifespan, saving money, materials, time and labor. Plus, avoiding a potentially dangerous situation in a heavily trafficked public location.

We ask that our Departments of Transportation understand how the long term benefits of using basalt reinforcements justify the initial cost of using the right materials.

The company is the world’s best Stainless Steel Fiber For Refractory supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.