MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

2 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Building on partnership. Our Master Builders Solutions experts find innovative and sustainable solutions to meet your specific construction needs. Our global experience and network help you to be successful – today and tomorrow.

Master Builders SolutionsThe Master Builders Solutions brand brings all of BASF’s expertise together to create chemical solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures. Master Builders Solutions is built on the experience gained from more than a century in the construction industry.

The know-how and experience of a global community of BASF construction experts form the core of Master Builders Solutions. We combine the right elements from our port folio to solve your specific construction challenges. We collaborate across areas of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained from countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies, as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make you more successful and drive sustainable construction.

The comprehensive portfolio under the Master Builders Solutions brand encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing solutions, sealants, concrete repair and protection solutions, performance grouts, performance flooring solutions.

Master Builders Solutions from BASF

3MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Better Performance and Durability Through an Improved Matrix

By design, concrete will crack, because it is a brittle material. As soon as its peak load-carrying capacity is exceeded by internal or external forces, fractures occur. Cracks can limit the durability of concrete, concrete elements can fail and the aesthetic is significantly impeded.

This makes internal reinforcement of the concrete necessary, which diffuses stress and strain and provides the desired ductility to limit the extent of cracking and help the concrete elements to behave like an elastic material.

The experts at Master Builders Solutions have developed a comprehensive range of fibers. For each application a MasterFiber solution exists: these solutions are covered in the selection guide at the end of the brochure.

Regarding effective design, MasterFiber products create a particularly efficient internal reinforcement network in concrete, with or without normal steel mesh reinforcement. MasterFibers have an exceptional combination of properties: they are optimized to have a strength performance with only a small impact on the rheological behavior of fresh concrete.

This matrix is made from an extremely large quantity of distributed fibers, providing the concrete with the following characteristics. It:

  Enhances resistance to shrinkage cracking.  Helps to prevent concrete spalling

during a fire. Adds fracture resistance to concrete.  Enhances the concrete structure’s

mechanical performance.

Instead of using hand-tied rebars, many structures can be reinforced using a MasterFiber solution, with two major advantages:

  Safety and cost effectiveness This reinforcement is already integrated into the concrete mix and uniformly dispersed. This eliminates the problem of properly positioning the steel bars, which is a source of costly labour as well as a danger for people on site and for the structure if poor positioning occurs.

  Durability and sustainability Compatible with the alkaline environment of the concrete, this reinforcement carries no risk of corrosion and there is no requirement for protective concrete cover. This means that slender and lighter structures can be created, contributing to more sustainable constructions.

Refurbishment of old building with thin facade panel (3 cm thickness) using Very High Performance concrete

reinforced with MasterFiber and outside insulation, iMat project.

4 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Plastic shrinkage is caused by the change in volume that occurs in all fresh cement- based materials after placement when the mixture is still plastic and has not yet achieved any significant strength. If this shrinkage is restrained, cracking may occur.

The MasterFiber matrix is one of the most effective methods to reduce plastic shrinkage cracking. The fibers are interacting due to the build up of a network and thus reduce the shrinkage and stress development. Using a fiber content of just 0.1 % volume reduces the total crack area by 30 to 40 %.

MasterFiber – Enhances Resistance to Shrinkage Cracking

MasterFiber 012 & MasterFiber 018

5MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Used in combination with MasterLife SRT, a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA), which regulates the surface tension in concrete pores, MasterFiber’s network reduces shrinkage stress and strain without impacting on compressive strength and modulus of elasticity. This system provides an extremely flowable concrete, which is easy to pump and cast. The fibers act on the

way water migrates through the concrete, giving a more uniform moisture profile (typical in slabs and pavement) and offering benefits over the use of steel mesh, which is difficult to position properly. This all adds up to an easily applied solution that saves labour and produces a better quality of finish.

Shrinkage evolution curve with MasterLife SRT

Shr

inka

ge

‰

Sample age (days)

Reference MasterLife SRT 1% MasterLife SRT 2 %

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.00 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 84 91

6 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement6

MasterFiber – Adds FractureToughness to Concrete

Fracture toughness the ability of a material to resist crack propagation starting from a preexisting crack fracture is required in many applications: industrial flooring, traffic components, suspended panels, marine structures and sprayed concrete lining in mines.

In cracked concrete with a high number of optimal-shaped macrofibers, the MasterFiber matrix, which connects the cracked concrete surfaces, carries the additional load by transferring it via the bridged crack into the undamaged concrete sections.

The diffusing effect of the fiber network replaces traditional steel mesh used for crack size control efficiently.

Depending on the application, the optimal MasterFiber structure can be achieved with steel and/or synthetic macrofibers.

Synthetic macrofibers have some advantages:

 Significant reduction of wear on equipment.  A density similar to water and much less

segregation.  No corrosion and no need for corrosion

protection.  Better dispersion in concrete due to

good surface properties

In spraying operations, synthetic fibers such as MasterFiber 150 improve concrete mix cohesion and facilitate easy pumpability over long distances.

In cast applications, synthetic macrofibers like MasterFiber 240 provide easy manipulation with good dispersion in normal or self-compacting concrete and increase the safety and durability of the concrete element.

C50 toughness evaluation at different fiber dosage

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

Str

eng

th (M

Pa)

CMOD (mm)

Stainless steel fibers 30 mm 30 kg / m3

MasterFiber 240 16.6 kg / m3

MasterFiber 240 12 kg / m3

MasterFiber 240 8 kg / m3

00

10

20

30

40

50

Load

(kN

)

MasterFiber 150 – 6 kg / m3

in C30 / 37 sprayed concrete (ASTM C1550)

5 10 15 20 25 30

Ene

rgy

(J)

Displacement

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

MasterFiber 150

MasterFiber 240

8 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Innovation in engineering design places ever greater emphasis on the use of construction materials that enable the creation of lighter, stronger, safer, more flexible and durable structures that are also cost effective.

The incorporation of high performance fibers increases the tensile, flexural, shear and torsion strengths of concrete, compared to non reinforced concrete, and also brings ductility under compressive solicitation, as encountered in column applications, for instance.

The possibility of reducing concrete thickness by avoiding the corrosion problem associated with the minimum coverage of steel mesh can provide a lighter solution for facade panels with more space for the insulation material in place of the concrete saved.

Our MasterFiber network can offer considerable advantages over traditional solutions such as welded wire mesh:

  No need to handle and place steel cages in the moulds

 No corrosion risk  Allows the design of a new, more efficient

shape  Slender and lighter structures can be created With the latest optimized concrete VHPC (Very High Performance Concrete) and MasterFiber 400, new advances in design can be made in structural and architectonic applications.

MasterFiber – Enhancing the Mechanical Performance of Concrete’s Structure

Multi-cracking behavior of fiber reinforced concrete with MasterFiber 4 points bending strength test in LMC laboratory

9MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Load

(kN

)

Fiber-reinforced concrete behavior law under 4 points bending strength test:

first crack

9.117 kN

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Displacement (mm)

Post-crack hardening behavior achieved with 30 kg of MasterFiber 400

10 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

MasterFiber – Protects Concrete Spalling in Fire Conditions

At high temperatures, for instance in the event of fire, the moisture in the concrete turns to steam. As the temperature rises faster than the steam can escape, the growing pressure generates tensile stresses that become too high to be resisted by the concrete, which then spalls in a rather ‘explosive’ manner.

Spalling results in the rapid loss of the surface layers of the concrete during a fire. It exposes the core concrete to fire temperatures, thereby increasing the rate of transmission of heat to

the core concrete and its reinforcement. MasterFiber’s matrix is particularly effective at protecting building structures against concrete spalling. In a fire, the 30 μm diameter mono-filament polypropylene microfibers melt very quickly within the concrete surface, rapidly creating microchannels that can discharge the steam pressure. 1 kg / m3 of fiber content is enough to withstand the most severe fire test (RWS) without having a detrimental effect on the load bearing capacity.

Standard fire curves used in CTRL tests

Tem

per

atur

e (°

C)

Time (m)

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

00 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Rijkswaterstaat RWS

Eurocode 1 Hydrocarbon

ISO 834 Cellulose

11MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

Our ExpertiseBroad Support for all Your Needs

Thanks to their vast experience in mix design formulation, the Master Builders Solutions experts from BASF provide broad support to their customers in finding alternatives to typical steel mesh reinforcement.

In every country, a dedicated, specialist fiber expert is on hand to find suitable tailor-made solutions, taking into account:

A calculation service in association with the engineering team to determine the correct thickness and fiber dosage to suit standard requests.

The concrete mix design, which should have the right consistency and an adapted granular curve to reach the optimal rheology for the required fiber dosage.

The right fiber, chosen from Master Builders Solutions’ comprehensive product range.

Solution

Concrete mix design

Fiberreinforcement

Product design

1

2

3

12 MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

MasterFiber 012 & MasterFiber 018 MasterFiber 150

MasterFiber 240 MasterFiber 400

MasterFiber 482 MasterFiber 530

13MasterFiberSolutions for Alternative Reinforcement

MasterFiber – Selection Guide

Mas

terF

iber

1-9

9

Mas

terF

iber

100

-199

Mas

terF

iber

200

-299

Mas

terF

iber

300

-399

Mas

terF

iber

400

-499

Mas

terF

iber

500

-599

Mas

terL

ife S

RT

Plastic shrinkage •

Drying shrinkage • • •

Fire protection•

Toughness in sprayed concrete• •

Toughness in cast concrete• •

Mechanical post-cracking performancein low-medium strength concrete (< C50 / 60)

• •

Mechanical post-cracking performancein high strength concrete (C55 / 67– C100 /115)

• •

Mechanical post-cracking performancein very and ultra high strength concrete (> C100 / 115)

•

Hybride structure made of steel, thin panels and Venetian blind of very high performance concrete reinforced with MasterFiber. R&D project developed by ASCAMM \ iMat – Construction Technologies.

Master Builders Solutions from BASF for the Construction Industry

MasterAirComplete solutions for air entrained concrete

MasterBraceSolutions for concrete strengthening

MasterCastSolutions for the manufactured concrete product industry

MasterCemSolutions for cement manufacture

MasterEmacoSolutions for concrete repair

MasterFinishSolutions for formwork treatment and surface improvement

MasterFlowSolutions for precision grouting

MasterFiberComprehensive solutions for fiber reinforced concrete

MasterGleniumSolutions for high performance concrete

MasterInjectSolutions for concrete injection

MasterKureSolutions for concrete curing

MasterLifeSolutions for enhanced durability

MasterMatrixAdvanced rheology control for concrete

MasterPelSolutions for water tight concrete

MasterPolyheedSolutions for mid-range concrete

MasterPozzolithSolutions for water-reduced concrete

MasterProtectSolutions for concrete protection

MasterRheobuildSolutions for high strength concrete

MasterRocSolutions for underground construction

MasterSealSolutions for waterproofing and sealing

MasterSetSolutions for set control

MasterSureSolutions for extraordinary workability retention

MasterTopSolutions for industrial and commercial floors

Master X-SeedAdvanced accelerator solutions for concrete

UcreteFlooring solutions for harsh environments

The data contained in this publication are based on our current knowledge and experience. They do not constitute the agreed contractual quality of the product and, in view of the many factors that may affect processing and application of our products, do not relieve processors from carrying out their own investigations and tests. The agreed contractual quality of the product at the time of transfer of risk is based solely on the data in the specification data sheet. Any descriptions, drawings, photographs, data, proportions, weights, etc. given in this publication may change without prior information. It is the responsibility of the recipient of our product to ensure that any proprietary rights and existing laws and legislation are observed (02/2014).

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BASF plc

Construction Chemicals

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www.master-builders-solutions.basf.co.uk

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