ABSTRACT
Fibres are pieces of material that have been formed by natural or mechanical processes into long, thin shapes. They are said to have a high aspect ratio; that is, their length-diameter ratio is much greater than one. Glass fibres are extensively used to reinforce both polymer and concrete matrices. They are manufactured by drawing molten glass through platinum bushings. Carbon fibres were commercially developed in the United States in the 1960s. They are manufactured by multi-stage heat treatment (pyrolysis) of special polymer fibres, either made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or rayon derived from petroleum pitch. Polymer fibres are extensively used to improve the properties of concrete matrices, but are rarely used in construction frp. Steel fibres are increasingly used to replace or augment traditional steel bar or mesh reinforcement, and the use of steel-frc probably outweighs that of any other frc.
