We have successfully collaborated in the execution of prefabricated niches reinforced with structural polymeric fibers
The incorporation of polymeric fibers has made it possible to completely eliminate the traditional armor, reducing the effects of shrinkage cracks and their propagation.
It has also been possible to optimize the thickness of the walls, reducing the total cost in materials and workforce. Fire protection and impact resistance are increased, the risk of oxidation and degradation is reduced, also obtaining elements with a longer useful life.
Through this application, important benefits are also achieved, such as obtaining lighter elements, which allow to carry out simpler operations in terms of handling, storage, transfer to construction and installation.
These actions are relevant in prefabrication, because the most of the possible failures can happen in the processes prior to installation. Therefore, the application of fibers generates a three-dimensional reinforcement in the structure that eliminates weak points, in such a way that they better withstand these efforts.
For the calculation of the sections it’s to consider the own weight of the structure, the overloads of use and the permanent loads that will act on it.
The verifications of resistant and acting moments are carried out using the values of the residual resistance of the selected polymeric fibers, obtained by means of laboratory tension tests, made in rimsa.
This application can also be carried out with the use of steel fibers, which generally have higher residual strengths compared to polymer fibers. For this reason, according to the requirements of each project, an analysis of the best option to be considered must be done, with differences in the dosages to be used.
In both cases, the use of fibers makes it possible to obtain prefabricated items with any desired shape, more easily than using traditional armor, where certain limitations are present due to its structure.
