It can be a challenge in today’s market to find a reliable concrete fiber supplier that offers a high-performance product at competitive prices. As more infrastructure projects swing towards sustainable materials that provide long-lasting durability, industries are searching for new alternative concrete additives. The experienced and knowledgeable team at R-E-D Industrial Products is proud to be a premium concrete fiber supplier that will improve the longevity and durability of critical concrete projects across the country. This article offers a more in-depth explanation of the products R-E-D Industrial Products offers as a concrete fiber supplier, the many applications, micro versus macro, and the benefits of choosing us for your concrete fiber needs on upcoming projects.
Understanding Concrete Fibers
Acrylic concrete fibers have quickly become the optimal solution for any project that requires more durable and crack-resistant concrete. As a premium concrete fiber supplier, we have expanded our product offerings to include acrylic fibers powered by ICF as an alternative to traditional reinforcement methods. At their core, acrylic concrete fibers are modified polymer fibers that, when combined with concrete, greatly enhance the performance, durability, and crack resistance of the final cured structure. R-E-D Industrial Products offers two different types of concrete fibers, AC-50 and AC-60. Each product has roughly the same filament diameter of 10-15 µ with variable lengths. R-E-D Industrial Products offers several lengths of concrete fibers depending on their final application, including precast concrete, shotcrete, and cast-in-place applications.
Without requiring any special equipment to mix, concrete fibers offer an optimal mix of performance, sustainability, and cost benefits to customers looking to enhance the strength and durability of concrete for countless applications.
Applications For Concrete Fibers
As a leading concrete fiber supplier throughout the country, our sales team has worked with numerous industries looking for affordable and reliable additives. Despite what some may think, adding concrete fibers isn’t just for large-scale infrastructure or commercial projects and can be a dependable additive for residential projects as well. Some of the industries we’ve become intimately familiar with as a concrete fiber supplier include:
Municipal Infrastructure: R-E-D Industrial Products has worked closely with municipalities as a concrete fiber supplier. As more projects dictate specific guidelines for sustainability, durability, and cost, concrete fibers have quickly become a leading additive for these projects. This can include anything from high-rise buildings to bridges and sidewalks.
Marine Construction: With consistent exposure to water, any marine construction project will add concrete fibers or other supplementary cementitious materials to improve resistance to cracking and erosion. Docks, marinas, boat ramps, and ports all emphasize long-lasting materials with a limited environmental impact.
Cold Weather Applications: Cold weather, and the fluctuations that come with it, are incredibly damaging to concrete structures. Concrete fibers help provide a stronger internal matrix that prevents moisture from penetrating and expanding during periods of cold weather. In cold weather areas, a single season can experience numerous freezes that could greatly impact the longevity of concrete structures with added protection.
Residential Construction: Patios, driveways, foundations, and garage floors are all residential applications where contractors may require a concrete fiber supplier like R-E-D Industrial Products. Each of these separate residential applications will experience temperature fluctuations, consistent exposure to moisture, and continual foot traffic. Adding concrete fibers ensures they will last a lifetime without cracking.
Micro Fibers vs. Macro Fibers
As the name suggests, micro fibers and macro fibers are both products offered by a concrete fiber supplier to control cracking with a tangible difference in size. Although the diameters of both micro and macro concrete fibers are approximately the same, the meaningful difference here lies in the fiber length. Micro fibers are essential for reducing micro-cracks in the concrete including the plastic shrinkage cracking that commonly occurs within the first 24 hours of the curing process. These fibers are typically less than 1.5” in length. Micro fibers are an excellent way to provide added insulating benefits to buildings as well as reduce the overall carbon footprint of the entire project.
Macro fibers are the longer of the two concrete fibers, with individual lengths averaging longer than 1.25”. Macro fibers can also be referred to as structural fibers due to their ability to carry heavy loads. These can be used to reduce cracking in both early and late-stage concrete applications. Macro fibers are frequently used in high-stress areas such as building foundations, support structures, and retaining walls. Much like the micro alternative, macro fibers also help reduce carbon footprints by replacing the energy-intensive steel reinforcements typically used in large projects.
R-E-D Industrial Products - A Premium Concrete Fiber Supplier
With over 40 years of combined experience working with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), R-E-D Industrial Products is poised to become your primary concrete fiber supplier. From residential development projects to commercial buildings and structures integral to the development of society, our team is highly knowledgeable on the innumerable sustainability and performance benefits provided by concrete fibers. If you have any questions about which concrete fiber is best for your end application, the benefits of these products, or need a quote for an upcoming project we look forward to speaking with you and learning more. We remain steadfastly focused on being a leading concrete fiber supplier and providing dependable products that create a more sustainable future!
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