Laura González Suárez, from INGECID’s Projects department, has leaded research about metallic fibre-reinforced concrete, which has involved in the publication of two scientific articles, which have been published in scientific journals and three communications at the ACHE 2022 Congress, held in Santander, Spain.

The main aim of the research is to improve the designs of wind towers with fibres, port caissons and other elements that INGECID is currently working on in order to improve processes and reduce costs.

The first of the articles, carried out alongside LADICIM (Universidad de Cantabria) and titled “Effect of Steel Fibre Reinforcement on Flexural Fatigue Behaviour of Notched Structural Concrete”, shows that the presence of fibres extends the fatigue life of the concrete after cracking.

Furthermore, two new criteria have been applied during the analysis: namely energy and notch growth. From these two new approaches, it was possible to determine critical energy values that can be used as predictive indicators of the element’s collapse.

The effect of fibre reinforcement on creep in concrete

In the second study that INGECID participated in alongside the Universidad de Cantabria, called “Effect of Fibre Reinforcement on Creep in Early Age Concrete”, the strain behaviour of fibre-reinforced concrete when subjected to creep-inducing stressors was analysed. The main result of the study was a proposal for a formulation to evaluate the elastic strain undergone by the concrete when subjected to creep-inducing stressors.

The study concludes that fibre-reinforced concrete loaded at an earlier age hardens after a creep episode, confirming that it suffers less elastic deformation compared to concrete loaded at later stages.

INGECID at the 8th Triennial Convention of the Spanish Association for Structural Engineering (e-ACHE)

INGECID has presented some of the results and conclusions obtained from these and other studies carried out on fibre-reinforced concrete in the 8th edition of the Convention of the Spanish Association for Structural Engineering (e-ACHE).

Laura González Suárez, an INGECID engineer, gave three presentations in the research and development category during the event:

• Influence of the pouring method on the distribution of metallic macrofibres into vibrated concrete.
• Effect of steel fibre reinforcement on flexural fatigue behaviour of structural concrete.
• Evolution of the flexural strength of fibre-reinforced concrete.

The Spanish Association for Structural Engineering is a non-profit entity that works to promote innovation in structural concrete and the field of civil works structures and general construction.

Its Convention is a benchmark in the construction world, with top-tier presentations on both the national and international scale, among which representatives of INGECID have participated. The 2022 edition has shone a light on the latest innovations, reports, and analyses in the structural realm, again positioning itself as a vitally important event on any civil and industrial building and engineering calendar, with more than 400 registered attendees.