As with any other type of concrete, the mix proportions for SFRC depend upon the requirements for a particular job, in terms of strength, workability, and so on. Several procedures for proportioning SFRC mixes are available, which emphasize the workability of the resulting mix. However, there are some considerations that are particular to SFRC. In general, SFRC mixes contain higher cement contents and higher ratios of fine to coarse aggregate than do ordinary concretes, and so the mix design procedures the apply to conventional concrete may not be entirely applicable to SFRC. Commonly, to reduce the quantity of cement, up to 35% of the cement may be replaced with fly ash. In addition, to improve the workability of higher Fiber volume mixes, water reducing admixtures and, in particular, superplasticizers are often used, in conjunction with air entrainment. The range of proportions for normal weight SFRC.
Steel fiber reinforced concrete is a composite material having fibers as the additional ingredients, dispersed uniformly at random in small percentages, i.e. between 0.3% and 2.5% by volume in plain concrete.
SFRC products are manufactured by adding steel fibers to the ingredients of concrete in the mixer and by transferring the green concrete into moulds. The product is then compacted and cured by the conventional methods.
Segregation or balling is one of the problems encountered during mixing and compacting SFRC. This should be avoided for uniform distribution of fibers. The energy required for mixing, conveying, placing and finishing of SFRC is slightly higher.
Use of pan mixer and fiber dispenser to assist in better mixing and to reduce the formation of fiber balls is essential. Additional fines and limiting the maximum size of aggregates to 20mm occasionally, cement contents of 350 kg to 550 kg per cubic meter