Concrete is relatively brittle and its tensile strength is generally about 1/10th of this compressive strength. Therefore the concrete needs to be reinforced. The main purpose of fiber reinforcement is to increase energy absorption capacity and increase tensile and flexing strength of the concrete. There are a few different kinds of fiber reinforcement: steel, plastic or glass; but the most commonly uses is steel. Fibers come in various shapes and sizes. Fibers do not stop the first crack in concrete but it slows down the propagation of cracks. Using fiber reinforcement can increase the toughness of concrete by 15-30%.
