Best Practices for SFRC Installation

Practical tips for mixing, placing, and finishing steel fiber reinforced concrete on industrial floor projects.

Proper installation is key to achieving optimal SFRC performance. While SFRC simplifies construction by eliminating reinforcement fixing, there are specific best practices for mixing, placing, and finishing that should be followed. Mixing: Steel fibers should be added to the concrete mixer at the batching plant, not on site. They can be added at any stage of the mixing process, but adding them to the mixer along with the aggregates (before water) gives the most uniform distribution. Mixing time should be at least 5 minutes after fiber addition. For hooked-end fibers, ensure the mixing action is vigorous enough to separate the glued bundles. Dosage control: Weigh fibers accurately — under-dosing will compromise structural performance, while significant over-dosing wastes material without proportional benefit. Most batching plants can handle fiber addition with standard equipment. Typical dosages range from 20-45 kg/m³. Placing: SFRC can be placed using all conventional methods — direct discharge, pump, or skip. When pumping, use pipeline diameters of 125mm or larger and avoid tight bends. The concrete should have a slump of 100-180mm (higher than non-fiber concrete) to ensure good flowability and fiber distribution. Compaction: Use poker vibrators as normal. Avoid over-vibration as this can cause fibers to settle. Surface vibration (screed boards or vibrating beams) is effective for distributing fibers near the surface. Finishing: Power floating and power troweling can be performed as normal. Some fibers may appear at the surface — this is normal and does not affect performance. For high-flatness floors (FM2 or better), standard laser screed equipment works well with SFRC. Curing: Follow the same curing regime as conventional concrete. Apply curing compound or membrane immediately after finishing. Minimum 7 days curing is recommended for optimal fiber-matrix bond development.