STUDENT NAME : MATRIC NO.

: COURSE CODE/COURSE NAME : SEMESTER/ACADEMIC YEAR : LECTURER :

SAZNIZAM SAZMEE SINOH KEA090035 KAEA2217 REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGN 1 2 2010/2011 ASSIST. PROF. DR. CHAI HWA KIAN

ASSIGNMENT 1 QUESTION Give one material that has been used as reinforcement for concrete in modern day construction. Provide a brief description of the material properties and state how it helps improve the performance of concrete structural elements. One may choose to propose one material that you feels suitable and supply reason for its applicability. ANSWER A material that has been used as reinforcement for concrete in modern day construction is fiberglass. In fact, fiberglass reinforced concrete has been used since the 1940s.[1] Fiberglass is also known as Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (GFRP)[2] and is a plastic matrix reinforced by fine glass fibers. Fiberglass has very strong compressive and tensile strength as well as possessing strong resistance to chemical attack. These elongated fibers may be added directly into the concrete mixture as fine strands or bundled into bars. In both cases they strengthen concrete in compression and in tension. This is because fiberglass stretches more than concrete under tension and will hold concrete together when the concrete begins to weaken. [3] Also, when fiberglass is bundles into bars, the fibers are no longer able to buckle and hence may be able to utilise their full compressive strength to strengthen concrete. It is interesting to note that fiberglass is not attracted by magnets, thus concrete with fiberglass reinforcement may be used in structures which use sensitive magnetic equipment such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. [4] Apart from that, using fiberglass in concrete relieves the worry of chemical attack since it does not corrode when exposed to air and water such as steel does. [5] Another advantage of using fiberglass as a reinforcing material is that it reduces the cost of construction. While fiberglass may not completely replace steel rebars, it can definitely reduce the need to manufacture steel for concrete purposes since the fiberglass increases the strength of concrete by up to 5 times.[6] This means that more steel may be used in other areas of construction or industry. Since fiberglass can be produced much easier and faster than steel, this also can increase the speed of construction resulting in a lesser operating costs.

REFERENCES 1. Berg, T. W. (1996). Fiber Reinforced Concrete. Retrieved on 6 January 2011 from http://www.retailsource.com/information/fiber_rc/fiber_rc.html [2] [4] [5] [6] 2. Nawy, E. G. (2001). Fundamentals of High-Performance Concrete. (2nd Ed.). John Wiley & Sons: New York
[1] [3]

SAZNIZAM SAZMEE SINOH 2011