Title:
Risk and Benefits of Including Fiber-Reinforced Concrete for the Design and Construction of a Driveway
Author(s):
C. N. MacDonald
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
268
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
165-172
Keywords:
fiber; pavement; residential driveway; synthetic fiber-reinforced concrete; ultra thin white-topping.
DOI:
10.14359/51663716
Date:
3/1/2010
Abstract:
The case history presented in this paper describes a small sized project for design and construction of a macro synthetic fiber reinforced concrete (SnFRC) residential driveway with an average grade of 17%. The study highlights risks and benefits of choosing this material for this project. Five almost-equal lengths of SnFRC sections were placed in two groups 11 months apart. The delay between placements allowed for some experience to better analyze and determine if this was the best solution given the customer’s performance criteria and the difficult construction conditions. The design included a high cementitious content mixture with small aggregate, synthetic macro fibers, and air-entraining admixture. The resulting driveway was constructed down hill and has performed well in spite of minimal surface preparations and no jointing or saw cuts in the overlay. Some small cracking has occurred but has been of no consequence because the concrete has been held together by the synthetic fibers. For the construction of this residential driveway utilizing synthetic fiber reinforced concrete, the performance criteria was met, the construction schedule was on time, and the construction costs were significantly lower.