Bend it like ... concrete

摘要

Flexible, self-repairing concrete may seem an unlikely product, but a local supplier says it could change the way miners look at ground support. Queensland supply company Hasabri says the specialised concrete is tougher, stronger and more efficient than regular fibre reinforced concrete. The result of several years of scientific development in the United States, engineered cementitious composite (ECC) looks like regular concrete but is made from specially designed micro fibres that give it high performance tensile strength to withstand heavy loads and drastically minimise crack width. By incorporating the smaller concrete fibres into the concrete mix, the aspect ratio (a measure of fibre strength) can be increased, and thus the concretes overall strength is also increased.