A Critical Review of Mechanical, Physical and Durability Properties of Slurry Infiltrated Fibrous Concrete (SIFCON)

Abstract

The recent development of slurry infiltrated fibrous concrete (SIFCON) was discussed in this paper. The amount of fibers usually does not exceed 20% of the total concrete volume. SIFCON is of specific benefits in civil engineering owing to its excellent mechanical properties such as high compressive strength, high strain during compression, and good ductility. SIFCONs prepared using cement as a binder alone or by adding pozzolanic materials, such as silica or silica and alumina, were explored. The materials have a high degree of fineness (high surface area), and in the presence of water, they react chemically with calcium hydroxide at normal temperatures to form compounds, such as fly ash, slag, silica fume, and metakaolin, with cementitious properties. The effects of different types of fiber and their geometric shape, whether straight, hooked-ends, or other shapes, on the mechanical properties of SIFCON were reviewed. The properties of SIFCON, such as compressive strength, splitting strength, flexural strength, impact resistance, abrasion resistance, and water absorption, were discussed on the basis of important mechanical tests. The results of non-destructive tests, such as pulse transmission velocity test and rebound number by Schmidt hammer, were deliberated.