Expertise
With years of working alongside NV Bekaert SA, the market and technology leader in the field of steel fibres and steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), we are able to use our gained experience and apply the entire "know-how" of SFRC and combined reinforcement in the best possible way to our activities in the design office, and to provide successful concepts to our clients.
Steel fibre reinforced concrete
Our extensive and detailed knowledge of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), steel fibre reinforced concrete in combination with traditional reinforcement (combined reinforcement) and also the product properties of steel fibres is due to our history within the technical department of NV Bekaert SA, the world's largest steel fibre producer.
Our previous participation in national, international and in-house research and development projects on relevant topics of SFRC, as well as our many years of active participation in national and international standard committees, gives us valuable background knowledge and a deep insight into various topics, such as:
- Material behaviour of SFRC
- Concrete-Technology related aspects
- Suitable application areas, special applications and application limits
- Calculation methods (Elastic-Elastic, Plastic-Plastic and non-linear) and their suitability for the element to be designed
Falconix Engineering® collates this knowledge to provide our clients high-quality, practical and efficient solutions in SFRC and combined reinforcement.
Non linear design methodology
Progress in numerical structural analysis combined with the development of European standards has g iven a boost to non-linear approaches for structural concrete and SFRC.
Non-linear design method is a very complex and detailed design methodology that engages the entire concrete member behaviour considering the stiffness change in each deformation state and for each crack opening in every face of the concrete member. This enables a simulation of real material behaviour at different crack phases. These design methods demand a new quality of knowledge from the structural engineer regarding the use of FEM tools and need intensive verification to ensure correct results for such design methodology.
We use the nonlinear calculation method primarily for industrial floors that consist of SFRC or combined reinforcement. Such systems are highly statically indeterminate and have sufficiently large deformation capacity. In such systems SFRC provides a ductile material behaviour, fulfils the required nonlinearity condition and is particularly suitable for the use of non-linear calculation methods due to its isotropic property.
Enhanced quality control for SFRC
Ensuring the required quality of steel fibre reinforced concrete is of great importance. In particular, a homogeneous fibre distribution in the concrete is crucial. The DAfStb-Guideline on SFRC provides sufficient methods for quality control, however these are noticeably labour-intensive. The assessment of those test methods is limited and real-time test results are difficult to provide. For common applications there is sufficient experience to enable adequate quality control with the use of existing codes and guidelines.
However, quality control can now be executed even more precisely:
For particularly high requirements, or simply to carry out more comprehensive homogeneity measurements beyond the requirements of the regulations, we have the opportunity to access the eyeD® device developed by NV Bekaert SA, and to use it on the construction site.
An automated real time quality control system is an ideal solution, both in terms of process integration as well as quality assurance. The eyeD® is connected to the truck mixer by an adjustable interface and should fit all major truck mixer types. The concrete flow is continuously determined through regular ultrasound height sensors and especially developed speed sensors. The variation of the fibre’s electromagnetic response is measured and plotted as a deviation from the mean value. Results can be accessed as soon as the concrete discharge process has finished.
This can be done with any WiFi- capable device right on site. The eyeD® provides instantaneous quality data in real time. Corrective actions can be taken immediately if deemed necessary.
Software development
One of our core competencies is the development and implementation of powerful software solutions for the design of structural elements that consist of SFRC and combined reinforcement. This is a focus that has been particularly important to us since we founded Falconix Engineering®.
To be able to develop safe and optimised design verification and structure-related solutions, we develop specific software solutions that are based on recognised codes and are tailored to the requirements of the respective design challenge.
Our portfolio of tailor-made software solutions for SFRC and combined reinforcement contains individual modules for design-checks in the ultimate and serviceability limit states.
Publications
Interesting projects, new findings and new developments: Some of those projects we also like to record on paper.
The use of Steel fibre reinforced concrete in tunnelling applications
Asian Conference On Ecstasy In Concrete, ACECON 2010
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Stahlfaserbeton-Tübbinge: Stand der Technik und Ausgeführte Projekte
SBJ 2/11 – SchweizerBauJournal – Tunnelbau.
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Eigenschaften von Stahl- und Kunststofffasern
SBJ 2/09 – SchweizerBauJournal – Tunnelbau.
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Steel-fibre-reinforced segmental linings: State-of-the-art and completed projects
Stahlfaserbetontübbinge: Stand der Technik und realisierte Projekte
Tunnel 1/2011.
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Einsatz von bewehrtem Mauerwerk
Mauerwerk-Kalender 2011.
The performance of fibres: CE regulation, minimum dosage and further determinations
Fibre concrete day 2011, Prague
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Stahlfaserbeton – Neue Perspektiven
Bauingenieur Band 87, November 2012. / www.bauingenieur.de
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Dicke Fundamentplatten in Kombinationsbewehrung
Bauingenieur 2014-02, Springer-VDI Verlag. / www.bauingenieur.de
Download PDF Carl Zeiss AG Oberkochen
Fundamentplatten aus Stahlfaserbeton/Kombinationsbewehrung für Hochregalläger in Silobauweise
Bauingenieur Heft 6/2014. / www.bauingenieur.de
Download PDF SIBCO Pepsi VW Bratislava
750 Fundamentplatten – Center Parcs baut auf Stahlfaserbeton
Bautechnik Heft 11, November 2018. / www.ernst-und-sohn.de
Download PDF Center Parcs Allgäu
METHODOLOGY OF ANALYSIS FOR UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES IN SOFT SOILS
Guidelines for Seismic Vulnerability Reduction in the Urban Environment, LESSLOSS project, IUSS Press, Universidade de Pavia, pp 263-280, 2007.
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Stress-strain relationship for steel under uniaxial cyclic loadings
Advances in structural engineering, Vol. 5 No. 3, Multi-science publishing co. Ltd., 2002.
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Nachhaltiges Bauen mit Stahlfaserbeton
nbau Nachhaltig Bauen 54-56, Ernst&Sohn 2023. / www.ernst-und-sohn.de
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Structural design of raft foundations with combined reinforcement
Concrete 2023 Resilient and sustainable concrete: Breaking down barriers, Biannual National Conference of the Concrete Institute of Australia
Predicting the Tensile Behavior of Ultra-High performance Fibre-reinforced Concrete from Single-Fibre Pull-Out Tests
Materials 2022, 15(14): 5085
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Influence of specimen size on the fibre geometry and tensile strength of ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete
Struct. Concr. 2022, 23, 1239–1252
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Lautern Barrier - Innovative Self-Closing Flood Protection System from UHPFRC
Lautern Sperre - Innovatives, selbsttätiges Hochwasserschutzsystem aus UHPFRC
BFT INTERNATIONAL 12.2022, 42- 51
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Influence of production parameters on the fiber geometry and the mechanical behavior of ultra high performance fiber-reinforced concrete
Struct. Concr. 2021, 22, 316–375.
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Aufschwimmen und Sperren - Selbsttätige Betonfertigteil-Hochwassersperre aus UHPFRC
Beton Bauteile 2021, 168-175
European Patent: WATER BARRIER WITH A TROUGH-SHAPED FOUNDATION
WASSERSPERRE MIT EINEM RINNENFÖRMIGEN GRÜNDUNGSKÖRPER
Patentblatt 2020/22.
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Development of an effective automatic flood barrier
Betontage 2020.
Bemessung und Konstruktion von selbstaufschwimmenden Hochwassersperren in Beton-Sandwichbauweise
Selbstaufschwimmende Hochwassersperren. Abschlussbericht. (Forschungsinitiative Zukunft Bau), Fraunhofer IRB Verlag 2019.
Report on the SeRaMCo EU research project – Innovative precast elements made from secondary raw materials
Betontage 2019, 14-15
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Certificate granting german patent no. 102017130818 - Designation: water barrier with a channel-shaped foundation body
Urkunde über die Erteilung des Deutschen Patents Nr. 102017130818. Bezeichnung: Wassersperre mit einem rinnenförmigen Gründungkörper. Patentschrift 2018.
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Konstruktion und Bemessung selbsttätiger Hochwassersperren aus Hochleistungsbeton
Beton- und Stahlbeton bau 113(8) 2018.
Green cement and precast concrete will compete with conventional materials in the built environment
CPI – Concrete Plant International - 5, 2018.
Microstructural investigations on the skinning of ultra-high performance concrete
Cement and concrete Composites 57, 2015.
Flüssigkeitsdichte Bauteile in Kombinationsbewehrung
Bauingenieur Heft 11/2015. / www.bauingenieur.de
Download PDF BASF FA 561
Combined reinforcement - Effect of steel fibres in a crack width design
Fibre concrete day 2009, Prague
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