A new fibre with ideal properties for use in construction

Abstract

The growing use of composite materials in Spanish construction has led in recent years to the materialization of many largescale projects that have revealed the full potential of such systems. Their use has proven to be structurally and aesthetically as well as the economically beneficial, in light of the shipping, assembly and associated maintenance costs. Two specific examples are to be found in the facade on the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid and a bridge on the Cantabrian Expressway, which are briefly described in this article. The new applications associated with composite materials resulting from the pursuit of ways to capitalize on all their features in turn generate new technological demands that drive the development of yet other new materials. The present article introduces a new fibre that combines mechanical features with excellent long-term performance in combination with concrete.