Mechanical Influence of Steel Binding Wires as Fiber Reinforcement in Concrete

Concrete technology is continually evolving, and has witnessed several developments recently. Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) is one of such developments with various practical applications. FRC consists of discontinuous fibers which are distributed throughout the concrete mass with the intention of improving various properties of the produced concrete. This article studies the potential for reuse of steel binding wires which is a common waste material found on construction sites. The study investigates the mechanical behavior of left-over steel binding wires on concrete strength. 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% fiber fraction by concrete volume respectively were examined using 0% as a bench mark. The research finding shows that compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength improved with respect to the increase of binding wire off-cuts as fiber reinforcement in the concrete. However, 3% result proves to be the best based on the mechanical behaviors investigated.