SBIR Phase I: Twisted Polygonal Fiber Composite Technology for Creating Safer Low Cost High Ductile Concrete Structures

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种新的混凝土加固技术。受阻纤维旨在解决水泥基材料的根本问题-它们的脆性。当混凝土超载时，它往往会突然失效，不像钢材那样在超载时会弯曲并实际硬化。这一缺陷导致了从人行道裂缝到混凝土结构灾难性破坏的各种问题。Hestival是一种牙签大小的涂层金属丝，在混凝土预拌厂成型后加在一起，Hestival纤维随机分散并在各个方向增强混凝土。每一根纤维都像一个锁在混凝土中的小螺丝钉，Hessels将前所未有的性能与经济性结合在一起。该项目将专注于开发光纤设计并证明其有效性。该项目最终将专注于成本优化，并证明该技术在大规模商业建筑应用中的有效性。该技术将使新一代混凝土基复合材料的性能更像钢，使其更安全，更持久。该项目的广泛影响可能是显着的。纤维增强水泥基复合材料是高性能纤维增强水泥基复合材料发展的一个重大进步，它可以提供高的抗拉强度、延展性、韧性和抗冲击性的组合。这些复合材料适用于结构应用（即，爆炸冲击和抗震结构）和独立应用（用于房屋、建筑物、桥面等的薄板产品）。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new concrete reinforcement technology. Helix fiber is designed to solve the fundamental problem with cement-based materials - their brittle nature. When concrete is overloaded it tends to fail suddenly, unlike materials such as steel that will bend and actually harden when overloaded. This shortcoming causes problems ranging from cracks in sidewalks to catastrophic failures of concrete structures. Helix is a toothpick-sized, coated metallic-wire which is shaped then twisted and is added at the concrete ready mix plant, Helix fibers are randomly dispersed and reinforcing concrete in all directions. Each individual fiber acts like a tiny screw locked into the concrete, Helix combines unprecedented performance with economy. The project will focus on developing the fiber design and proving its effectiveness. The project will ultimately focus on cost optimization and proving the technology's effectiveness for large-scale commercial construction applications. The technology will enable a new generation of concrete-based composites that behave more like steel, making them safer and longer lasting.The broader impacts from this project could be significant. Helix is a major advance in the development of high performance fiber reinforced cement composites which could offer a combination of high tensile strength, ductility, toughness and impact resistance. These composites are suitable in structural applications (i.e., blast-impact and seismic-resistant structures) and in stand-alone applications (thin sheet products for housing, buildings, bridge decks, etc.).