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.).
