Forta-Ferro®

FORTA-FERRO® is an easy-to-finish, color-blended fiber, made of 100 percent virgin copolymer/propylene consisting of a twisted bundle non-fibrillating monofilament and a fibrillating network fiber, yielding a high-performance concrete reinforcement system.

FORTA-FERRO® is used to reduce plastic and hardened concrete shrinkage, improve impact strength, increase fatigue resistance and concrete toughness. This extra heavy-duty fiber offers maximum long-term durability, structural enhancements and effective secondary/temperature crack control by incorporating a truly unique synergistic fiber system of long-length design. FORTA-FERRO® is non-corrosive, non-magnetic and 100 percent alkali proof!

	ANCHORAGE PROJECT Participants:
	Owner:	Cover-All Structures, Inc.
	Specifier:	Owner Specification
	Concrete Supplier:	Anchorage Sand & Gravel Co.
	Fiber:	FORTA FERRO®, 2-1/4″ structural synthetic
	Fiber Dosage:	7.5 lbs./cu. yd.
One of the first sizeable FORTA FERRO® projects in Alaska occurred in early May 2004. The Anchorage unit floor slab measured 120 feet x 70 feet, and contained a radiant heat component along with several central floor drainage units. The 5” thick slab required 112 cubic yards of pumped-in-place concrete, and contained 7.5 lbs. of FORTA FERRO® structural synthetic fiber per cubic yard. To minimize future potential forklift/ joint deterioration, only one saw cut was installed, resulting in two 60 feet x 70 feet slab sections. To date, the machine-trowelled floor remains essentially free of cracks and curling, and has been used as a local reference model as well as a site for technical seminars for specifiers, designers, and contractors on high-volume synthetic fibers.

FORTA Corporation’s technical recommendations regarding synthetic fiber characteristics are based on years of engineering research and scores of concrete projects. FORTA has developed a simple 4 C’s formula to help choose the right fiber for any concrete project application. Synthetic fibrous reinforcement shall be used in the areas denoted in plans, and shall comply with the following fiber characteristics:

1. Configuration: Fiber shall be in fibrillated network form.
2. Chemistry: Fiber shall be made of 100% virgin materials in the form of fully-oriented polypropylene, tan in color.
3. Contents: Fibers shall be used at a minimum dosage rate of 1.6 lbs per cubic yard of concrete (1 kg per cubic meters of concrete).
4. Correct Length: Fiber length shall be a minimum of 3/4 in (19 mm). Longer length fibers shall be used based on the top size of the mix coarse aggregate (per ASTM C-33) as follows:

Compliance: Fibers shall comply with ASTM C-1116 “Standard Specification for Fiber Reinforced Concrete and Shotcrete” and applicable national building code. The approved product is FORTA® Ultra-Net® as manufactured by FORTA Corporation, Grove City, PA, U.S.A.

Forta-Ferro- Info
Forta-Ferro [MSDS]