Tried adding fibers to my mix for the first time yesterday

I poured a 30 foot driveway in Phoenix and threw in some polypropylene fibers on a hunch. The surface actually finished smoother than I expected with no spider cracks showing up this morning. Has anyone else seen better results with fibers on hot weather pours?

3 comments

3 Comments

loganl222mo ago

Yeah the fibers make a big difference when it's hot out. Threw them in a 50 foot stretch last August when it was 105 and the surface stayed workable way longer than normal. Had zero cracks after a week even though we had to rush the finish a bit. The only thing I'd watch is making sure they're mixed in good before you pour or they'll ball up on you. Worked great for me on that job and I've kept using them since.

verar2121d ago

Mixed in good before you pour or they'll ball up on you" - yeah that's exactly what happened to me the first time. I was rushing and just dumped them in during the mix, ended up with these little fiber clumps all over the surface that looked like tiny hairy caterpillars crawling out of the concrete. Had to spend an extra hour trying to smooth them out and it still looked like a bad toupee in some spots. Learned my lesson though, now I always toss them in slowly while the mixer's running and let it go for a couple extra minutes.

drew6902mo ago

Oh man, I gotta say I was totally skeptical about fibers for a long time. I used to think they were just a gimmick or something that would mess up the surface. But I tried them on a 120 degree pour last July and it completely changed my mind. The finish came out just as smooth as regular stuff and I didn't see a single crack pop up even with the heat kicking. Pretty wild how much they help keep things stable when it's that hot out.