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TechNOTE1 Sprayed Premix

1) Sprayed premix is a new production technique for manufacturing glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) components that allows for spraying the premix directly onto molds rather than using vibration casting or hand spraying. 2) Tests have shown that sprayed premix achieves higher flexural strengths compared to vibration casting, due to a more two-dimensional fiber orientation from spraying. 3) While sprayed premix achieves lower mechanical properties than hand spraying, the properties are more consistent and stable over time, reducing the risk of in-service failures.

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Roben Casano
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51 views

TechNOTE1 Sprayed Premix

1) Sprayed premix is a new production technique for manufacturing glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) components that allows for spraying the premix directly onto molds rather than using vibration casting or hand spraying. 2) Tests have shown that sprayed premix achieves higher flexural strengths compared to vibration casting, due to a more two-dimensional fiber orientation from spraying. 3) While sprayed premix achieves lower mechanical properties than hand spraying, the properties are more consistent and stable over time, reducing the risk of in-service failures.

Uploaded by

Roben Casano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONCRETE

1 16 FEB 08

22/1/08

3:56 pm

Page 13

GRCA techNOTE

Sprayed premix the new GRC


This rst techNOTE describes an
evolutionary production technique
sprayed premix which nds
application for the manufacture of
relatively small but intricate
components, often as architectural
details in house construction.

isons. In each case, a 60kg batch of premix GRC was prepared in a variable-speed mixer. After mixing, half the
batch was sprayed onto sample moulds and half was cast
using vibration. Curing and storage was identical for each
method and hence the only difference must be down to
the production method. The increase in exural strength
averaged 35%.

Comparison to hand spray


IAIN D PETER, FIBRE TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL

prayed premix is a relatively new method of producing GRC products and it can be used to replace or
complement the traditional production methods of handsprayed and vibration-cast premix. The bre is added to
the matrix during the mixing process and the mixed bre
and matrix are pumped to a spray gun and sprayed onto
the mould.
The advantages compared to vibration cast are:
Vibration-cast premix requires complex moulds,
which as well as being expensive to produce are also
time consuming to strip and reassemble.
As sprayed premix, GRC can be sprayed directly
onto vertical sides and mould returns; an inner
mould as used in vibration-cast premix is not
necessary.
It is difficult to produce stone finishes with the
vibration-cast process, and the range of products
that can be produced is limited.
There are no such limitations with sprayed premix.
Tests using the same mix design and fibre content have
shown that higher flexural strengths are obtained compared to vibration-cast premix. It is believed that this is
due to the spraying resulting in a more two-dimensional
bre orientation compared with the random three-dimensional array with conventional premix.
Figure 2 shows the results of four separate compar-

Spraying premix is a much simpler process than conventional hand spray. It is less labour-intensive and requires
less skill. The spray gun is smaller and there are fewer
hoses, making the spraying of small products easier.
Although established manufacturers with trained staff are
capable of producing high-quality hand-sprayed products, newcomers to the industry find the technique
difcult.
Producing high-quality hand-sprayed GRC requires
rigorous factory control and it is necessary to:
use a low water:cement ratio
ensure a glass bre content in the range 45.5%
calibrate the spray equipment regularly (bag and
bucket tests)
measure the glass content (wash-out test)
spray the GRC in two or three passes, with compaction between every coat
cure the GRC while it is in the mould and after
demoulding
spray daily sample boards and carry out flexural
testing at seven and/or 28 days.
If all the above is performed regularly then the anticipated properties can be achieved. If not, then material of
indeterminate quality will be produced.
The fibre-dependent mechanical properties, particularly tensile and flexural strength, are lower than the
properties that can be achieved with hand spray. Grade 18
GRC (characteristic exural strength of 18MPa) will not
be obtained with this production method but Grade 10
can be comfortably achieved. Although some mechanical
properties are lower it is much easier to achieve them
consistently.
The bre content is determined by weighing. There
is no calibration or bag and bucket tests and washout tests are unnecessary.
The mix has to be strictly controlled. If the

Over the coming


months we will be
publishing a
series of
technical notes
covering aspects
of glass-brereinforced
concrete (GRC)
technology.
The Glassbre
Reinforced
Concrete
Association
(GRCA) is a
Special Sector
Group of The
Concrete
Society.

Figure 1 below left: With


sprayed premix, the
bre is added to the
matrix during the mixing
process and the mixed
bre and matrix are
pumped to a spray gun
and sprayed onto the
mould.
Figure 2 below:
Comparison of sprayed
premix/vibration cast
premix.

CONCRETE FEBRUARY 2008

13

CONCRETE

1 16 FEB 08

22/1/08

3:56 pm

Page 14

GRCA techNOTE

ties is well understood and is allowed for in conservative


design rules. With hand spray the decline can appear
quite dramatic, although in the fully aged state there
remains a signicant factor of safety.
For sprayed premix with lower initial properties, the
decline is very small and the 28-day properties are very
similar to the fully aged properties. In practice, this can
mean that the potential for an in-service failure is
removed.

Essentials to produce a good-quality sprayed


premix
In order to produce consistent high-quality sprayed premix GRC, the following are required:
High-quality raw materials
It is particularly important that the alkali-resistant fibre
should be formulated for use in premix; chopped handspray bre is not suitable.
Specic mix design
A suitable mix design should be established and once
determined must be used consistently.
Controlled batching/weighing of materials
In order to maintain consistency, controlled batching/
weighing of raw materials is important. Dry materials can
be used from weighed bags but the water, polymer and
other liquid additives should be automatically batched
and dispensed.
Mixer designed for premix GRC
High shear mixing is required for producing the
sand/cement slurry but the bre must be blended into the
mix at slower speed. A mixer specifically designed for
premix GRC should be used.
Premix spray station comprising pump and spray gun
A peristaltic-type pump is required together with a premix spray gun.

Concluding remarks
Figure 3 top:
Comparison of
production methods.

Figure 4 above: Ageing


behaviour comparison.

water:cement ratio is too high or too low then spraying is difcult or impossible.
Compaction is used to ensure a good surface nish
but it is not required to expel air or to ensure that the
bre is encapsulated by the cement.
The sprayed material is homogeneous and unlike
hand spray, over-sprayed material can be used, thus
reducing wastage.
As the properties achieved are more consistent,
fewer sample boards are required, which in turn
reduces testing costs.
The equipment is much easier and quicker to clean
and uses less water. As the moving parts of the pump
do not come into contact with the mix then it can be
used for faster-setting materials.

Aged properties
The change in time with certain bre-dependent proper-

Sprayed premix produces GRC with consistent properties


(some mechanical properties are lower but they are more
stable) and the bre content is guaranteed. The process is
much simpler than traditional hand spray and is less
labour-intensive. As labour costs increase, sprayed premix
will become increasingly popular.

Further information:

The technical note is a result of development work over a


number of years and was presented in full at the last GRCA
International Congress, GRC 2005, in Hong Kong. Readers
may note that the next Congress of the GRCA, GRC 2008,
takes place in Prague on 2023 April 2008. Registration of
delegates is welcomed: please contact:
[email protected] to register, or [email protected]
for further information.

Tests using the same mix design and bre content have shown
that higher exural strengths are obtained compared to
vibration-cast premix.

14

FEBRUARY 2008 CONCRETE

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