Frequently asked questions (F.A.Q.)

A selection of answers to common questions about basalt fiber, rebar, roving and basalt stone

We’ve placed our answers in four groups of frequently asked questions:

  • general questions,
  • questions about basalt fiber,
  • questions about basalt rebar,
  • questions about basalt roving

and tried to formulate easy answers to each of them.

Questions and answers

General questions

Where does Technobasalt Invest export its products to?

The Technobasalt company exports to 54 countries of the world, including the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, EU countries, African countries, Asia.

What is basalt fiber made of?

Basalt fiber is made from an environmentally friendly natural mineral – basalt by melting it in special high-temperature furnaces (T = 1500°C) and forming monofilaments through platinum-rhodium dies. In the process of smelting the stone, no impurities or compounds are added.

Basalt. What is it?

Basalt is a volcanic igneous rock of normal alkalinity from the basalt family. Basalts are usually dark gray, black, or greenish-black rocks with a glassy fibrous, cryptocrystalline aphyric or porphyry structure. Density (2.60-3.10 g / cm³). Chemical composition: the content of silica (SiO2) ranges from 42 to 52-53%, the amount of alkalis Na2+K2 up to 5%, in alkaline basalts up to 7%.

Basalts are formed during solidification of silicate magmatic melt poured onto the Earth’s surface. Basaltic magma, according to one of the hypotheses, consists of typical mantle rocks, harzburgites, wehrlites, etc.

You can read more about basalt by clicking on the link: Basalt. What is it?

What is the uniqueness of the raw materials used by Technobasalt?

Despite the widespread occurrence of basalts on the surface of the globe, there are very few deposits of basalts, from the melt of which it is possible to pull an infinitely long thread. One of these unique deposits is located in Ukraine and it is one of the three largest high-quality deposits in the world.

Photo. Basalt deposit

Questions and answers

Questions about
Basalt Fiber

Basalt fiber. What is it?

Basalt fiber is a reinforcing additive for concrete and other materials in the form of chopped basalt filaments. Other known types of fibers are metal, polypropylene, copolymer and glass fibers.

Fiber is intended primarily for reinforcing other materials in order to increase their strength characteristics.

The sizing agents. What is it?

When smelting basalt fiber, each of the monofilaments (monofilaments) is lubricated with special auxiliary substances – sizing agents. In the manufacturing process, basalt fiber is lubricated with two types of sizing agents – technological and direct.

A technological sizing agent is used to give each monofilament a smooth surface and to fill possible voids. The task of direct sizing agent is to ensure the adhesion of monofilaments into bundles and to ensure maximum adhesion of monofilaments to the components of the final product (concrete, asphalt, paints, etc.), as well as the removal of moisture and air from this environment.

Most Technobasalt® products are coated with silane-based sizing agents.

How to choose the length of fiber for your application?

Basalt fiber Technobasalt® is manufactured in the following lengths: 5, 12, 24, 36, 50, 60 and 100 mm. In the construction industry, the most commonly used fiber is 5, 12 or 24 mm, and in the composite industry 5 and 12 mm.

Our experts will help you select the required length and diameter of fiber for a specific type of use, depending on the requirements for the final product.

Do you provide advice on the use of fibers?

We provide advice and technical support to all our clients. We are happy to share the experience we have gained, and also confirm our calculations with reports on the results of tests conducted in various research institutes, accredited laboratories, universities, etc.

What are the main advantages of using basalt fiber?

Basalt fiber is a unique reinforcing environmentally friendly material that significantly increases the strength, durability of materials, time between repairs, increases fire resistance and provides economic efficiency both in the short and long term.

What are the benefits of adding fiber to concrete?

Basalt fiber in concrete helps prevent the appearance of microcracks, significantly increase strength (up to 55%), increase the durability of the structure and obtain savings on the project by reducing the thickness of the concrete layer and / or rejecting one or all layers of the reinforcing mesh, as well as increasing time between repairs.

How much fiber should be added to concrete?

The amount of fiber that should be added to the concrete depends on what purpose you are pursuing. If the task is only to remove microcracks, then 1 kg of fiber per 1 m³ of concrete will be enough. If you want to increase the strength of the concrete, the amount of added fiber depends on the class of concrete you are using – the higher the class of concrete, the more fiber must be added to obtain the desired result.

 

It must be remembered that there is a point of concrete saturation with fiber, after reaching which further addition of fiber will not make any sense, since the growth of strength will not only stop, but may also decrease.

 

In more detail, we advise each client separately, taking into account all individual factors.

 

When 12 mm fiber was added to a concrete mixture based on M500 cement at a rate of 1: 100 in mass equivalent (1 kg of fiber per 100 kg of binder), we obtained a sample of a cement slab, the strength of which increased by 55% in relation to a slab in which the fiber was not added.

How to mix fiber in concrete correctly?

We recommend mixing the fibers dry together with other inert components (sand, cement and crushed stone). We also recommend increasing the mixing time by 10-15 seconds. Only after the mixture is evenly mixed water should be added.

We recommend adding a little more water than in the usual process – the fiber takes up some of the moisture. The proportion of water is determined empirically, so that the concrete mix has normal flow.

Do I need to cut fiber from the concrete surface?

Basalt fiber, unlike metal and polypropylene, does not require additional labor costs for cutting from the surface and grinding concrete.

What packaging is the basalt fiber supplied in?

Technobasalt® Fiber is supplied in 20 kg polyethylene bags, which are packed in big bags or cardboard boxes. Taking care of our customers, we can change the packaging as agreed.

What are the advantages of basalt fiber over other types of fiber?
The answer to this question is too broad to fit into this blitz format. Therefore, we suggest looking at the answer to this question by clicking on the link to the corresponding page of our site: «ВTypes of fibers. Which fiber to choose?»
What fiber is used to reinforce foam / aerated concrete blocks?

We recommend using Technobasalt® Fiber RBR-18-T10/12.

What kind of fiber is used in high strength concrete?

Based on the positive experience of our clients, we recommend using Technobasalt® Fiber RBR-18-T10/12 for reinforcing high-strength concrete.

What kind of basalt fiber is used in the production of dry mixes?

We recommend using Technobasalt® Fiber RBR-18-T10/5 and RBR-18-T10/12 as a reinforcing additive for dry mixes.

What are the benefits of adding basalt fiber to asphalt?
Basalt fiber increases the resistance of asphalt to cracks, resistance to landslides, resistance to rutting, significantly increases the durability of the road surface and time between repairs. Unlike other types of fibers, basalt fiber perfectly functions in the temperature and chemical range of asphalt production and laying technology. Since the question is broad, to get more information we suggest you go to the page: «Asphalt roads»
Questions and answers

Questions about

Basalt Rebar

Basalt rebar. What is it?

Basalt rebar is a bearing rod with continuous spiral ribbing formed by wrapping it with a basalt rope impregnated with a high-strength polymer compound. Basalt rebar is a composite material, the unique parameters of which are given by basalt fiber.

What rebar diameters are produced by Technobasalt?

We manufacture basalt rebar with a diameter of 4 to 14 mm.

In what areas are basalt rebar used?

Basalt rebar is an excellent material for reinforcing structures operating on an elastic foundation, as well as in an aggressive environment (roads, bridges, viaducts, foundations, industrial floors, structural products).

Can basalt rebar be bent?

Basalt rebar can be bent directly on site only with the help of an industrial heat gun, but it is not advisable to do this, since the rod loses its strength at the point of bending. When ordering a wholesale batch, our company is ready to produce pre-bent elements.

What are the advantages of using basalt rebar?

Basalt rebar significantly extends the service life of the finished structure, reduces its weight, does not require welding, does not require the use of lifting equipment, and this allows you to save money.

Is it possible to replace basalt steel reinforcement in all cases?

Not in all cases basalt reinforcement can replace steel because of its lower heat resistance (up to 180 ° C) and elastic modulus.

Also DSTU-N B V.2.6-185 2012 “Guidelines for the design and manufacture of concrete structures with non-metallic composite reinforcement based on basalt and glass roving” recommends the use of steel bent elements in places where necessary, connecting them with straight basalt rods.

How is steel rebar replaced with basalt one?

Since basalt rebars 3 times stronger than steel rebars, it replaces steel not diameter to diameter, but with a certain step. So, 4 mm basalt replaces 6 mm steel, 6 mm basalt – 8 mm and 10 mm steel, 8 mm – 12 mm, 10 mm – 14 mm, 12 mm -16 mm, 14 mm – 18 mm.

What is the maximum operating temperature for basalt rebar?

The maximum temperature that basalt rebar can withstand outside the concrete body is +180 C.

How are basalt rebar connected?

Basalt rods are connected using plastic clamps or knitting wire.

Are basalt rebar sold in tons?

Basalt rebar is sold in linear meters.

What is the minimum and maximum length of basalt rebar?

We supply basalt rebar up to 12 meters long, as well as in coils, the parameters of which you can specify by contacting us in any convenient way.

How is basalt rebar packaged and how is it delivered to the site?

Basalt rebar is packed in bundles. Small diameters (4mm, 6mm, 8mm) can be rolled into coils at the customer’s request.

Due to its low weight, basalt rebar is delivered by any convenient transport.

Is it economically viable to replace steel reinforcement with basalt?

The direct economic effect of replacing steel reinforcement with basalt with proper design is up to 30%.

What documents regulate the use of basalt rebar?

DSTU B V.2.6-145: 2010 “Structural arrangement of buildings and structures. Protection of concrete and reinforced concrete structures from corrosion. General technical requirements “.

DSTU-N B V.2.6-185 2012 “Guidelines for the design and manufacture of concrete structures with non-metallic composite reinforcement based on basalt and glass roving.”

DSTU B V.2.7.-312: 2016 “Non-metallic composite basalt rebar with periodic profile”.

М 42.1-37641918-759: 2017 “Methodology for calculating concrete structures of bridges reinforced with basalt-plastic reinforcement for endurance.”

М 42.1-37641918-756: 2017 “Methodology for calculating concrete structures of bridges reinforced with basalt-plastic reinforcement for the action of low-cycle loads”.

R B.3.2-03450778-830: 2013 “Recommendations for the use of non-metallic bar reinforcement for the reinforcement of slab structures of bridge spans.”

R B.2.3-03450778-846: 2014 “Recommendations for the design of basalt concrete structures for bridges and pipes.”

Questions and answers

Questions about
Basalt Roving

Basalt roving. What is it?

Roving is continuous unidirectional complex basalt fibers wound into a bobbin. Roving can be with internal unwinding or external, with or without a sleeve.

What are the main characteristics of a roving?

The main characteristics for roving are: monofilament diameter [µm], type of sizing agent, linear density [tex *], type of unwinding, bobbin weight [kg] and thread strength.

* Tex – weight in grams of 1 kilometer of thread.

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Address

01010, Ukraine, Kyiv
Omelyanovycha Pavlenko 4/6
office 14/10
Technobasalt Invest LLC

Phone

+380 44 280 93 61

Mobile phone

+380 67 557 07 61

E-mail

sales@technobasalt.com