The introduction of randomly dispersed discrete steel fibers directly into a concrete mix has improved many of the important mechanical properties of plain concrete, such as the flexure, tensile and fatigue strengths.(1) Although the idea of using fibers to reinforce a brittle material is very old, it has been only in the last decade or so that theoretical models to explain the strength of a low tensile strength brittle matrix reinforced with a high strength ductile fiber have been developed. (2) There has been extensive publication of laboratory research, field projects and commercial applications of concrete reinforced with steel, glass and polymer fibers. (3,4) The most extensive field application of fiber reinforced concrete in the U.S.A. has been as overlays of pavements and bridge decks. There is concern about the strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete when exposed to flowing salt water environment conditions that occur for a fibrous concrete overlay of a pavement or bridge deck where salt is used for ice control. Whether flowing salt water would degrade the strength of steel fiber concrete if there were no cracks is being debated, but certainly there will be some reduction in the strength if salt water can infiltrate cracks which expose the steel fibers to the adverse environment.
