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IS 14897:2000 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for recommendations for use of fibre reinforced concrete. This standard provides recommendations for the use of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC), covering materials, properties, mix design, and applications. It serves as a guide for using steel, synthetic, and other fibres to enhance concrete's toughness, ductility, and crack control in applications like shotcrete, tunnels, and industrial pavements.
Provides recommendations for the design, properties, and applications of fibre reinforced concrete.
Overview
Status
Current
Usage level
Specialized
Domain
Materials Science — Tunneling and Underground Structures
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
Practical Notes
! Fibre 'balling' is a common problem; ensure fibres are added gradually to the mix, often with aggregates, to achieve uniform distribution.
! The primary benefit of FRC is enhanced post-crack performance (toughness and energy absorption), not a significant increase in compressive or flexural strength.
! Standard slump tests are often not suitable for FRC; workability should be assessed using methods like the inverted slump cone test or VeBe time, as recommended in the code.
ACI 544.1R-18American Concrete Institute (ACI), USA
HighCurrent
Report on the State-of-the-Art of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
Provides a comprehensive overview of FRC materials, properties, and applications, similar to the recommendatory nature of IS 14897.
fib Model Code 2010Fédération internationale du béton / International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib), Switzerland
MediumCurrent
fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010
Includes a detailed chapter on FRC design, providing specific constitutive models and design rules not present in IS 14897.
ACI 360R-10American Concrete Institute (ACI), USA
MediumCurrent
Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground
Focuses specifically on the design of FRC for slabs-on-ground, a major application area mentioned in IS 14897.
TR34 (Fourth Edition)The Concrete Society, UK
MediumCurrent
Concrete Industrial Ground Floors - A guide to their design and construction
A widely used guide providing specific design methods for FRC in industrial floors, a key application.
Key Differences
≠IS 14897 is a 'Recommendations' document providing qualitative guidance, whereas the fib Model Code 2010 and ACI 360R-10 are design guides with specific quantitative design equations for strength and serviceability.
≠The Indian standard recommends toughness evaluation using Toughness Indices (I5, I10) from ASTM C1018, which is now a withdrawn standard. Modern codes like the fib Model Code and ACI standards use residual flexural strength (e.g., f_R1, f_R3 from EN 14651 or parameters from ASTM C1609) as the primary performance metric.
≠International standards provide a more formal classification of FRC based on post-cracking performance, allowing for a direct substitution of conventional reinforcement in some cases. IS 14897 treats fibres primarily as secondary reinforcement for crack control and toughness enhancement.
≠Modern international codes cover a broader and more advanced range of fibre materials, including various macro-synthetic fibres and high-performance metallic fibres, with specific models for each. IS 14897 focuses primarily on conventional steel and polypropylene fibres.
Key Similarities
≈All standards recognize the fundamental mechanism of FRC, where fibres bridge cracks to provide post-crack ductility, toughness, and impact resistance.
≈There is a strong consensus on the primary applications for FRC, including slabs-on-ground, pavements, shotcrete, precast elements, and applications requiring high impact resistance.
≈All documents acknowledge that the addition of fibres generally does not significantly increase the first-crack flexural strength or compressive strength of concrete but enhances its post-peak behavior.
≈Similar recommendations are provided across the standards regarding concrete mix design adjustments for FRC, such as optimizing aggregate grading and using admixtures to maintain workability.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Primary Toughness Test Method
ASTM C1018 (for Toughness Index). Note: This ASTM standard has been withdrawn.
ASTM C1609/C1609M (for residual strength) or EN 14651.
ACI 544.1R-18 / fib Model Code 2010
Typical Steel Fibre Dosage (Volume Fraction)
0.5% to 2.0%
0.25% to 1.5% (common range for most applications)
ACI 544.1R-18
Steel Fibre Aspect Ratio (L/d)
Typically between 30 and 100
Typically between 20 and 100
ACI 544.1R-18
Flexural Test Beam Specimen Size
150x150x700 mm or 100x100x500 mm (as per IS 516)
150x150x500 mm (common size) or 100x100x350 mm
ASTM C1609 / EN 14651
Design for Shear Contribution
Qualitatively mentions that fibres enhance shear capacity but provides no design equations.
Provides specific design equations to calculate the contribution of fibres to the shear resistance of a member.
fib Model Code 2010
Effect on Compressive Strength
States that fibres have little effect (+/- 15%).
States the effect is variable and can be negligible or a slight increase/decrease (typically within +/- 15%).
ACI 544.1R-18
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values5
Quick Reference Values
Typical fibre volume fraction0.5% to 2.0%
Typical aspect ratio (L/d) for steel fibres30 to 100
Maximum nominal aggregate size for FRC10 mm to 12.5 mm
Typical steel fibre dosage for shotcrete30 to 40 kg/m³
Minimum cementitious material content for FRC350 kg/m³
Tables & Referenced Sections
Key Tables
Table 1 - Physical Properties of Commonly used Fibres
Table 2 - Typical Dosage of Fibres for Various Applications
Key Clauses
Clause 4 - Materials (Fibres, Cement, Aggregates)
Clause 5 - Properties of Fibre Reinforced Concrete
Clause 6 - Mix Proportioning
Clause 8 - Applications of Fibre Reinforced Concrete
What is the main purpose of adding fibres to concrete?+
To control cracking and significantly enhance post-crack behavior, including toughness, ductility, and energy absorption capacity (Clause 5).
What is a typical dosage of steel fibres for industrial flooring?+
Approximately 20 to 30 kg/m³, which corresponds to about 0.25% to 0.4% by volume (Table 2).
What is the recommended maximum aggregate size for FRC?+
Generally 10 mm to 12.5 mm to ensure good workability and uniform distribution of fibres throughout the concrete matrix (Clause 6.2).
How is the performance of FRC measured?+
Primarily through flexural toughness tests as per ASTM C1018, which measures the post-crack energy absorption, a key performance indicator (Clause 5.3).