Fiber Elements has developed an alternative method for constructing concrete: instead of using steel reinforcement, which corrodes and requires thick protective layers of concrete, the company uses continuous basalt fibres arranged in a three-dimensional reinforcement network.

Construction, and in particular concrete and steel, is one of the most material-intensive and CO₂-emitting sectors. Fiber Elements, an Austrian start-up founded in 2023, is determined to make this sector more sustainable. To this end, the company has chosen to replace steel reinforcement with basalt fibres. What’s more, the way these fibres are designed and integrated into the concrete is also innovative: instead of cut fibres mixed into the concrete, the company uses continuous basalt fibres arranged in a three-dimensional reinforcement mesh.

Compared to steel-reinforced concrete, basalt fibre-reinforced concrete offers significant advantages. First, carbon emissions are reduced by 70% because the fibres are not subject to corrosion and because the volume of concrete required is reduced. Secondly, basalt fibre reinforced concrete lasts much longer, up to 100 years compared to 50-60 years for steel. Finally, concrete constructed in this way is lighter, making it easier to transport and install than steel reinforced concrete.

CREDIT: JEC Group’s Article “Basalt fibres: lighter, longer-lasting and low-carbon concrete”

WWW.FIBER-ELEMENTS.COM
Fiber Elements offers breakthrough technology for the fully automated production of smart and resource-optimised basalt fiber reinforcement structures for the construction industry.