Concrete with mesh or fiber

I would just use small rebar

Back in the good ole days, it was 1 bag of fiber mesh per yard.

I would use #3 rebar 24" OC with concrete bricks as chairs.

Relatively cheap and easy to have 20 foot sticks delivered.

Welded wire fabric sheets or rolls are a PITA to deal with in small quantities and the mesh always ends up trampled in the bottom the pour.

Fiber does nothing to increase tensile strength, it just prevents crack migration.

My $0.02

quote:

---

"Fiber does nothing to increase tensile strength, it just prevents crack migration."

Are you sure about that?

---

Read the paper you referenced. It notes the limits on using fiber, especially if you are not using steel fibers.

Ignorant people often jump on the fibermesh bandwagon, "$6 a yard and $0 labor, what's not to love?"

It just doesn't hold up as well in the long term as steel reinforcement properly placed, especially if there are subgrade failures or other increased stressors on the paving.

So you reference steel fibers. What’s the scoop on that and is it readily available?

Best slab I ever made had pieces of old barb wire fence I took down cut up into strips and laid in concrete like wire mesh. But never knew if that was smart or dumb.

I see you didn't answer my question...

He's asking about a driveway or patio, not a concealed industrial application.

Wouldn't steel fibers near/on the surface rust?

Fiber is OK for a small parking pad but for a full driveway use mesh.

My neighbor poured a 20'x140' driveway and, despite my warnings, the crew he hired only used fiber. His driveway cracked to hell in less than 6 months, and not just surface cracks. He even sued the concrete contractor over it and won it was so bad.

They also used an 85/15 fly ash mix and you can tell because his driveway is bleach white. Get 100% concrete when you pour.