Is Fibermesh® or wiremesh reinforcing better for outdoor concrete?
Wiremesh reinforcing has been around a lot longer and at one time was the standard for plastic shrinkage reduction. Now with the advent of fibrillated fibers (Fibermesh®), that has changed. One benefit of Fibermesh® is that it is mixed in, so the fibers will be throughout the concrete. Rising steel costs, along with the labor required to install wiremesh, make Fibermesh® a more economical solution. Wiremesh is extremely hard to hold in the correct location of the slab during the concrete placement. This makes it hard to certify that it will produce the desired results. An important point to note is that neither adds strength to the concrete structurally. The products reduce plastic shrinkage, which for the most part occurs in the first 120 hours after placement. After that the products are not going to add much value.
