Polyvinyl alcohol synthetic fibers are used as reinforcing materials for hydraulically setting materials, and by selecting the aspect ratio of the polyvinyl alcohol fiber and the dispersing agent for said fiber, adequate dispersion is made possible even with the fiber of 2 denier or less, thereby a higher reinforcing effect may be achieved.The polyvinyl alcohol fiber is obtained by depositing 0.1-3.0% by weight based on the fiber of an oxidized polyethylene having an acid value of 5-150, and has a single yarn fineness of 0.5-2 denier, a length of 3-8 mm and an aspect ratio of 200-800, and the hydraulically setting material contains 0.1-4% by weight of said fiber.