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ABSTRACT
Key Words: Ferro Cement Slabs, flexure, Static loading, cyclic loading
INTRODUCTION
57
International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print),
ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 3, May - June (2013), © IAEME
the years, applications involving ferrocement have increased due to its properties such as
strength, toughness, water tightness, lightness, ductility and environmental stability.
Ferrocement may be cast in various shapes and forms even without the use of form work and
are aesthetically very appealing. Ferrocement has a very high tensile strength to weight ratio
and superior cracking behaviour in comparison to reinforced concrete2. Hence, Ferrocement
is an attractive material for construction of shell, folded plate, ribbed slab and housing
components. The slenderness of these elements may adversely affect their performance under
working loads. Hence, there is a need to study their (a) first crack strength and (b) load-
deflection (P-d) behaviour. While (a) and (b) characterize the serviceability behaviour of
ferrocement elements, it is equally important to predict their flexural strength.
Wail N. Al-Rifaie3 et al studied the structural behaviour using two ferrocement
channel-like beams to form I-cross-section beam and indicated that ferrocement can be used
in construction of buildings. Y. Yardim et al4 (2008), investigated the performance of
inverted two-way ribs precast ferrocement thin panel as permanent formwork and found that
the thin panel with suitable ribs layout and support distance can be used as permanent
formwork. Jalal .A. Saeed et al4 tested ferrocement one way slabs with openings subjected to
two point loads taking into consideration number of mesh layers and size of the openings as
variables. The results showed that by increasing number of mesh layers the slabs flexural
strength increased and size of the openings have negative effect on flexural strength of the
slabs. Essam Eltehawy observed the influence of using Ferrocement in enhancement of the
mechanical properties of reinforced concrete slabs subjected to impact, penetration and fire.
Deeptha Shri. S (2012) studied the flexural behaviour of self-compacting concrete (SCC)
ferrocement fiber reinforced slab panels.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print),
ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 3, May - June (2013), © IAEME
The slab is placed under 2 point load with dial gauge fixed to it as shown in fig 3 and
tested till failure as shown in fig 4.
The deflections were measured at the mid-span and the first crack and ultimate loads are
noted.
Static loading
Ultimate Load
The ultimate failure is a bit low for the 2 layer mesh slab, 5.6 kN. But the ultimate
failure is relatively high for both 3 layer and 4 layer mesh slabs i.e, 8.4 kN and 9.7 kN
respectively. This shows an increase of 50% over 2 layer slab. The 4 layer slab shows an
increase of 15.47% ultimate strength than 3 layer slab and 73.21 % over the 2 layer slab.
59
International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print),
ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 3, May - June (2013), © IAEME
25
20 8.2
Deflection in mm
15 8
6 8
10 4
4
22
6
5 0 44
22
00 2
0
0 5 10
Load in kN
Cyclic Loading
Ultimate load
The ultimate failure is a bit low for the 2 layer mesh slab, 3.9 kN. But the ultimate
failure is relatively high for both 3 layer and 4 layer mesh slabs i.e, 4.3 kN and 8.2 kN
respectively. This shows an increase of 10.25% over 2 layer slab. The 4 layer slab shows an
increase of 15.47% ultimate strength than 3 layer slab and 110.25 % over the 2 layer slab
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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print),
ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 3, May - June (2013), © IAEME
20 35
18 5
4 30
16 4 7
Deflection in mm
deflecton in mm
14 2 25
12 2
20
10
8 15 6
4
4 4
6 10 4
2 4
4 2 4
2 5 2
2 2 0 2
2
0 0 0 0
0
0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6 8
load in kN Load in kN
CRACK PATTERNS
The cracks under flexure loading were observed to be parallel to each other, and they
were in the plane perpendicular to load application. The cracks appeared on the face of the
slab which was opposite to the face of load application. It is also observed that in the 4 layer
mesh slab, the first crack appeared very later, and the increase in the cracks, upon application
of load was slow.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Increasing the number of layers of mesh increases the flexural strength of the
ferrocement slabs.
2. Slabs with highest number of layers of wire mesh have highest flexural strength under
both types of loading.
3. The flexure strength under static loading increased by 50% % for 3 layer slab, from 2
layer slab. It further increases by 15.47 % for 4 layer slab over 3 layer slab.
4. The percentage increase of flexural strength of static loading condition of 4 layer slab
over 2 layer slab is 73.21%
5. The flexure strength under cyclic loading increased by 10.25 % for 3 layer slab, from 2
layer slab. It further increases by 90 % for 4 layer slab.
6. The percentage increase of flexural strength of cyclic loading condition of 4 layer slab
over 2 layer slab is 110.25%
7. As the number of layers increase the crack propagation is slow, and the crack spacing is
least for 4 layer mesh slabs, which ultimately leads to better load bearing capacities.
8. It was also seen that, as the number of layers increases, it is difficult to pack them into
layer into same thickness
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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print),
ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 3, May - June (2013), © IAEME
REFERENCES
1. Anitha .M et. al. Coimbatore, India (2012). “An experimental investigation on the
flexural behaviour of SCC ferrocement slabs incorporating fibres”, International Journal
of Engineering Science and Technology,Vol. 4; No. 5; pp 2146-2158.
2. Ezzat. H. Fahmyet. al. Cairo, Egypt (2009).“Ferrocement sandwich and cored panels for
floor and wall construction”, “our world in Concrete and structures”.
3. Dr.Wail N. Al-Rifaie andMuyasser M. Joma’ah, Tikrit, Iraq (2010). “Structural
behaviour of ferrocement system for roofing”, “Diyala Journal of engineering sciences” ,
pp-237-248
4. Y.Yardim et. Al (2010), “Performance of Precast Ferrocement Panel for Composite
Masonry Slab System”, “International Conference on Construction and Building
Technology”, 2008, ICCBT 2008 - B - (36) – pp397-408.
5. Jalal .A. Saeed, PaymanH. Mohammad , and lbrahimH. Aziz, (2008). “Behaviour and
flexural strength of ferrocement one way slabs with square openings”, “Journal of
Zankoy Sulaimoni”, Vol. 1 No.1.
6. K. Sasiekalaa and R. Malathy, “Flexural Performance of Ferrocement Laminates
Containing Silicafume and Fly Ash Reinforced with Chicken Mesh”, International
Journal of Civil Engineering & Technology (IJCIET), Volume 3, Issue 2, 2012,
pp. 130 - 143, ISSN Print: 0976 – 6308, ISSN Online: 0976 – 6316.
7. Mohammed Mansour Kadhum, “Effect of Dynamic Load: Impact of Missile on
Mechanical Behavior of Ferrocement – Infrastructure Application”, International Journal
of Civil Engineering & Technology (IJCIET), Volume 4, Issue 2, 2013, pp. 295 - 305,
ISSN Print: 0976 – 6308, ISSN Online: 0976 – 6316.
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