Behavior of ferrocement water pipes as an alternative solution for steel water pipes

Abstract

Ferrocement is a composite building material that has attracted a lot of attention since it has excellent quality properties such as strength, hardness, fracture control, durability, and impact. Layers of reinforcing wire mesh strengthen the filler material. The current research investigates the performance of ferrocement pipes reinforced with a variety of metallic and non-metallic materials. The primary goal of this study is to predict the structural behavior of the ferrocement water pipelines. Twelve pipes were subjected to experimental testing. The pipes have parameters of 150 mm outer diameter, 50 mm thickness, and 1000 mm length, but with varied layer numbers built of different mesh kinds. At all phases of loading, cracking patterns, tensile and compressive stresses, failure mechanism, elastic stiffness, and energy absorption are observed and quantified. Using (ANSYS 2015) software, the experimental findings are compared to analytical models. The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of the expanded metal mesh, welded- steel-mesh, and fiber-glass-mesh utilized in reinforcing the pipes. Furthermore, the created ferrocement water pipes have exceptional strength, making them equally effective in industrialized and developing countries. In comparison to the experimental data, the finite element simulations produced better outcomes.