Use Of Ferrocement Research Articles

Systems of Farm-level Storage of Food Grains and Use of Ferrocement for making Silos: A Review

Systems of Farm-level Storage of Food Grains and Use of Ferrocement for making Silos: A Review

Structural behavior of RC one-way slabs strengthened with ferrocement and FRP composites

Existing research lacks focus on the structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) one-way slabs reinforced with ferrocement, and there's a notable absence of comparative studies between fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) and ferrocement strengthening methods for these slabs. Given the cost-effectiveness and widespread use of ferrocement in structural reinforcement, this study aimed to address these gaps through an experimental program. Three sizes of wire mesh, categorized as Type-I (small), Type-II (medium), and Type-III (large), were employed in this study. Chemical or mechanical anchors were used to attach ferrocement jackets. Moreover, 6, 12, or 18 anchors were used to assess the effect of anchor configuration. The goal was to enhance the structural performance of slabs and compare them with slabs reinforced using FRP jackets. The study focused on preventing debonding of the strengthening layers, employing either mechanical or chemical anchors. All slabs exhibited ductile failure with flexural cracks. The peak load and ultimate deflection were enhanced by up to 49.00% and 109.07%, respectively, by the application of ferrocement jackets, whereas the dissipated energy was increased by up to 174.00 %. Notably, the use of chemical anchors demonstrated a superior ability to delay debonding and enhance ductility compared to mechanical anchors. Slabs reinforced with glass FRP (GFRP) showed delayed debonding relative to carbon FRP (CFRP) reinforced slabs, indicating the superior performance of chemical anchors with GFRP layers. Moreover, the type and size of wire mesh significantly influenced performance, with small and medium-sized mesh configurations enhancing ductility, while large-sized mesh exhibited relatively earlier debonding. The orientation of the wire mesh also played a crucial role, with parallel orientation to the longitudinal axis of slabs yielding better performance.

The Seismic Resistance Analysis of Frame Structures and Wall Structures Using Ferrocement and Expanded Metal

This article presents a study of the use of ferrocement and expanded metal in the columns, beams, and walls of a reinforced concrete building structure to increase its seismic resistance. This study focused on a concrete building with three stories, located in Thailand. In the design of the reinforcement structure, a calculation and analysis of seismic resistance were conducted in a comparison of the original concrete building structure with the reinforced concrete building structure using the nonlinear static force method (pushover analysis method). The results showed that the seismic resistance of the reinforced concrete building structure was higher than the design value (DPT), with different seismic resistance values for the reinforced frames, columns, and walls of approximately 14%, 81%, and 19%. In particular, it had increased stiffness values for the frames, columns, and walls and increased ductility values for the walls. Moreover, the seismic resistance values originating from the reinforcement were significantly higher than those of the concrete building structure. Therefore, reinforcement should be applied to all concrete building structures with the implementation of the damage index, ensuring that it is reduced to the allowable level.

Review on comparative study of diverse wall materials for affordable housing

Modular Construction is a boon to the construction industry. Rapid construction methods are now evolving by the day. It is imperative to access these techniques on the basis of sustainability parameters. The advanced construction management concept such as fast track construction is being implemented in real estate industry with special focus on lean management. Ferro-cement panels, gypsum sheets, etc. are some of the precast members in construction which reduce the scheduled duration of the convectional project. It also significantly decreases the dead load of the structure. India’s focus on Sustainable Development goals has also conceptualized affordable housing as one of the methods to achieve it. The alternative for the conventional method of building houses is the use of ferrocement as it is cost effective. As the cost of constructing houses will reduce, the poor people living in slums area will afford to live in a hygienic place. This paper tries to analyze the two trending panel techniques namely: Gypsum & Ferro-cement on various technical aspects and the implication on affordable housing. Also, on conclusive note, the results of comparison are mentioned.

Experimental investigation on short concrete columns laterally strengthened with ferrocement and CFRP

The use of ferrocement in strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures has increased recently. Ferrocement has mostly been used to provide extra confinement for RC columns. However, its performance, especially in combination with CFRP confinement has not yet been fully understood. In this study, a total of fifteen columns were experimentally tested to investigate the effects of using ferrocement confinement in strengthening square RC columns. The combination between CFRP and ferrocement in strengthening RC columns has also been investigated. In addition to providing extra confinement, ferrocement is used to modify the shape of square columns to curvilinear shape, which is more effective for confinement. The parameters were (1) the materials used for confinement (ferrocement, CFRP, or both), (2) cross-sectional shape (square, curvilinear, or circular), and (3) the amount of confinement (full vs. partial confinement). The results show that ferrocement is very effective if combined with CFRP. The curvilinear shape provided by ferrocement helps to distribute the lateral stresses and ultimately reduces stress concentration which is usually the cause of failure for columns strengthened with CFRP confinement. The results are analyzed and discussed, and a number of conclusions are presented.

A review on the use of ferrocement with stainless steel mesh as a rehabilitation technique

One of the major issue faced by the construction industry is the degradation of structures due to different loads acting on the structure. So retrofitting and rehabilitation has become quite inevitable and it can help in regaining the original strength of the structure. Use of ferrocement is an effective method and it is used in developed countries as it is considerably cheap and materials of construction are easily available. Ferrocement is a system of construction using reinforced mortar or plaster applied over an armature of metal mesh, woven expanded-metal or metal-fibers and closely spaced thin steel rods such as rebar. The skill required is of low level and it has superior strength properties as compared to conventional reinforced concrete. The main drawback of ferrocement is corrosion. Thus to avoid corrosion stainless steel jacketing is employed for rehabilitation within the study that opens the scope for a new jacketing methodology.

Ferrocement and Convention Soil Retaining Structure Observation using Geometrical Configuration

The conventional RCC soil retaining structure has got its certain drawbacks of being too heavy and costly. This paper deals with use of ferrocement as an alternative to conventional RCC soil retaining structure. An analytical study is carried out using Ansys 17.0 software to compare ferrocement soil retaining structure with geometrically identical Conventional RCC soil retaining structure. Ferrocement is advantageously used for its less thickness and flexibility to mould in required shapes. We can use full sectional strength of ferrocement in analysis of structure using optimum geometrical configuration. In the research work, Conventional RCC structure is also compared with rectangular and arch shaped ferrocement soil retaining structure of 50 mm thickness and 5m height, with a retaining soil density of 18kN/m3. The results showed that in arch shaped face and base wall structure, deflection and stresses are very less and within permissible limits. Due to reduced thickness of members, requirement of material is less and thus found to be more cost-effective than RCC soil retaining structure

Ferrocement Structural Elements in Building/Housing Applications

The use of ferrocement in pre-fabrication of building/housing offers numerousadvantages in temrs oflightness ofrveight and ease ofhandling. low labour cost and a durablematerial requiring little maintenance.A considerable amount of laboratory testing research and prototype constructions havebeen completed at the Building and Construction Eng. Dept. of University of Technology forthe production of ferrocement members that would be used in the roof/floor/wall ofbuilding/housing.The present .paper describes the applications of ferrocement to housing/buildingconstructions.

Laboratory Investigation on Performance of Strengthening Techniques of RCC Beam

Reinforced concrete members are the most abundantly used construction elements in civil engineering. These members are normally designed to sustain various types of loads. But due to several reasons the members experience much more load beyond their capacity. Inadequate attention during design and construction of new additional RCC story in our country has raised question about the performance of existing structures. RCC beam is such an important member which sometimes needs to be strengthened. There are various methods of strengthening that have been studied by the researchers such as section enlargement, use of additional bars, use of FRP and CFRP, use of ferrocement, steel plates, etc. This thesis work aims to study and compare the effect of three distinct strengthening techniques- providing additional steel bars from underneath with U shaped shear reinforcement, use of wire mesh and providing single layer of geo-textile with adhesive. The experimental results show that the percentage increase in ultimate load carrying capacity for the steel, wire mesh and geo-textile were found to be 51.96%, 26.5% and 14.5% respectively with respect to reference beams. The value of deflection at failure were 5.63mm, 6.18mm and 5.83 mm respectively while for reference beam the value was 5.33mm. The performance of geo-textile was very poor. The use of wire mesh provides greater value of deflection at failure compared to other two methods but the increase in load carrying capacity is about half of that for steel bar. The application of additional steel is labor intensive compared to other two methods but in terms of ultimate load, it overweighs the advantages compared to other two strengthening techniques.

The use of ferrocement in the construction of squat grain silos

In this study, an investigation is made from the statics and economic aspects of the possibility of using the composite material ferrocement on the surfaces of squat cylindrical grain silos. For this purpose, the geometry of two model silos, each of height 5 m and diameter 5 m and 12.5 m, was designed. Five different reinforced plates of 10 and 20 mm thickness were produced to research the most suitable ferrocement plates to be used on the surface of these silos. Most durable reinforcement type for covering the silo surface was determined by pressure and bending tests. Grade 30 and Grade 55 steel plates were also considered for use in covering steel-coated silos. In the statics analysis performed with SAP2000, the least plate thicknesses needed for silos surfaced with Grade 30 and Grade 55 steel were found to be 6.20 mm and 4.70 mm respectively for silos of diameter 5 m, and 6.70 mm and 5.00 mm for silos of diameter 12.5 m. In the economic analysis, it was found that 20 mm thick Type 4 (with a wire diameter of 0.30 mm and a mesh aperture of 2 mm x 2 mm square type) reinforced ferrocement surfacing material was 5.6-6.1 times more economical than Grade 30 steel surfacing material and 4.4-4.7 times more economical than using Grade 55 steel. These results show that ferrocement can be used in place of steel from the point of view both of statics and economy.

Push-out Tests of Innovative Shear Connectors Between Cold-formed Steel Section Integrated with Ferrocement Jacket

Traditional construction materials such as steel and concrete exhibit signs of deterioration over the years. This can be attributed either to the inherent nature of the materials or their weak resistance to adverse the environmental conditions and natural disasters, such as, fires, earth quakes, etc. The use of ferrocement as an external jacket to cold-formed column is presented in this study to provide an alternative solution to existing construction materials. Ferrocement is a special form of reinforced concrete, which exhibits a behavior that differs much from conventional reinforced concrete in strength performance and other potential applications. The use of ferrocement with cold-formed steel as composite column is a new approach to enhance the axial load capacity of the later. Hence, the composite action between ferrocement and cold-formed steel section have to be established by means of understanding the behavior of the proposed shear connectors. In this study, push-out test set-up is proposed for eight specimens with various shear connectors’ configuration. The utilization of high strength self-compacting ferrocement mortar in the design of cold-formed steel integrated with ferrocement jacket as composite column is proposed. It was observed that ferrocement jacket with 12 mm bolt shear connectors showed the best shear capacity when compared to other proposed shear connectors.

Recent perspectives for ferrocement

Ferrocement is the oldest form of the reinforced concrete, dating back two centuries. It is composed of mortar and galvanized steel wire mesh. It is used for a wide range of application including construction of boats, water tanks, slabs and roofs, and lining of tunnels. Nowadays, reinforced concrete is widely known and used material, whereas ferrocement has limited applications. Properties such as high strength/weight ratio and good resistance to cracking and impact loadings are bringing ferrocement under the spotlight again. New applications have been developed in the recent years, such as low cost dwelling buildings and strengthening of a wide variety of structural elements. However, these applications are still in their first stages. The aim of this paper is to summarize existing literature on the use of ferrocement and to discuss new applications of ferrocement.

Effect of ferrocement confinement on behavior of concrete

In this study, the use of ferrocement as an external confinement to concrete specimens is investigated. The effectiveness of confinement is achieved by comparing the behavior of retrofitted specimens with that of conventional specimens. The primary test variable considered in this study is the concrete compressive strength. All the other parameters, such as size, shape, number of layers of wire mesh, and L/ d ratio of the specimens, were kept constant. The sections chosen are circular cylinders with a size of 150 mm × 300 mm and L/ d ratio of 6:1. The test results showed that the confined concrete specimens can enhance the ultimate concrete compressive strengths and failure strains.

A Study On Use Of Blended Ferrocement:A High Performance Material ForRepair/strengthening Of Brick Masonry Columns

The use of ferrocement, containing blended cement, to repair and enhance the strength of brick masonry columns of old buildings and structures showing distress has been investigated for use as a rehabilitation/strengthening material. Intensive experimental study has been carried out on plain brick masonry columns and brick masonry columns with single, double and triple layers of ferrocement, with/without the use of chemical bonding agents. Use of blended cements containing agricultural waste i.e. rice husk ash have not as yet been investigated at all for use in ferrocement. Blended cement containing 75% OPC and 25% rice husk ash has now been investigated for use in ferrocement. Ferrocement containing blended cement has been observed to substantially increase the load carrying capacity of brick masonry columns along with decreasing the strains by about 50%. Strength improvements of up to 160% in the load carrying capacity of columns with single layered ferrocement have been observed whilst about 100% strength improvements have been observed in columns with 2/3 layers of ferrocement applications. The slope of the stress-strain curve resembles typical curves characteristic of high strengths. The results of this study have been highly encouraging and the use of ferrocement with blended cement is recommended for the repair and rehabilitation/strengthening of brick masonry columns. The use of rice husk ash for blending with ordinary Portland cement produces a stronger, impermeable and durable material in addition to ease of in-situ application, reducing the disposal problem of this agricultural waste and reducing the costs of repairs.

Design, fabrication and performance of a ferrocement machine tool bed

In this project the use of ferrocement as a machine tool structural material is investigated. Ferrocement is a form of reinforced concrete but it utilises closely spaced layers of wire mesh instead of heavy steel rods. In this study a centre lathe was chosen. A ferrocement bed was designed based on basic stress calculations. Two beds were fabricated. The first was a prototype design. It was found that the deflections of the cast iron and ferrocement beds are less than one millimetre for loads up to 15 kN, a force that is hardly encountered in practice. In terms of stiffness, the cast iron bed was found to possess a higher static stiffness at the mid-span of the bed. From the dynamic testing it was found that the ferrocement beds had a higher damping ratio and a higher natural frequency at first mode than the cast iron bed.