VSRD International Journal of *** , Vol. 2 No. *** 2012 ISSN No.

*** (Online), *** (Print) VSRD International Journals

A STUDY ON FERROCEMENT-CONCRETE COMPOSITES

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Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, IES IPS Academy, Indore, M.P., India. 2 MTech. student, Civil Engineering, IES IPS Academy, Indore, M.P., India. 2 MTech. student, Civil Engineering, IES IPS Academy, Indore, M.P., India. Shruti !atna"ar#he $ shruti.amin%yahoo.co.in

Shruti Ratnaparkhe*, 2A hi h Ni! an" #S$na! Chan"$re

A%STRACT
The use of cementitious composites for infrastructure applications is becoming more popular with the introduction of new high performance materials. Ferrocement laminates are introduced to enhance the overall performance of structures, such as composite bridge decks, beams, bearing walls, etc. This review from the past experiences presents the results of experimental and analytical studies done on composite beams made of reinforced concrete overlaid on a thin section of ferrocement (cement paste and wire mesh). Results show that the composite structures possess good ductility, cracking strength and ultimate capacity. Keywords : Ferrocement; Composite; Concrete; Strength; Laminates

INTRODUCTION n the early !"#$%s, labour intensive ferrocement construction was viewed as particularly suitable for rural applications in developing countries. n urban environment like &ingapore and other developed countries, the applications of ferrocement must be viewed from a different perspective due to the competitiveness in the construction industry and the increase in labour cost coupled with shortage of skilled construction workers. n order to alleviate these problems, mechanised production and proper choice of reinforcements must be pursued to ensure the cost competitiveness and speed of construction. The 'ational (niversity of &ingapore has since early !"#$%s made effort to popularise ferrocement as a construction material through research and development. )xtensive investigations were carried out on its mechanical properties and several prototypes structural elements were built to demonstrate construction techni*ue and to evaluate their performance in service +!,!$-. From the experiences gained in these studies, considerable progress has been made in the use of ferrocement in public housing in &ingapore as well as neighbouring countries. Ferrocement structural elements have gained gradual acceptance by the building authorities through research and development even though ferrocement design has not been regulated by a formal code of practice.

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Ferrocement has a very high tensile strength,to, weight ratio and superior cracking behaviour in comparison to reinforced concrete. This means that ferrocement structures can be relatively thin, light and water,tight. .ence it is an ideally suited material for thin wall structures. / team of researchers at the 0epartment of 1ivil )ngineering, 'ational (niversity of &ingapore, has collaborated with the local housing authorities and precast industries to introduce precast ferrocement structural elements in public housing. &everal case studies involving the adaptation and successful implementation of the research results into economical and beneficial applications of ferrocement. Ferrocement is a construction material that proved to have superior *ualities of crack control, impact resistance, and toughness, largely due to the close spacing and uniform dispersion of reinforcement within the material. 2ne of the main advantages of ferrocement is that it can be constructed with a wide spectrum of *ualities, properties, and cost, according to customer3s demand and budget. Recently, ferrocement has received attention as a potential building material, especially for roofing of housing construction. 4any investigators have reported the physical and mechanical properties of this material and numerous test data are available to define its performance criteria for construction and repair of structural elements. FERROCEMENT The term ferrocement is most commonly applied to a mixture of Portland cement and sand applied over layers of woven or expanded steel mesh and closely spaced small,diameter steel rods rebar. t can be used to form relatively thin, compound curved sheets to make hulls for boats, shell roofs, water tanks, etc. Ferrocement is also written as ferrociment, ferrocemento, ferrocimento, and ferro5ement. 6iterally meaning much steel rather than much concrete. t is sometimes reffered to as thin,shell concrete. Ferrocement is a highly versatile form of reinforced concrete, constructed of hydraulic cement mortar reinforced with closely spaced layers of continuous and relatively small diameter wire mesh. The mesh may be made of a metallic or other suitable material. Ferrocement primarily differs from conventional reinforced or prestressed concrete by the manner in which the reinforcing elements are dispersed and arranged. ADVANTAGES OF FERROCEMENT

Ferrocement is a suitable technology for developing countries for the following reasons7 (a) ts basic raw materials are readily available in most countries. (b) t can be fabricated into any desired shape. (c) The skills for ferrocement construction can be ac*uired easily. (d) .eavy plants and machinery are not involved in ferrocement construction. (e) n case of damage, it can be repaired easily. (f) 8eing labor intensive, it is relatively inexpensive in developing countries. CONSTITUENT MATERIALS CEMENT The cement should comply with /&T4 1 !9$,:9a, /&T4 1 9"9,:9, or an e*uivalent standard. The cement should be fresh, of uniform consistency and free of lumps and foreign matter. t should be stored under dry conditions and for as short a duration as possible. 1ement factors are normally higher in ferrocement than in reinforced concrete. 4ineral admixtures, such as fly ash, silica fumes or blast furnace slag, may be used to maintain a high volume fraction of fine filler material. Rice .usk /sh (R./) cement can be economically used as partial replacement of cement in mortar mixes. ;hen R./ does not exceed <9= by weight of the blended cement, the compressive strength at >: days is similar to that of Type ?ortland 1ement 4ortar. FINE AGGREGATES 'ormal weight fine aggregate (sand) is the most common aggregate used in ferrocement. t should be clean, hard, strong, free of organic impurities and deleterious substances and relatively free of silt and clay. t should be inert with respect to other materials used and of suitable type with respect to strength, density, shrinkage and durability of the mortar made with it. @rading of the sand is to be such that a mortar of specified proportions is produced with a uniform distribution of the aggregate, which will have a high density and good workability and which will work into position without segregation and without use of a high water content. The fineness of the sand should be such that !$$= of it passes standard sieve. WATER

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;ate used in the mixing is to be fresh and free from any organic and harmful solution which will lead to a deterioration in the properties of the mortar. &alt water is not acceptable but chlorinated drinking water can be used. ?otable water is fit for use as mixing water as well as for curing ferrocement structures. ADMIXTURE 1hemical admixtures used in ferrocement serve one of the following four purposes7 water reduction, which increases strength and reduces permeabilityA air entrainment, which increases resistance to free5ing and thawingA and suppression of reaction between galvani5ed reinforcement and cement. MORTAR MIX The reaction of portland cement and water results in formation of hardened cement paste. The ranges of mix proportions recommended for common ferrocement applications are sand,cement ratio by weight, !.9 to >.9, and water,cement ratio by weight, $.<9 to $.9. Fineness modulus of sand, water,cement ratio and sand,cement ratio should be determined from trial batches to insure a mix that can infiltrate (encapsulate) the mesh and develop a strong and dense matrix. ;ater reducing admixtures may be used to enhance mix plasiticity and retard initial set, as with conventional concretes. The behavior of mortar is similar to that of plain concrete. The maBor distinction is the si5e of the aggregate used. n general a good *uality mortar is stronger and more durable than good *uality concreteA however, their basic response to the environment is essentially the same. REINFORCING MESH 2ne of the essential components of ferrocement is wire mesh. 0ifferent types of wire meshes are available almost everywhere. These generally consists of thin wires, either woven or welded into a mesh, but the main re*uirement is that it must be easily handled and, if necessary, flexible enough to be bent around sharp corners. The function of the wire mesh and reinforcing rod in the first instance is to act as a lath providing the form and to support the mortar in its green state. n the hardened state its function is to absorb the tensile stresses on the structure which the mortar, on its own, would not able to withstand. / structure is subBected to great deal of pounding, twisting and bending during its life time resulting in cracks and fractures unless sufficient steel reinforcement is introduced to absorb these stresses. The degree to which

this fracturing of the structure is reduced depends on the concentration and dimensions of the embedded reinforcement. The mechanical behavior of ferrocement is highly dependent upon the type, *uantity, orientation and strength properties of the mesh and reinforcing rod.. The /merican concrete nstitute (/1 ) committee 9C" on Ferrocement concluded that the definition of ferrocement can not be limited to steel reinforcing only, the /1 definition of ferrocement included the statement D 4esh may be made of metallic material or other suitable materials.D This definition allows bamboo mesh and mesh made of other materials to be used for ferrocement structures. SKE ETA STEE &keletal steel as the name implied is generally used for making the framework of the structure upon which layers of mesh are laid. 8oth the longitudinal and transverse rods are evenly distributed and shaped to form. The rods are spaced as widely as possible upto <$9 mm (!> in.) apart where they are not treated as a structural reinforcement and are often considered to serve as spacer rods to the mesh reinforcements. n some cases skeletal steel is spaced as near as #9 mm (< in.) center,to,center thus acting as a main reinforcing component wire mesh in highly stressed structures, e.g. boat, barges, tubular sections, etc. &teel rods of different kinds are used in ferrocement construction. Their strength, surface finish, protective caoting and si5e affect their performance as reinforcing members of the composite. ngeneral, mild steel rods are used for both longitudinal and transverse directions. n some cases high tensile rods and prestressed wires and strands are used. Rod si5e varies from C.>$ mm ($.!E9 in.) to ".9 mm (<F: in.) whereas E.<9 mm ($.>9 in.) is the most common. Ferrocement panels with longitudinal and transverse rods of this sie are about one inch thick (>9.C mm). / combination of different rod si5es can be used with smaller diameter rod in the transverse direction. COATING n general, ferrocement structures need no protection unless they are subBected to strong chemical attack that might damage the structural integrity of their components. / plastered surface can take a good paint coating. n terrestial structures, ordinary paint is applied on the surface to enhance the appearance. 4arine structures need

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protection against corrosion and vinyl and epoxy coatings were found to be the most successful organic coatings. STEEL MESH REINFORCEMENT &teel wire meshes are considered the primary mesh reinforcement. This include the various types of the shapeA s*uare woven or welded meshes, chicken (hexagonalFaviary) wire mesh, expanded metal mesh lath etc. )xcept for expanded metal mesh, generally all the meshes are used galvani5ed. Figure depicts the typical steel wire meshes used in ferrocement applications.

more popular with the introduction of new high performance materials. Ferrocement laminates are introduced to enhance the overall performance of structures, such as composite bridge decks, beams, bearing walls, etc. This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical study done on composite beams made of reinforced concrete overlaid on a thin section of ferrocement (cement paste and wire mesh). n particular, the method of shear transfer between composite layers is examined. Garious types of beam specimens with various mesh types (hexagonal and s*uare) are tested under a two,point loading system up to failure. Results from experimental data are compared to those from nonlinear analysis as well as a finite element study to model the overall non,linear behavior. Results show that the proposed composite beam has good ductility, cracking strength and ultimate capacity. NCHRP REPORT 232 et al# -.//30 This report presents guidance for the selection of best management practices (84?s) for highway runoff control. These practices provide means of avoiding or mitigating the negative impacts of various pollutants that can be carried by rainfall into the groundwater and receiving waters. These pollutants include materials discharged by vehicles using the highway system, pesticides and fertili5ers from adBacent landscapes, and particulates from breakdown of the pavements themselves. 84?s include the traditional treatments applied at or near the sources of the pollutants and a more distributed approach known as low,impact development (6 0). This report should be a valuable resource for all highway agencies that must evaluate and select the most effective and efficient means of managing pollution related to storm water from highways. C)ote Sorana4om et al# (>$$E) This paper presents a model based on parameteri5ed uniaxial constitutive response for cement based composites in order to correlate the tensile and flexural experimental data. The model consists of a parabolic curve to describe the compression and a trilinear curve to describe the tension response. Two cutoff points for ultimate compressive strain and ultimate tensile strain can be used to terminate the calculation of the moment,curvature diagram. 8y using a conventional iterative strain compatibility analysis, the moment curvature diagram for homogenous material can be derived explicitly according to the level of applied tensile strain. /pproaches are presented to express the moment and curvature response in dimensionless forms in order to eliminate the effect of specimen si5e and material properties. These moment curvature relationships

F!"# $% T&'!cal (teel me()e( *(ed !n +errocement REVIEW OF LITERATURE P Parama(!,am -.//$0 Ferrocement is ideally suited for thin wall structures as the uniform distribution and dispersion of reinforcement provide better cracking resistance, higher tensile strength to weight ratio, ductility and impact resistance. 8y adapting available mechani5ed production methods and proper choice of reinforcements it can be cost competitive in industriali5ed countries. Research and development works of ferrocement, at the 'ational (niversity of &ingapore, since early !"#$%s, has resulted in several applications such as sunscreens, secondary roofing slabs, water tanks, and repair material in the building industries. Han! H# Na((!+ et al# -.//10 The use of cementitious composites for infrastructure applications is becoming

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can be used in the context of plastic analysis of structures to solve a variety of structural loading cases. M# A# Saleem et al# -.//50 The greatest humanitarian challenge faced even today after one year of Hashmir .a5ara earth*uake is that of providing shelter. 1urrently on the globe one in seven people live in a slum or refugee camp +!-. The earth*uake of 2ctober >$$9 resulted in a great loss of life and property. This research work is mainly focused on developing a design of small si5e, low cost and earth*uake resistant house. Ferrocement panels are recommended as the main structural elements with lightweight truss roofing system. )arth*uake resistance is ensured by analy5ing the structure on )T/8& for a seismic activity of 5one C. The behavior of structure is found satisfactory under the earth*uake loading. /n estimate of cost is also presented which shows that it is an economical solution. An6ar et al# 6ike many other countries in the world, significant developments in cementitious materials have been made in Thailand, spearheaded by the nternational Ferrocement nformation 1enter ( F &) located at /sian nstitute of Technology (/ T) Thailand, several other academic institutions, and the construction industry. This paper highlights some of these developments together with their applications. &pecial focus is given to ferrocement and laminated cementitious composites, and the use of indigenous materials such as vetiver grass, thai silk, bamboo, etc. 0ifferent aspects such as materials, design, and construction are discussed together with the application of finite element analysis to structures made from cementitious composites. Anen et al# -.//70 This paper addresses the composite action between the ferrocement slabs and steel sheeting. This is an important issue that could impact the performance and strength of space trusses. The current paper presents the experimental models of ferrocement slabs with and without steel sheeting and their numerical models using the finite element method. Finite element models were developed to simulate the behavior of the slab through nonlinear response and up to failure, using the /'&I& ?ackage. /dditionally, the comparison between the theoretical and experimental models is presented and discussed. 8a"annat)an9 A#9 Ferrocement construction technology is *uite popular throughout the world. Ferrocement, a thin element, is used as a building construction as well as a repair material. This paper attempts to review the literature on ferrocement and bring out the salient features

of construction, material properties and the special techni*ues of applying cement mortar on to the reinforcing mesh. This study brings out the importance of using ferrocement in swimming pools and water tanks, silos, corrugated roofs, shell and dome structures, and also in the repair of old deteriorated R11 structures. /lso is discussed in this paper a similar material to ferrocement, termed as )ngineered 1ementitious 1omposite, which uses fibers as reinforcement. The recommendations of this study include addition of fibers in ferrocement to reduce crack,width. The present authors recommend that experimental investigation may be conducted on new reinforcing materials by researchers in the future. The study concludes that ferrocement will certainly be one of the best structural alternatives for R11 in the future. AUTHORS VIEW From the past researches it is observed that the use of ferrocement is implemented, but the use of ferrocement,concrete composites are *uite small. t is reviewed that ferrocement causes less deterioration in the structure as compared to plain concrete, but the ferrocement,concrete improves the overall performance of the structure and also prevents the structure from the corrosion. &o the further ferrocement,concrete should be analysed. REFERENCES
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