• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.233-256
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• 2015

This paper presents an experimental study to assess the effectiveness of using ferrocement to strengthen deficient beam-column joints. Ferrocement is proposed to protect the joint region through replacing concrete cover. Six exterior beam-column joints, including two control specimens and four strengthened specimens, are prepared and tested under constant axial load and quasi-static cyclic loading. Two levels of axial load on column (0.2fc'Ag and 0.4fc'Ag) and two types of skeletal reinforcements in ferrocement (grid reinforcements and diagonal reinforcements) are considered as test variables. Experimental results have indicated that ferrocement as a composite material can enhance the seismic performance of deficient beam-column joints in terms of peak horizontal load, energy dissipation, stiffness and joint shear strength. Shear distortions within the joints are significantly reduced for the strengthened specimens. High axial load (0.4fc'Ag) has a detrimental effect on peak horizontal load for both control and ferrocement-strengthened specimens. Specimens strengthened by ferrocement with two types of skeletal reinforcements perform similarly. Finally, a method is proposed to predict shear strength of beam-column joints strengthened by ferrocement.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.257-270
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• 2017

An experimental investigation was carried out to study the strength and behavior of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) frames with ferrocement and fiber reinforced concrete infill panel. Seven numbers of $1/4^{th}$ scaled down model of one bay-three storey frames were tested under reverse cyclic loading. Ferrocement infilled frames and fiber reinforced concrete infilled frames with varying volume fraction of reinforcement in infill panels viz; 0.20%, 0.30%, and 0.40% were tested and compared with the bare frame. The experimental results indicate that the strength, stiffness and energy dissipation capacity of infilled frames were considerably improved when compared with the bare frame. In the case of infilled frames with equal volume fraction of reinforcement in infill panels, the strength and stiffness of frames with fiber reinforced concrete infill panels were slightly higher than those with ferrocement infill panels. Increase in volume fraction of reinforcement in the infill panels exhibited only marginal improvement in the strength and behavior of the infilled frames.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2020

This paper deals with a comparative study among three different rehabilitation techniques, namely, (i) carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), (ii) glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) and (iii) ferrocement on the flexural strengthening of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) beams. As these different techniques have to be compared on a level playing field, tensile coupon tests have been carried out initially for GFRP, CFRP and ferrocement and the number of layers required in each of these composites in terms of the tensile strength. It was found that for the selected constituents of the composites, one layer of CFRP was equivalent to three layers of GFRP and five layers of wiremesh reinforcement in ferrocement. Rehabilitation of RCC beams using these equivalent laminates shows that all the three composites performed in a similar way and are comparable. The parameters selected in this study were (i) the strengthening material and (ii) the level of pre-distress induced to the beams prior to the rehabilitation. It was noticed that, as the levels of pre-distress decreases, the percentage attainment of flexural capacity and flexural stiffness of the rehabilitated beams increases for all the three selected composites used for rehabilitation. Load-deflection behavior, failure modes, energy absorption capacity, displacement ductility and curvature ductility were compared among these composites and at different distress levels for each composite. The results indicate that ferrocement showed a better performance in terms of ductility than other FRPs, and between the FRPs, GFRP exhibited a better ductility than the CFRP counterpart.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.1017-1038
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• 2015

This paper presents a strengthening method that involves the use of ferrocement jackets and chamfers to relocate plastic hinge for non-seismically designed reinforced concrete exterior beam-column joints. An experimental study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed strengthening method. Four half-scale beam-column joints, including one control specimen and three strengthened specimens, were prepared and tested under quasi-static cyclic loading. Strengthening schemes include ferrocement jackets with or without skeleton reinforcements and one or two chamfers. Experimental results have indicated that the proposed strengthening method is effective to move plastic hinge from the joint to the beam and enhance seismic performance of beam-column joints. Shear stress and distortion within the joint region are also reduced significantly in strengthened specimens. Skeleton reinforcements in ferrocement provide limited improvement, except on crack control. Specimen strengthened by ferrocement jackets with one chamfer exhibits slight decrease in peak strength and energy dissipation but with increase in ductility as compared with that of two chamfers. Finally, a method for estimating moment capacity at beam-column interface for strengthened specimen is developed. The proposed method gives reasonable prediction and can ensure formation of plastic hinge at predetermined location in the beam.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.53-68
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• 2016

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 $2mm{\times}2mm$ 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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.817-834
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• 2014

An experimental program was designed in the current work to examine the structural behavior of ferrocement beams reinforced with composite materials under three point loadings up to failure. The experimental program comprised casting and testing of twelve ferrocement beams having the dimensions of 120 mm width, 200 mm depth and 1600 mm length. The twelve beams were different in the type of reinforcements; steel bars, traditional wire meshes (welded and expanded wire meshes) and composite materials (fiberglass wire meshes and polypropylene wire meshes). The flexural performances of the all tested beams in terms of strength, ductility, cracking behavior and energy absorption were investigated. Also all the tested beams were simulated using ANSYS program. The results of the experimental tests concluded that the beam with fiber glass meshes gives the lowest first crack load and ultimate load. The ferrocement beam reinforced with four layers of welded wire meshes has better structural behavior than those beams reinforced with other types of wire meshes. Also the beams reinforced with metal wire meshes give smaller cracks width in comparing with those reinforced with non-metal wire meshes. Also the Finite Element (FE) simulations gave good results comparing with the experimental results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.391-410
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• 2015

One of the most common applications of ferrocement is the manufacturing of thin stiffened plates which are prone to buckling. This study focuses on the investigation of the behavior of a ferrocement plate, stiffened in both directions by means of an appropriate grid of ribs. In the present paper detailed three-dimensional numerical Finite Element models are formulated for the simulation of the behavior of the structure under study, which are able to take into account both the geometric and material non-linearities that are present in the subject at hand (plasticity, cracking, large displacements). The difference among the formulated models lies on the use of different types of finite elements. The numerical results obtained by each model are compared and the most efficient model is determined. Finally, this model is in the sequel used for the further investigation of the effect of different parameters on the ultimate load capacity, such as the initial out-of-plane imperfection of the plate and the interaction between the axial loads in both directions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.313-328
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• 2016

Beam-column joints are recognized as one of the most critical and vulnerable zones of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) moment resisting structure subjected to seismic loads. The performance of the deficient beam-column joints can be improved by retrofitting these joints by jacketing them with varied materials like concrete, steel, FRP and ferrocement. In the present study strength behavior of RCC exterior beam-column joints, initially loaded to a prefixed percentage of the ultimate load, and retrofitted using ferrocement jacketing using two different wrapping schemes has been studied and presented. In retrofitting scheme, RS-I, wire mesh is provided in L shape at top and at bottom of the beam-column joint, whereas, in scheme RS-II along with wire mesh in L shape at top and bottom wire mesh is also provided diagonally to the joint. The results of these retrofitted beam-column joints have been compared with those of the controlled joint specimens. The results show an improvement in the ultimate load carrying capacity and yield load of the retrofitted specimens. However, no improvement in the ductility and energy absorption has been observed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.681-690
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• 2018

This paper highlights results of some experimental work that deals with strengthening of bolted shear joints in thin-walled ferrocement structure where steel wires, bent into U-shape are considered as simple inserts around the bolt hole. The parameters investigated include the number of layers of wire mesh, edge distance of bolt hole, size and location of the inserts. Test results have shown that for small edge distance, failure occurred either in cleavage or shearing mode, and the strength of the joint increased with an increase in the edge distance. This continued up to an upper limit set by either tension or bearing failure. The experimental study further revealed that for a given edge distance the strength of a joint can significantly be enhanced by using U-inserts. The equations developed for predicting joint strength in ferrocement composites can also be modified to include the effects of the inserts with a good level of accuracy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.455-471
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• 2021

The present work focuses on experimental and numerical performance of the ferrocement RC walls reinforced with welded steel mesh, expanded steel mesh, fiber glass mesh and tensar mesh individually. The experimental program comprised twelve RC walls having the dimensions of 450 mm×100 mm×1000 mm under concentric compression loadings. The studied variables are the type of reinforcing materials, the number of mesh layers and volume fraction of reinforcement. The main aim is to assess the influence of engaging the new inventive materials in reinforcing the composite RC walls. Non-linear finite element analysis; (NLFEA) was carried out to simulate the behavior of the composite walls employing ANSYS-10.0 Software. Parametric study is also demonstrated to check out the variables that can mainly influence the mechanical behavior of the model such as the change of wall dimensions. The obtained numerical results indicated the acceptable accuracy of FE simulations in the estimation of experimental values. In addition, the strength gained of specimens reinforced with welded steel mesh was higher by amount 40% compared with those reinforced with expanded steel mesh. Ferrocement specimens tested under axial compression loadings exhibit superior ultimate loads and energy absorbing capacity compared to the conventional reinforced concrete one.