Flexural Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with High-Performance Ferrocement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65486/ha0fqq66Keywords:
Ferocement, reinforced concrete beams, high-performance mortar, silica fume, fly ash, flexural strengthening, wire meshAbstract
Purpose:
This study investigates the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with high-performance ferrocement laminates, with emphasis on the effects of modified mortar matrices and the number of wire-mesh layers on structural performance.
Method:
Seven reinforced concrete beams measuring 150 mm x 250 mm x 2100 mm were tested, including one unstrengthened control beam and six beams strengthened with 25 mm ferrocement laminates. Fly ash (10-30%) and silica fume (5-20%) were used as partial cement replacements in the mortar matrix. Material tests and third-point flexural loading were used to evaluate compressive and flexural strength, ferrocement tensile response, first-crack load, ultimate load, deflection, crack development, and failure mode.
Results:
The mortar containing 5% silica fume and the mortar containing 10% fly ash showed the strongest performance among the modified mixes. All strengthened beams exceeded the control beam in first-crack and ultimate load. The SFW4 beam achieved the highest beam first-crack load of 33.5 kN and ultimate load of 145.2 kN, approximately 30.9% and 20.3% above the control values of 25.6 kN and 120.7 kN, respectively. Strengthened beams also developed finer and more closely spaced cracks, and all specimens failed in flexure.
Practical Implications:
High-performance ferrocement laminates provide a practical strengthening option for existing reinforced concrete beams. Increasing the number of wire-mesh layers and using an optimized supplementary-cementitious mortar can improve load capacity and crack control without increasing beam width.
Originality/Novelty:
The study evaluates the combined influence of supplementary cementitious materials and wire-mesh layering in externally applied ferrocement laminates, linking mortar-level performance with the flexural response of strengthened reinforced concrete beams.
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References
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