Comparative Study on Strength of Ferrocement Panels and Normal Cement Mortar Panels

Abstract

Ferro-cement is a type of thin walled reinforced concrete commonly consists of cement mortar reinforced with closely spaced layers of continuous and relatively small wire mesh”. "Cement Mortar is a mixture of cement, sand, and water, used in building to bond bricks or stones”. The project reveals the results of flexural strength and compressive strength of Normal cement mortar (NCM) cubes, panels and Ferro cement (FC) cubes, Ferro cement panels. The main objective of this experimental study is to determine the comparative strength of Ferro cement panels and cubes over Normal cement mortar panels and cubes. For each Ferro cement cubes, panels and normal cement mortar cubes, panels, nine specimens are casted (i.e. NCM cubes=9, NCM panels=9, FC cubes=9, FC panels=9) and three specimens from each are tested at age of 3days, 7days and 28days. The panels are of size (25cm X 25cm X 5cm) and cubes of standard size (7.06cm X 7.06cm X 7.06cm). Ferro cement cubes are reinforced with three layers of chicken mesh and the distance between two consecutive layers is 1.77cm. Ferro cement panels are reinforced with steel bars of diameter 8mm and chicken mesh at a height of 2.5cm. The experimental results show that flexural strength of Ferro cement panels and compressive strength of Ferro cement cubes are increased when compared to the normal cement mortar panels and cubes due to presence of "CHICKEN MESH” reinforcement.