Bending Behavior of Ferrocement Composite Semi Circular Light Weight Panels for Roof Construction

This paper will presents the results of research to study to demonstrate the structural performance integrity of ferrocement composite semicircular lightweight panels for roof construction. This proposed panels are lighter in weight relative to the conventional reinforced concrete panels. The sandwich panels consisted of two thin ferrocement layers reinforced with one or two layers of closely spaced welded wire mesh. The core of the panel was made of light weight fibrous foam concrete. The steel meshes were tied by steel wires of the two skin layers together and to act as shear connectors to transfer shear between the two ferrocement skin layers through the core in-between. The thickness of the ferrocement skin layer was 25 mm. The core material will be 70 mm thick which consisted of pyrite and ad pour 55 as lightweight aggregate. Two types of the steel mesh were used to reinforce the ferrocement skin layers. Namely: welded wire mesh and expanded metal mesh. Steel wire shear connector will be used to tie the top and bottom ferrocement skin layers through lightweight concrete in between and to provide shear reinforcement. Experimental investigation was conducted on the proposed panels. A total of 16 sandwich semicircular panels having the dimensions of 500 mm in width, and 2000 mm. in length will be tested under four lines loadings of span 1900 mm up to failure. The deformation characteristics and cracking behavior were measured and observed for each panel. The results obtained will be compared with theoretical ones by using Abaqous finite elements program version 14. The results will show that high ultimate and serviceability loads, crack resistance control, high ductility ratio and good energy absorption properties could be achieved by using the proposed panels. This could be of great construction advantages for both developed and developing countiess alike