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Preparation of Aligned Steel Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composite and Its Flexural Behavior
Published on: June 27, 2018
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Research on Structural Performance of Hybrid Ferro Fiber Reinforced Concrete Slabs
Hafiz Zain Saeed1, Muhammad Zubair Saleem2, Yie Sue Chua1
1School of Engineering, Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 14, 2022
Summary
Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) slabs with polypropylene fibers and silica fume show improved durability and crack resistance compared to traditional reinforced concrete slabs. This enhanced performance is crucial for structures in cold climates prone to corrosion.
Area of Science:
- Civil Engineering
- Materials Science
- Structural Engineering
Background:
- Reinforced concrete structures are susceptible to premature deterioration in cold climates due to steel corrosion.
- Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) offers enhanced durability and crack resistance as a cost-effective alternative to conventional concrete.
- Hybrid ferrocement slabs incorporating silica fume, spot-welded mesh, and polypropylene fibers are investigated for improved structural performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the structural performance of hybrid ferrocement slabs with varying polypropylene fiber (PPF) content and steel reinforcement ratios.
- To compare the performance of these novel ferrocement slabs against conventional Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) slabs.
- To determine the effectiveness of PPF and silica fume in enhancing concrete durability and crack resistance.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of 13 one-way slabs: one control RCC slab and 12 ferrocement slabs with varying PPF (0.10%, 0.30%, 0.50%) and steel ratios.
- Ferrocement slabs contained silica fume and spot-welded mesh.
- Structural performance assessed through flexural testing (third-point loading), measuring deflection, stress-strain behavior, cracking load, and energy absorption using LVDTs and strain gauges.
Main Results:
- Ferrocement slabs with 0.5% PPF and 10% silica fume exhibited a 15.25% increase in first cracking load and a 13.2% increase in ultimate deflection compared to the RCC control slab.
- Increasing PPF content and steel wire mesh reinforcement significantly enhanced post-cracking behavior.
- Enhanced energy absorption capacity and improved deflection properties were observed in ferrocement slabs compared to the RCC control.
Conclusions:
- Hybrid ferrocement slabs demonstrate superior structural performance, particularly in terms of crack resistance and energy absorption, compared to conventional RCC slabs.
- The inclusion of polypropylene fibers and silica fume is effective in mitigating early deterioration and enhancing the durability of concrete structures.
- This study highlights the potential of ferrocement as a durable and cost-effective construction material for demanding environments.
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