Generation of Behaviour and Strength Statistics of Brick Beams with Shear Reinforcement Using Ferrocement

Abstract

Ferrocement is a versatile construction material and confidence in the material is building up resulting in its wider application especially in developing countries such as for housing, sanitation, agriculture, fisheries, water resources, water transportation both in freshwater and marine environment, biogas structure, repair and strengthening of older structures, and others. However there have been many structural applications in different parts of the world especially in eastern hemisphere considerable efforts have been made by many individuals and research organization around the world to study the engineering of ferrocement. Such studies include tensile, compressive, impact and fatigue strength and mainly cracking behaviour. In spite of that very less attention has been given to the shear strength of ferrocement beams. These study presents on the behaviour of ferrocement brick beams under central point load. A total of 6 rectangular brick beams have been casted of length 1450mm and width varying between 130mm to 170mm and depth varying between 380mm to 430mm. These beams have been cured for 28 days and on the 28th day they were removed from the water tank and tested. Along with these beams 6 cubes have been casted with the dimensions 7.06 cm x 7.06 cm x 7.06 cm. The compressive strength of mortar is determined used for the mason work. The beams were tested under centre point loading in a loading frame. Ferrocement coatings applied to reinforced brickwork beams help to reduce deflection and increased shear strengths of the members.