A Study on Durability Parameters of Ferrocement

Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University Pune, India.

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Abstract

Ferrocement is formed of a thin layer of cement mortar that has been strengthened with multiple layers of wire mesh with a diameter of between 0.5 mm to 1 mm. To evaluate the durability criteria for the specimen, a series of cubes and cylinders were cast in this experiment using a mortar mix at a ratio of 1:3 and a water-cement ratio of 0.40 was selected. In this study, the ability of the ferrocement to endure water penetration, sorptivity, and resistance to sulphates were examined. The curing period was chosen to be 28, 56, and 90 days, respectively, in order to track changes in the outcome and investigate the effects of the various curing times on the ferrocement. In order to measure the rate of water absorption by capillarity rise, Sorptivity test was conducted in accordance with ASTM C1585-04. The average absorption rate at day 9 was found to be 84.87 x 10^-7 mm/s^1/2, 93.78 x10^-7mm/s^1/2, and 96.34x10^-7 mm/s^1/2 for 28, 56, and 90 days of curing respectively. The Sulphate attack test was conducted as per ASTM C 1012-2010. The mass loss was observed to be 0.28%, 0.32%, and 0.33% of the original mass, while the strength loss was 6.96%, 6.44%, and 6.33% for the curing periods of 28, 56, and 90 days respectively. According to DIN-1048, part 5, Water permeability test was conducted. Water was pressured with 500 KPa on the specimen to determine its water penetration. The average water penetration of the specimen was found to be 22.33 mm, 18.67 mm, and 14.33 mm for the corresponding curing periods of 28, 56, and 90 days. The results were within the range twaswere specified in the respective code, and they were judged acceptable in terms of the ferrocement's durability guidelines.