Expermental studies om simply supported ferrocement slabs under punching shear load

Abstract EN

Experimental tests conducted on square ferrocement slabs of 1000 x 1000 x 30 mm simply supported on four edges and subjected to punching sheer load are presented.

Eight ferrocement slabs were cast and tested.

The test variables were number of wire mesh layers, spacing of skeletal steel, and use of perforated galvanized iron sheet while the mortar strength, slab thickness,and span of the slab were kept constant throughout the experiments.

The test results showed that an increase in number of wire mesh layers, decrease in spacing of skeletal steel, and the use of perforated galvanized iron sheet improved the punching shear capacity of ferrocement slabs.

Ferrocement slabs reinforced with skeletal steel having close spacing and a higher number of wire mesh layers subjected to punching shear indicated both multiple cracking and quasi-strain hardening behavior and can be regarded as a kind of high performance fiber reinforced cement composite.

Test results on the punching shear strength are also compared with empirical equations proposed by various researchers.