FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR OF SEAWATER FERROCEMENT CONCRETE BEAMS REINFORCED BY GFRP BARS AND FIBERGLASS MESH

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of seawater as a sustainable and economical alternative to freshwater in producing ferrocement beams. These beams aim to surpass conventional reinforced concrete beams in terms of load resistance, crack prevention, and environmental impact.The experiment work involved four groups of ferrocement beams, all reinforced with fiberglass mesh. The investigation focused on the effects of varying the water-to-cement ratio and seawater content within the concrete mix design. Six concrete specimens (1600 mm x 300 mm x 150 mm) were cast, incorporating fiberglass bars and mesh for reinforcement. The first group contains control beam cast with potable water, the second group contains beam cast with a specific percentage of seawater content in the concrete mix, the third group contains two beams cast with a specific percentage of seawater content and reduced reinforcement ratio and the forth group contains two beams cast with a specific percentage of seawater content, reduced reinforcement ratio, and increased mesh layers. The cracking load, load-deflection behavior, energy absorption capacity, and cracking patterns have been evaluated for the foure groups. The results revealed that increasing the seawater content led to a 7% increase in concrete strength and a 3% to 20% increase in ultimate load capacity increase in energy absorption ranging from 31% to 83%.

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