Influence of Mixture, Wire Mesh and Thickness on the Flexural Performance of Hybrid PVA Fibre Ferrocement Panels

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the flexural performance of hybrid polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibre ferrocement (HFF) composites panels. The primary focus is on the influence of mixture matrix and wire mesh content in the panels which have different thicknesses. The effect of using fly ash and silica fume in the mixtures is investigated from the testing of 21 panels. Best performed mixes are then chosen to prepare additional 27 ferrocement panels with varying thicknesses and wire mesh layers. The observation of deflection hardening, energy absorption, and flexural stress is significant in this experiment. The energy absorption at post cracking and the toughness indexes are calculated from the flexure test results, and are used for the evaluation of strength capacity of this type of cementitious composites.