An experimental investigation was carried out on five slabs reinforced with wire mesh (ferrocement) to study the effect of reinforcement orientation on the behavior of the slabs. The slabs had the same overall dimensions and were subjected to uniformly distributed loads. Four slabs had different reinforcement orientation while the fifth one was a conventional reinforced concrete slab and was considered as a control one. The general behavior, deflection, cracking and ultimate load capacities of the slabs were recorded. In addition, strains in the concrete section and crack patterns were monitored. It was found that the reinforcement orientation had a significant effect on the behavior of the studied slabs. On the basis of the test results, a design approach for the ferrocement flexural members was proposed for the Egyptian Code Of Practice ECC-89. |
