Retrofitting of Shear Deficient RC Beams Using Ferrocement Laminates

Abstract

Reinforced concrete structural components are found to exhibit distress, even before their service period is over due to several causes. Such unserviceable structures require immediate attention, enquiry into the cause of distress and suitable remedial measures, so as to bring the structures back to their functional use again. This strengthening and enhancement of the performance of such deficient structural elements in a structure or a structure as a whole is referred to as retrofitting. The all important issue to be addressed in retrofitting is life safety .What can be done to prevent collapse of the structure and prevent injury or death to occupants? Some retrofit requirements may try to address only the issue of life safety, while acknowledging that some structural damage may occur. Ferrocement as a retrofitting material can be pretty useful because it can be applied quickly to the surface of the damaged element without the requirement of any special bonding material and also it requires less skilled labour ,as compared to other retrofitting solutions presently existing. The ferrocement construction has an edge over the conventional reinforced concrete material because of its lighter weight, ease of construction, low self weight, thinner section as compared to RCC & a high tensile strength which makes it a favourable material for prefabrication also. In the present thesis shear deficient RC beams initially stressed to a prefixed percentage of the safe load are retrofitted using ferrocement to increase the strength of beam in both shear and flexure, the wiremesh is placed at an angle of 450 to the longitudinal axis of the beam. From the study it is seen that the safe load carrying capacity of rectangular RC elements retrofitted by ferrocement laminates is significantly increased with wiremesh oriented at 450.