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Structural Engineering and Mechanics
  Volume 90, Number 4, May25 2024 , pages 371-390
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/sem.2024.90.4.371
 


Impact of openings on the structural performance of ferrocement I-Beams under flexural loads
Yousry B.I. Shaheen, Ghada M. Hekal, Ayman M. Elshaboury and Ashraf M. Mahmoud

 
Abstract
    Investigating the impact of openings on the structural behavior of ferrocement I-beams with two distinct types of reinforcing metallic and non-metallic meshes is the primary goal of the current study. Up until failure, eight 250x200x2200 mm reinforced concrete I-beams were tested under flexural loadings. Depending on the kind of meshes used for reinforcement, the beams are split into two series. A control I-beam with no openings and three beams with one, two, and three openings, respectively, are found in each series. The two series are reinforced with three layers of welded steel meshes and two layers of tensar meshes, respectively, in order to maintain a constant reinforcement ratio. Structural parameters of investigated beams, including first crack, ultimate load, deflection, ductility index, energy absorption, strain characteristics, crack pattern, and failure mode were reported. The number of mesh layers, the volume fraction of reinforcement, and the kind of reinforcing materials are the primary factors that vary. This article presents the outcomes of a study that examined the experimental and numerical performance of ferrocement reinforced concrete I-beams with and without openings reinforced with welded steel mesh and tensar mesh separately. Utilizing ANSYS-16.0 software, nonlinear finite element analysis (NLFEA) was applied to illustrate how composite RC I-beams with openings behaved. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to explore the variables that can most significantly impact the mechanical behavior of the proposed model, such as the number of openings. The FE simulations produced an acceptable degree of experimental value estimation, as demonstrated by the obtained experimental and numerical results. It is also noteworthy to demonstrate that the strength gained by specimens without openings reinforced with tensar meshes was, on average, 22% less than that of specimens reinforced with welded steel meshes. For specimens with openings, this value is become on average 10%.
 
Key Words
    Ansys-16; composite material; experimental; ferrocement; NLFE modeling; openings; RC I-beams
 
Address
Yousry B.I. Shaheen, Ghada M. Hekal: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
Ayman M. Elshaboury: Construction Engineering Department, Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, Beheira, Egypt
Ashraf M. Mahmoud: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Modern University for Technology and Information (MTI), Al-Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt
 

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