Author(s)

Adnan Al-Sibahy

Civil Engineering Department, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq.

This paper reports a study based upon experimental investigation which aims to assess the behaviour of reinforced concrete columns strengthened with a new configuration of steel wire mesh as part of ferrocement layer under the action of axial compression loads. Square and circular small scale columns with three different slenderness ratios of 5, 6.7 and 10 were adopted. A comprehensive experimental progarmme was then running to measure the load capacity and both lateral and vertical displacements. The failure mode was also monitored for each tested case. The results obtained was compared with the reference column samples (without wire mesh) and with some expressions suggested by ACI Code. The experimental results showed that the most influential parameter on the property of load carrying capacity is the slenderness of column. As the slenderness increases, the load capacity clearly decreases. The use of wire mesh enhanced the capability of column to resist the axial loads due to confinement role provided by such material. The maximum percentage increase in load carrying capacity for the modified columns compared with those for the reference samples was 53% for the circular column at slenderness ratio of 10. The critical path of the failure mode was similar for all of the tested columns and normally began from the top or bottom ends, then, in some cases, passed through the middle zone of the column. A suitable expression was suggested to be used for calculating the modulus of elasticity of the tested column based upon the value of load carrying capacity under compression loads.

Ferrocement, Concrete Columns, Compression Loads, Slenderness Ratios

Al-Sibahy, A. (2016) Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Columns Strengthened with Ferrocement under Compression Conditions: Experimental Approach. World Journal of Engineering and Technology, 4, 608-622. doi: 10.4236/wjet.2016.44057.