Ferro Cement
Ferrocement is a construction material consists of wire meshes and cement mortar. It was developed by Pier Luigi Nervi, an Italian architect in 1940.
Constituent materials for Ferrocement:
- Cement
- Fine Aggregate
- Water
- Admixture
- Mortar Mix
- Reinforcing mesh
- Skeletal Steel
- Coating.
Technical Properties:
- Highly flexible form of reinforced concrete.
- A thin layer of cement mortar is applied over wire meshes.
- Throughout the cross section small diameter wire meshes are used.
- Strength depends on two factors: a. Quality of Sand and Cement mortar mix b. Quality of reinforcing material.
Applications:
- Household Materials: Flower base, selves, pot, table-top, pipes, slab
- Housing: residential building, modular housing,
- Marine: Boat, sampan, sandwich pools
- Agriculture: Water tank, big bowl
- Rural Energy: Bio-gas plant, wind tunnel
- Complex Shape: any shape for artwork
Advantages:
- Basic raw materials are readily available in most countries.
- Fabricated into any preferred shape.
- Unskilled labor can do the job.
- Ease of Construction, low weight and long lifetime.
- Construction material cost is low.
Disadvantages:
- Large no of labors required.
- Unskilled and semi-skilled labor cost is high.
- Tying rods and wire mesh together is time consuming and tedious.
- Keeping the layer of wire away from one to another for better structure is tedious.
- Ferrocement Structure could be punctured by collision with pointed objects.
- It is difficult to fasten to Ferrocement Structure with bolts, screws, welding and nail.