Structural behavior for rehabilitation ferrocement plates previously damaged by impact loads

The main objective of this research is to investigate the possibility of using ferrocement concrete to rehabilitee the damaged plates which failed under impact load. The current work presents the comparison between the results of the first crack loads, the ultimate loads and the deflections in the cases of the impact and static loads. Seventeen plates were damaged under impact load [1], which having the dimensions of 500 × 500 and 25 mm thick. The plates were subjected to impact load by 1.15 kg spherical steel ball under its height 1.12 m at the center of the tested plates. The ferrocement plates were reinforced with skeletal steel bars welded galvanized meshes and expanded steel meshes with skeletal steel bars. The plates were tested up to failure. The damaged plates were repaired by employing concrete mortar and two layers of galvanized steel mesh (300 * 300 mm) at both the top and bottom faces of the damaged plate and tied with one layer (500 * 500 mm) by means of shear connectors at both top and bottom of the damaged plate by using L screw bolts with imbedded fisher. The rehabilitation plates (500 * 500 * 50 mm) were tested simply supports along its four sides and subjected to central flexural loadings until failure. The obtained results reached emphasized good deformation characteristics, high first crack and ultimate load, high ductility, energy absorption properties, and cracking pattern without spilling of concrete cover that is predominant.