Structural behavior of ferrocement beams with circular openings

The construction sector is a major contributor to resource consumption and waste generation. Therefore, developing more efficient and sustainable materials and infrastructure is a top priority for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This research aims to contribute to this effort by studying the behavior of ferrocement beams with circular openings, with the goal of understanding their behavior under various loads and determining their potential use in designing more resilient and sustainable structures. Fifteen beams with different reinforcement mesh types were subjected to experimental testing under four-point loading, one group serves as the control with conventional reinforcement, while others vary in mesh type and opening configurations. All beams maintained approximately close reinforcement ratios, employing either two layers of welded galvanized steel mesh or a single layer of expanded steel mesh. Using numerical models, all fifteen beams were analyzed with the structural analysis program ANSYS V. 15 to study their non-linear shear behaviors and compare them with experimental data, focusing on load-deflection curves and failure modes. Results show that beams reinforced with expanded steel mesh achieved higher ultimate loads than those with welded mesh, with increases up to 81.59% depending on the opening configuration. However, beams with openings generally exhibited reduced ultimate loads, averaging 26.85% for welded mesh and 32.13% for expanded mesh, compared to beams without openings. Vertical openings, particularly with multiple openings, resulted in significant load decreases.