INTRODUCTION OF

FERROCEMENT
Cement and concrete are used
interchangeably but there are technical
distinctions and the meaning of cement
has changed since the mid-nineteenth
century when ferrocement originated.
Ferro- means iron although metal
commonly used in ferro-cement is the
iron alloy steel. Cement in the nineteenth
century and earlier meant mortar[2] or
broken stone or tile mixed with lime and
water to form a strong mortar.[3] Today
cement usually means Portland cement,
[4] Mortar is a paste of a binder (usually
Portland cement), sand and water; and
concrete is a fluid mixture of Portland
cement, sand, water and crushed stone
aggregate which is poured into formwork
(shuttering). Ferro-concrete is the original
name of reinforced concrete (armored
concrete) known at least since the 1890s
and in 1903 it was well described in
London's Society of Engineer's Journal[5]

but is now widely confused with

ferrocement

PROJECT PROPOSAL
Ferrocement also called thin shell
concrete .is a system of reinforced
motar applied over layer of reinforced
mortar applied over layer of metal
such as chickan wire or woven wire
mesh and possibly closely spaced
small diameter steel rods.
ABOUT PROJECT
We are going to proper a model of
ferrocement partition of 1m*1m
and thickness will be 7.5 cm . using
thermacol sheet as heat insulator.
In this modal the thermacol sheet
of 2.5cm will be sandwich between
two thick layer of ferrocement. The
thickness of each layer of
ferrocement is 2.5cm (25mm).
PREPARATION OF MARTAR:

The sand/cement ratio is taken 1:2.

And water /cement ratio should br
taken 0.4 respectively to achive
maximum compressive strength of
the mortar mix.
PREPARATION OF

FERROCEMENT PARTITION
WALL :
Three mould of 1m*1m and thickness of
7.5cm is used for wall casting.
Put a layer of hardening mortar with
thickness of 5.0mm in the steel mould.
Install the 1st wire mesh.
Cast a small pieces of the hardening
mortar of 15mm to support the 2nd layer of
wire mesh.
Install the 2nd wire mesh.
Apply the hardening mortar uoto the 5mm
thick above 2nd wire mesh.
Then put the thermacol sheet having small
opening.
And then 2nd layer of ferrocement is placed
as describe above .

 Remove the specimen from the steel mould

within 24 hours after casting.
Store the specimen in the laboratory
atmosphere and covering it with wet cloth
using water sprinkled.
Test the specimen after 28 days.

HISTORY
The inventors of ferrocement are Frenchmen Joseph
Monier who dubbed it "ciment arm" (armored cement)
and Joseph-Louis Lambot who constructed a batteau with
the system in 1848.[6] Lambot exhibited the vessel at
the Exposition Universelle in 1855 and his name for the
material "ferciment" stuck. Lambot patented his batteau in
1855 but the patent was granted in Belgium and only
applied to that country. At the time of Monier's first patent,
July 1867, he planned to use his material to create urns,
planters, and cisterns. These implements were traditionally
made from ceramics, but large-scale, kiln-fired projects
were expensive and prone to failure. In 1875, Monier
expanded his patents to include bridges and designed his
first steel-and-concrete bridge. The outer layer was
sculpted to mimic rustic logs and timbers, thereby also
ushering Faux Bois (wood grain) concrete. In the first half
of the twentieth century Italian Pier Luigi Nervi was noted
for his use of ferro-cement, in Italian called ferro-cemento.

"ferrocement" being referred to as ferro-concrete

or reinforced concrete to better describe the end product
instead of its components.
Ferro concrete has relatively good strength and resistance
to impact. When used in house construction in developing
countries, it can provide better resistance to fire,
earthquake, and corrosion than traditional materials, such
as wood, adobe and stone masonry. It has been popular in
developed countries for yacht building because the
technique can be learned relatively quickly, allowing
people to cut costs by supplying their own labor. In the
1930s through 1950's, it became popular in the United
States as a construction and sculpting method for novelty
architecture, examples of which created "dinosaurs in the
desert".

CONSTRACTION

The desired shape may be built from a multi-layered

construction of mesh, supported by an armature, or grid,
built with rebar and tied with wire. For optimum
performance, steel should be rust-treated, (galvanized)
or stainless steel. (In early practice, in the desert, or for
exterior scenery construction, "sound building practice"
was not considered, or perhaps unknown as it grew in

some cases, from a folk craft tradition of masons

collaborating with blacksmiths.) Over this finished
framework, an appropriate mixture (grout ormortar)
of Portland cement, sand and water and/or admixtures is
applied to penetrate the mesh. During hardening, the
assembly may be kept moist, to ensure that the concrete
is able to set and harden slowly and to avoid developing
cracks that can weaken the system. Steps should be
taken to avoid trapped air in the internal structure during
the wet stage of construction as this can also create
cracks that will form as it dries. Trapped air will leave voids
that allow water to collect and degrade (rust) the steel.
Modern practice often includes spraying the mixture at
pressure (a technique called shotcrete) or some other
method of driving out trapped air.
Older structures that have failed offer clues to better
practices. In addition to eliminating air where it contacts
steel, modern concrete additives may include acrylic liquid
"admixtures" to slow moisture absorption and increase
shock resistance to the hardened product or to alter curing
rates. These technologies, borrowed from the commercial
tile installation trade, have greatly aided in the restoration
of these structures.[7] Chopped glass or poly fiber can be
added to reduce crack development in the outer skin.
(Chopped fiber could inhibit good penetration of the grout
to steel mesh constructions. This should be taken into
consideration and mitigated, or limited to use on outer
subsequent layers. Chopped fibers may also alter or limit
some wet sculpting techniques.)

APPLICATION OF FERROCEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION

Application of Ferro-cement In Construction:
Ferro-cement is a relatively new construction
material consists of wire meshes and cement
mortar. It was developed by P.L.Nervi, an Italian
architect in 1940. Ferro cement is widely used due
to the low self weight, lack of skilled workers, no
need of framework etc.Quality of ferro-cement
works are assured because the components are
manufactured on machinery set up and execution
time at work site is less. Maintenance cost of ferrocement is low.Ferro-cement construction has come
into widespread use only in the last two decades.
What is Ferro-cement?
Highly versatile form of reinforced concrete.
Its a type of thin reinforced concrete
construction, in which large amount of small
diameter wire meshes uniformly through out
the cross section.
Mesh may be metal or suitable material.

 Instead of concrete Portland cement mortar

is used.
Strength depends on two factors quality of
sand/cement mortar mix and quantity of
reinforcing materials used.

Fig: Typical cross section of ferro-cement structure.

Constituent Materials
1. Cement
2. Fine Aggregate
3. Water

4. Admixture
5. Mortar Mix
6. Reinforcing mesh
7. Skeletal Steel
8. Coating
9.

Process of Ferro-cement
Construction:
Fabricating the skeletal framing system.
Applying rods and meshes.
Plastering.
Curing

Economics
The economic advantage of ferro concrete structures is
that they are stronger and more durable than some
traditional building methods.[citation needed] Depending on the
quality of construction and the climate of its location,

houses may pay for themselves with almost zero

maintenance and lower insurance requirements. Water
tanks could pay for themselves by not needing periodic
replacement, if properly constructed of reinforced
concrete.[citation needed]
Ferro concrete structures can be built quickly, which can
have economic advantages. In inclement weather
conditions, the ability to quickly erect and enclose the
building allows workers to shelter within and continue
interior finishing.
In India, ferro concrete is used often because the
constructions made from it are more resistant
to earthquakes.[citation needed] Earthquake resistance is
dependent on good construction technique and additional
reinforcement of the concrete.
In the 1970s, designers adapted their yacht designs to the
then very popular backyard building scheme of building a
boat using ferrocement. Its big attraction was that for
minimum outlay and costs, a reasonable application of
skill, an amateur could construct a smooth, strong and
substantial yacht hull. A ferrocement hull can prove to be
of similar or lower weight than a fiber reinforced
plastic (fiberglass), aluminum, or steel hull.[citation needed] New
methods of laminating layers of cement and steel mesh in
a mold may bring new life to ferrocement boat-building.
[citation needed]
A thorough examination of reinforced concrete
and current practice would benefit the boat builder. An

example of a well known ferro-cement boat is Hardiesse,

the Falmouth sail-training ship.
There are basically three types of methods of ferrocement.
They are following
1.Armature system: In this method the skeleton steel is
welded to the desired shape on either of sides of
which are tied several layers of stretched meshes.
This is strong enough, so that mortar can be filled in
by pressing for one side and temporarily supporting
from the other side. Filling in of mortar can also be
administered by pressing in the mortar from both the
sides. In this method the skeletal steel (bars) are at
centre of the section and as such they add to the
dead weight of without any contribution to strength.
2.Closed mould systems: Several layers of meshes are
tied together against the surface of the mould which
holds them in position while mortar is being filled in.
The mould may be removed after curing or may
remain in position as a permanent part of a finished
structure. If the mould is to be removed for reuse,
releasing agent must be used.
3.Integrated mould system: Using minimum
reinforcement any integral mould is first to be
considered to act as a framework. On this mould
layers of meshes are fixed on either side and
plastering is done onto them from both sides. As the
name suggests, the mould remains permanently as
an integral part of the finished structure. (e.g. double

T-sections for flooring, roofing etc.) Precaution should

be taken to have firm connection between the mould
and the layers filled in later, so that finished product
as a whole integral structural unit

Advantages
The advantages of a well built ferro concrete construction
are the low weight, maintenance costs and long lifetime in
comparison with purely steel constructions.[8] However,
meticulous building precision is considered crucial here.
Especially with respect to the cementitious composition
and the way in which it is applied in and on the framework,
and how or if the framework has been treated to resist
corrosion.
When a ferro concrete sheet is mechanically overloaded, it
will tend to fold instead of break or crumble like stone or
pottery. As a container, it may fail and leak but possibly
hold together. Much depends on techniques used in the
construction.

Disadvantages
The disadvantage of ferro concrete construction is the
labor-intensive nature of it, which makes it expensive for
industrial application in the western world. In addition,
threats to degradation (rust) of the steel components is a

possibility if air voids are left in the original construction,

due to too dry a mixture of the concrete being applied, or
not forcing the air out of the structure while it is in its wet
stage of construction, through vibration, pressurized
spraying techniques, or other means. These air voids can
turn to pools of water as the cured material absorbs
moisture. If the voids occur where there is untreated steel,
the steel will rust and expand, causing the system to fail.
In modern practice, the advent of liquid acrylic additives
and other advances to the grout mixture, create slower
moisture absorption over the older formulas, and also
increase bonding strength to mitigate these failures.
Restoration steps should include treatment to the steel to
arrest rust, using practices for treating old steel common in
auto body repair

TEST ON FERROCEMENT:

Compressive strength of cement

Initial and final setting time of
cement
Fineness of cement
Consistency of cement

Bending strength of wall

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
OF CEMENT
Test procedure to calculate compressive strength of
cement as per IS 4031 Part 6

APPRATUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Cement
Standard sand
Vibration Machine
Poking Rod
Cube Mould of size 70.6 mm X 70.6 mm X 70.6
mm

Gauging Trowel
Weigh Balance
Graduated glass cylinders 200 to 250 ml
capacity

PROCEDURE

1. Mixing of material for each test cube shall be

separately prepared. The quantities of
cement,standard sand and water shall be as
follows:
Cement 200 gms, Standard sand 600 gms,

water (p/4+3) % of mass (cement +sand)

where P = % of water required to make cement
paste of standard consistency.
2.All ingredients shall be dry mixed for one
minute. After that, water is gradually added till
paste is formed of uniform colour. Mixing time
shall be between 3-4 minutes. If uniform colour
of paste is not achieved after mixing more than 4
minutes, fresh mortar shall be prepared.
3.Apply mould oil on interior surface of mould
and place the mould on vibrating table.
Immediately after preparing mortar as describe
in point 2, place the mortar
inside cube moulds. Rod 20 times for
approximate 8 sec to ensure full compaction of
mortar.
4. Further compaction shall be done by using
vibrating machine.The period of vibration shall
be two minutes at the specified speed of 12 000
400
5.After completion of vibration, remove moulds
along with base plate and finish the top surface
by trowel.

 6.Keep moulds filled with specimen for 24 1 hr

in moist environment. Remove samples from
mould and immediately submerge in clean
water.
7.After curing period is over, remove cubes from
water and immediately place in testing machine
with side facing upwards. Cubes shall be tested
with out packing between steel plattens of the
testing machine and cubes surface.Load shall be
steadily and uniformly applied, starting from
zero at a rate of 35 N/mm2/min. till failure of
sample.
8.Calculate compressive strength of specimen by
using following formula
compressive strength = P / A
where
P = Maximum load applied
A = cross-sectional area of test specimen
Compressive strength shall be calculated as
average value of three samples. If value of
individual sample is differing more than 10 % of
average value, then that value shall not be
considered. In that case average of other two

samples shall be considered for compressive

strength calculation.
RESULT;
.
.

INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING

TIME OF CEMENT:
INITIAL & FINAL SETTING TIME (IS:4031-PART 5-1988)

APPARATUS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NAME

CAPACITY / RANGE / SIZE

ACCURACY / LEAST COU

Vicat apparatus

Should be made as per

IS:5513

Balance

1000 g

1g

Measuring cylinder

100 ml

1 ml

Stop watch

30 min.

0.2 sec

Vicat Apparatus

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION
Temperature

27 20 C

Relative Humidity

90 % (min)

PROCEDURE
(A)TEST BLOCK PREPARATION
1. Before commencing setting time test, do the
consistency test to obtain the water required to give the
paste normal consistency (P).
2. Take 400 g of cement and prepare a neat cement
paste with 0.85P of water by weight of cement.
3. Gauge time is kept between 3 to 5 minutes. Start the
stop watch at the instant when the water is added to the
cement. Record this time (t1).
4.

Fill the Vicat mould, resting on a glass plate, with the

cement paste gauged as above. Fill the mould
completely and smooth off the surface of the paste
making it level with the top of the mould. The cement
block thus prepared is called test block.

INITIAL SETTING TIME

1. Place the test block confined in the mould and resting
on the non-porous plate, under the rod bearing the
needle.
2. Lower the needle gently until it comes in contact with
the surface of test block and quick release, allowing it to
penetrate into the test block.

3. In the beginning the needle completely pierces the

test block. Repeat this procedure i.e. quickly releasing
the needle after every 2 minutes till the needle fails to
pierce the block for about 5 mm measured from the
bottom of the mould. Note this time (t2).

(C)FINAL SETTING TIME

1. For determining the final setting time, replace the
needle of the Vicats apparatus by the needle with an
annular attachment.
2.

The cement is considered finally set when upon

applying the final setting needle gently to the surface of
the test block; the needle makes an impression
thereon, while the attachment fails to do so. Record this
time (t ).
3

PRECAUTIONS

Release the initial and final setting time needles

gently.

The experiment should be performed away from

vibration and other disturbances.

Needle should be cleaned every time it is used.

Position of the mould should be shifted slightly after

each penetration to avoid penetration at the same
place.

Test should be performed at the specified

environmental conditions.

FINENESS OF CEMENT
FINENESS OF CEMENT BY DRY SIEVING (IS:4031-PART 1-1996)

FINENESS OF CEMENT BY DRY

SIEVING (IS:4031-PART 11996)
Suryakanta | May 2, 2013 | Cement, Materials, Tests On Cement | No Comments

OVERVIEW
Fineness of cement is measured by sieving it on standard sieve.
The proportion of cement of which the grain sizes are larger than
the specified mesh size is thus determined.

APPARATUS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NAME

CAPACITY / RAN

ACCURACY /

GE / SIZE

LEAST COUNT

Sieve

90 micron mesh

Balance

10g (max.)

10 mg

SUPPLEMENTARY ACCESSORIES
Glass rod, stoppered jar, pan, lid

90 micron
sieve

PROCEDURE

1. Agitate the sample of cement to be tested by

shaking for 2 minutes in a stoppered jar to
disperse agglomerates. Stir the resulting powder
gently using a clean dry rod in order to distribute
the fines throughout the cement.
2. Attach a pan under the sieve to collect the
cement passing the sieve.
3. Weigh approximately 10 g of cement to the
nearest 0.01 g and place it on the sieve. Fit the
lid over the sieve.
4. Agitate the sieve by swirling, planetary and
linear movement until no more fine material
passes through it.
5. Remove and weigh the residue. Express its
mass as a percentage (R1) of the quantity first
placed in the sieve.
6. Repeat the steps 3 to 5 with a fresh sample to
obtain R2.

Note :: If R1 & R2 differ by more than 1%, then

carryout a third sieving and calculate R3.

CALCULATION
Calculate the residue of cement R as the mean of R 1 & R2 (or R1,
R2 & R3) in %, expressed to the nearest 0.1%.
PROCEDURE TO CHECK SIEVE

1. Follow the steps (1 to 6) as mentioned earlier

with a reference cement sample or certified
reference material (i.e. CRM).
2. Calculate two values P1 & P2 and calculate
mean P of P1 & P2.
3. From the certificate of reference cement
sample find out the known value of residue on
90 micron mesh sieve.
4. Calculate a correction factor as per the below
mentioned formula.

Where
R0=Known value of residue as per reference material certificate.
P=Mean value of P1 & P2.
(The value of F may be 1.000.20)
5. Multiply this correction factor F with mean value of R
PRECAUTION

Before sieving, air set lumps of cement should be

broken
RESULT

CONSISTENCY OF
CONSISTENCY OF STANDARD CEMENT
PAPPARATUS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NAME

CAPACITY / RANG
E / SIZE

ACCURACY / LEAS
COUNT

Vicat apparatus

Should be made as
per IS:5513

Balance

1000 g

1g

Measuring cylinder

100 ml

1 ml

OTHER ACCESSORIES
Tray, glass plate

Vicat Apparatus
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION
Temperature

27 20 C

Humidity

65 5 %

PROCEDURE
1. Take 400 g of cement and place it in the enameled
tray.
2. Mix about 25% water by weight of dry cement
thoroughly to get a cement paste. Total time taken to

obtain thoroughly mixed water cement paste i.e.

Gauging time should not be more than 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Fill the vicat mould, resting upon a glass plate, with
this cement paste.
4. After filling the mould completely, smoothen the
surface of the paste, making it level with top of the
mould.
5. Place the whole assembly(i.e. mould + cement paste
+ glass plate) under the rod bearing plunger.
6. Lower the plunger gently so as to touch the surface of
the test block and quickly release the plunger allowing it
to sink into the paste.
7. Measure the depth of penetration and record it.
8. Prepare trial pastes with varying percentages of water
content and follow the steps (2 to 7) as described
above, until the depth of penetration becomes 33 to 35
mm.
CALCULATION
Calculate percentage of water (P) by weight of dry cement
required to prepare cement paste of standard consistency
by following formula, and express it to the first place of
decimal.

Where,
W=Quantity of water added
C=Quantity of cement used
PRECAUTIONS

Gauging time should be strictly observed

Room temperature should be well maintained as per
test requirement.
All apparatus used should be clean.
The experiment should be performed away from
vibrations and other disturbances.

ASTE (IS:4031-PART4-1988)