A laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate the structural behavior of ferrocement composite panels (FCPs) incorporating expanded perlite lightweight aggregate (LWA) at varying volume fractions (55%, 35%, and 15%). Twelve lightweight FCPs (60 × 60 × 4 cm) were fabricated with one, two, or three layers of expanded rib lath and tested under three-point flexural loading. Structural response was assessed using digital image correlation (DIC) and theoretical analysis based on the thin plate theory. The results showed that increasing the number of rib lath layers significantly enhanced the first crack load (Fcr) and ultimate load (Fu), with improvements ranging from 11 to 224% in Fcr and 18 to 76% in Fu. Deflection at first crack (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_97114_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="18" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="30" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{{\text{cr}}}} }}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>) and ultimate load (<InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_97114_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="18" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="27" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{\text{u}}} }}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>) increased by an average of 47% and 229%, respectively. Additionally, the use of perlite LWA increased <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_97114_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="18" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="30" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{{\text{cr}}}} }}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> and <InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_97114_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="18" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="27" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{\text{u}}} }}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> by 29% and 26% compared to regular FCPs, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing flexibility. DIC analysis identified transverse strain (εxx) as the most sensitive parameter for early crack detection. Taguchi optimization further revealed that the number of rib lath layers had a more significant impact on Fcr and Fu than perlite content. These findings suggest that a three-layer FCP system with 15% perlite replacement optimizes load-bearing capacity, making it well-suited for high-strength, lightweight applications such as modular buildings and prefabricated structural elements.

Structural analysis of ferrocement composite panels with expanded perlite based mortar

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2025年5月15日

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Zhengyu Wu,
Amirhossein Madadi,
Tzuyang Yu

摘要

A laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate the structural behavior of ferrocement composite panels (FCPs) incorporating expanded perlite lightweight aggregate (LWA) at varying volume fractions (55%, 35%, and 15%). Twelve lightweight FCPs (60 × 60 × 4 cm) were fabricated with one, two, or three layers of expanded rib lath and tested under three-point flexural loading. Structural response was assessed using digital image correlation (DIC) and theoretical analysis based on the thin plate theory. The results showed that increasing the number of rib lath layers significantly enhanced the first crack load (F_cr) and ultimate load (F_u), with improvements ranging from 11 to 224% in F_cr and 18 to 76% in F_u. Deflection at first crack ( \({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{{\text{cr}}}} }}\) ) and ultimate load ( \({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{\text{u}}} }}\) ) increased by an average of 47% and 229%, respectively. Additionally, the use of perlite LWA increased \({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{{\text{cr}}}} }}\) and \({\text{D}}_{{{\text{F}}_{{\text{u}}} }}\) by 29% and 26% compared to regular FCPs, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing flexibility. DIC analysis identified transverse strain (ε_xx) as the most sensitive parameter for early crack detection. Taguchi optimization further revealed that the number of rib lath layers had a more significant impact on F_cr and F_u than perlite content. These findings suggest that a three-layer FCP system with 15% perlite replacement optimizes load-bearing capacity, making it well-suited for high-strength, lightweight applications such as modular buildings and prefabricated structural elements.