FERROCEMENT: PROGRESS REVIEW AND CRITICAL NEED FOR THE FUTURE

Author(s): Antoine E. Naaman
Book Title: FERRO-11 – 11th International Symposium on Ferrocement and 3rd ICTRC - International Conference on Textile Reinforced Concrete
Editor: Wolfgang Brameshuber
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-152-0
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-153-7
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 9-14
Total Pages: 6
Language: English

Abstract: This paper comprises two main parts, namely: a brief summary of key advancements in the field of ferrocement over the past five decades, and an opinion as to the critical need for an active dedicated professional society to continue to spur future advancements, particularly the development and maintenance of a widely recognized building code for ferrocement. Progress over the past five decades covers topics such a better understanding of the key mechanical properties of ferrocement, their modeling and prediction; improved properties of component materials; improved construction methods; improved practices; and some daring applications.While progress has definitely been commendable, it is nevertheless hin-dered by the lack of a focused environment and continually fostered activities such as gen-erally provided by a dedicated professional society that can address systematically and in details all issues related to ferrocement. These include the development of standards, guidelines and codes, cost-effective housing solutions, durability issues, etc...While it can be argued that such activities can be addressed by existing concrete societies such as ACI, RILEM, or a number of other institutes generally dealing with concrete, efficiency, sus-tained progress and leap advances seem only possible when a dedicated institution is in-volved. It is unfortunate that the lack of funding or endowed funding has been very detri-mental to the full progress of ferrocement and its potential, and, as a result, has not served the branch of society that could most benefit from it, the public and more particularly its less fortunate component.

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00