THE USE OF ENCASEP TIMEBER BEAMS AS ALTERNATIVE TO REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS.
THE USE OF ENCASEP TIMEBER BEAMS AS ALTERNATIVE TO REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS.
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Date
1997-06
Authors
OJO, GBENGA A
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Abstract
The project investigates the possibility of adopting a composite beam
consisting of concrete and timber, and consequently comparing the structural
performance and the economical implications of this beam to a normal
reinforced concrete beam.
The idea to do this is borne out of the need to discover alternative(s) to
reinforced concrete beams which are otherwise expensive and therefore
unaffordable to the majority of our people.
To achieve these objectives, two beams are designed (one as reinforced
concrete and the other as timber encased in concrete) to satisfy the same
conditions of loading and serviceability requirements, the prototype beams so
obtained are modelled down mathematically to smaller and manageable sizes,
which are tested in flexure till failure while observing and recording their
respective deflections, strains, crack developments, mode of failure and
failure loads.
The cost comparative analysis is a very important aspect of this research, this
is based on the actual (prototype) beams. It includes the production as well as
materials cost of each beam. Finally, the experimental data obtained are
analysed and the following conclusions made.
i) That there was a 10% decrease in the production cost of the encased
timber beam.
ii) There is also a 40% increase in collapse load for the encased timber
beam over that for the reinforced concrete beam.
iii) The reinforced concrete beam being more rigid deflected far less in
comparison with encased timber beam.
V I I
iv) The encased timber is viable for spans not exceeding 6m. Beyond this
the encased timber beam ceases to be economical as the timber section
required to satisfy the deflection clause would be too large.
v) The slope of the load-deflection graph of the plain timber beam tested
(timber without concrete encasement) showed a greater deflection per load
compared to the encased timber beam, indicating that a composite action
does occur and that the concrete contributes to the stiffness of the encased
timber beam.
Description
AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING.
DEPATMENF OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, FACULTY OF
ENGINEERING, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA,
NIGERIA.
Keywords
ENCASEP,, TIMEBER,, BEAMS,, ALTERNATIVE,, REINFORCED,, CONCRETE,