Comparative studies on flexibility characteristics of steel and fanpalm reinforced two bay concrete portal frames
1Raheem A. A. and 2*Audu M. T.
1Department of Civil Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria
2Department of Civil Engineering, University of Abuja, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author E mail: tosagigal2000@yahoo.com
DOI: 10.36108/laujoces/9102/20(0120)
Abstract
Reinforced concrete constitutes over 90 % of the infrastructures in developing countries and over 75 % of constructed facilities in industrialized nations. Steel is the main material used as reinforcements in the structural members. Steel is expensive and the need to find alternative locally available, suitable material to steel is a quest to researchers. The use of Fanpalm, as a locally available material as reinforcement in place of steel in portal frames is the main focus of this study. The theoretical and experimental investigation of the flexural strengths, deflection characteristics and cracking behaviors of fanpalm/steel reinforced two bay concrete portal frames were examined. The result showed linear load-deflection curves up to the first crack, thereafter, a non linear relationship between the load and deflection occurred irrespective of the reinforcement used. The fanpalm reinforced portal frames exhibited larger deflections, increased crack numbers and crack widths compared with equivalent steel reinforced ones. The numbers of cracks formed and the load carrying capacities (flexural strength) of the frames up to failure point increased with increase in percentage of reinforcements.
Keywords: concrete; fanpalm, flexibility, portal frame; steel.