Ferrocement
Ferrocement or ferro-cement (also called thin-shell concrete or ferro-concrete) is a system of reinforced mortar or plaster (lime or cement, sand and water) applied over layer of metal mesh, woven expanded-metal or metal-fibers and closely spaced thin steel rods such as rebar. The metal commonly used is iron or some type of steel. It is used to construct relatively thin, hard, strong surfaces and structures in many shapes such as hulls for boats, shell roofs, and water tanks. Ferrocement originated in the 1840s in France and is the origin of reinforced concrete. It has a wide range of other uses including sculpture and prefabricated building components. The term "ferrocement" has been applied by extension to other composite materials, including some containing no cement and no ferrous material.
Advanced concrete mixes like Ductal or Geopolymer might make ferrocement work better.
One significant potential problem with Ferrocement in the marine environment is spalling due to corrosion, which is almost impossible to prevent in the long term, as concrete is porous and inevitably penetrated by seawater over time. This problem can be mitigated by making the cement thicker, using coatings, or using reinforcements that are more resistant to corrosion. However, all of these slow the progress, not eliminate it. Only by replacing the reinforcement with completely inert substances like Basalt or Glass fiber can this problem be eliminated.
Ferrocement Boat Construction
- US Navy Ferrocement Manual Vol. 1
- US Navy Ferrocement Manual Vol. 2
- US Navy Ferrocement Manual Vol. 3
- UN FAQ "Fishing Boat Construction: 3. Building a Ferrocement Fishing Boat"
- Design and Construction of Prestressed Concrete Vessels
- Prestressed concrete ocean structures and ships : a presentation of the expanding use of prestressed concrete for ocean structures and ships with guides to effective design and construction practice
- Concrete Ship (Wikipedia)
- ADA176233.pdf HANDBOOK FOR DESIGN OF UNDERSEA, PRESSURE-RESISTANT CONCRETE STRUCTURES
- Methods of Tying Ferrocement reinforcements
- Ferrocement Discussion
- Lofting Requirement and Technique for Ferrocement Hull
- Search results for ferro yacht on ConcreteConstruction.net
- Ferroboats.com
- Hartley Boats
- Patent US3951085A: Floating structure arrangement (Modular construction of floating reinforced concrete structures)
- Patent US3839521A: Process for making ferro-cement structures
- Patent US3932969A Ferrocement structures and method
Traditional Ferrocement construction may benefit from a rebar replacement material made from basslt fibers:
See Also:
