Strength and Cost comparison of Ferrocement Door and Window Shutters with that of Wood and Steel

Abstract

With rapid advancement in construction industry the need has been felt to come up with cheaper & stronger alternatives of various housing components. Keeping in view this door and window shutters have been selected to be developed with these characteristics. They should be possessing high degree of toughness, ductility & durability as compared to conventional wood & steel. To develop door & window shutters of above mentioned qualities ferrocement has been used. Ferrocement is a highly versatile form of composite material made of cement mortar & layers of wire mesh closely bound together to create a stiff structural form. It not only helps in achieving strength & economy but also possesses engineering properties such as fracture, tensile & flexure strength, toughness & impact resistance. Ferrocement has got a vast field of applications. It is fast replacing different housing elements. An attempt has been made to check its suitability as door and window. It not only helped in achieving better strength but also was cost effective