Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Wall panel is the most useful components of the construction industry asan area

divider like library, classroom, living room, kitchen etc. The wall panel can customize to

their appearance to make an attractive. Therawmaterials that commonlyused to make

wall panelare plastic, plywood, concrete. By function like in music room that needed a

soundproofs wall they use concrete, lightweight that make it easier to move, they use

plywood with the combination of lumber and easy to installation. By strength that can

stand, like in higher area or in the ocean part that have a high pressure of air they use

concrete.

Concrete wall panelis the most popular wall panel in construction industry

because of their flexural strength, water resistance, compressive strength, and

availability in the market. Concrete wall panel usually is made of cement, rocks, sand

and reinforcement bar. Concrete wall panel usually usecrane to install in high rise

building.

Polystyrene foam is one of the most lightweight materialalso known as

Styrofoam. The polystyrene foam is the most useful material that is used for this era,like

as a food packaging to protect from being damage and retain freshness of the food , as

an insulation like Styrofoam box to trap cool air when needed to store food like meat,fish

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and ice to maintain its freshness, as an product protector like in box have tv, glass and

other equipment that fragile that protect the object from impact that crack, or break of

the object cause of delivering it , as a insulation material in construction industry use as

heat resistance and soundproof.

Wire mesh is the steel and the light weight material that usually use as fence in

our property. The affordability and lightweight of this property, many of the public place

like basketball court, tennis court etc. use wire mesh as fence, that can easy to install

with just steel rod and wire mesh. It also uses to construction industry with the

combination of concrete and use as binder to concrete.

Statement of the Problem:

1. The limitation of the storeyof the building/construction because of the high

load of concrete wall panel.

2. The work frame of installing is slow because of the weight of the concrete wall

panel.

3. The risky operation using crane to hold heavy concrete wall panel in high rise

building.

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1.2 Objective of the Study

General Objective

The study aims to developthe loaded bearing concrete wall panel using

polystyrene foam as inner core in wall panel that make it lightweight and replace

the reinforcement bar to welded wire mesh.

“To develop a lightweight load bearing concrete panel using polystyrene

foam as inner core and wire mesh as reinforcement”

Specific Objective

1. .

2.

3.

1.3 Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial to the following:

To the Construction Industry – toreduce the time frame of work in

construction.

To the Society – to the safety of person that use wall panel.

To the commercial industry – to use as an investment of the product,

To the Research Community – to serve as basis for the improvement, and

other construction innovations in the future.

1.4 Scope and Delimitation

This study concern is to develop the load bearing wall panel that used in

the construction industrythat will help in terms of the time frame of work of

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 installing,flexural strength and compressive strength of the wall panel. The

material to be used is polystyrene foam, the main material of this study, that will

be used as aninner core of the wall panel lightweight.The wire mesh also will be

used to the panel wall as reinforcement bar and binder to concrete that will help

the flexural strength of the wall panel. The test that will be conducted is

flexuralstrength and compressive strengthto determine if it is capability to use as

a load bearing concrete wall panel that will be needed in the construction

industry. The delimitations of the study are the right thickness of the polystyrene

foam and the right diameter size and spacing of the steel of the wire mesh.

1.5 Conceptual Framework of the Study

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 The Conceptual framework represents the main idea of the study. This provides

a stepwise presentation of how to understand a significant data in order to address the

given problem.

Input:
 Problem
Development of Load Bearing Concrete Wall Panel
 Research Tools, Materials and Test
o Books, Article, Journal
o Sand, cement, gravel, wire mesh panel, polystyrene foam
o Flexural test

Process:
 Production
o Weighing
o Mixing
o Casting and Curing

 Data Gathering
o Flexural strength
o Compressive strength

Output:
 Analysis
o The flexural strength and compressive strength

 Findings and Conclusion

o Draw solutions and recommendations regarding to compressive strength
and flexural strength

1.6 Definition of Terms

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Absorption

The capability of the object/materials to absorb and can be measure by weight of

saturated dried sample subtract by weight over-dried sample, the divided by weight

over-dried sample and multiply by one hundred.

ACI (American Concrete Institute)

An organization in United State of America that study and develop the concrete.

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)

An organization in United State of America that study construction material by

different kind of testing, such as compressive strength flexural strength and others.

Cement

The powdery substance use in construction industry as a binder to aggregates

and harden the concrete.

Compressive Strength

The capacity of the object/material to resist compression and can be measured

by force applied over the area of the object.

Curing

Maintaining the moisture and temperature of the concrete that helps to develop

the desire property of the concrete.

Density

The measurement of the object/materials and can be measure by mass of the

object divided by its volume.

Flexural Strength

The capacity of the object/material to resist deformation under load.

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Mechanical Properties

The properties the of the object/material base on their physical like density,

compressive strength, flexural strength and others.

Mix Design

The ratio proportion the cement, sand and gravel based on their preferred

strength, durability, and others of the concrete.

Moisture Content

Also know water content in the object/material that can be measure by wet

weight of the object subtract by dry weight of the object then divide by wet weight of the

object and multiply by one hundred.

Polystyrene foam

Also known as a Styrofoam, is the lightweight material that made for as a thermal

insulation for construction industry and other purpose.

Sand

An aggregate with the size between 2.00mm to 0.06mm.

Slump Test

The test conducted of the fresh concrete to know their workability, and basically it

is between 1inch to 4 inches

Wire mesh

The metal wire in grid position and the spacing of the wire is basically 50mm

higher in vertical and horizontal.

Galvanize

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 The process in which putting a protected zinc coat to prevent rusting or

corrosion.

Chapter 2

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 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

This chapter introduces all the data and information relevant to the study that

were gathered from different materials like books, journals, internet articles, research

studies and dissertations to further understand the topic.

2.1 Related Literature

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a white foam plastic material produced from

solid beads of polystyrene. It is primarily used for packaging, insulation etc. it is closed

cell, rigid foam material produced:

 Styrene which forms the cellular structure.

 Pentane which is used as a blowing agent.

Expanded polystyrene Properties and key Benefits

1. thermal properties(insulation) EPS has very low thermal conductivity due to its closed

cell structure consisting of 98% air. This air trapped within the cells is a very poor heat

conductor and hence provide the foam with its excellent thermal insulation properties.

The thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene foam of density 20kg/m3 is 0.035-

0.037W/(m.K) at 10C.

ASTM C578 Standard Specification for Rigid Cellular Polystyrene Insulation addresses

the physical properties and performance characteristics ofEPS foam as it relates to

thermal insulation in construction application.

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2. Mechanical Strength – flexibility production makes EPS versatile in strength which

can be adjusted to suit the specific application. EPS with high compressive strength is

used for heavy load bearing application, whereas for void forming EPS with a lower

strength can be used.

Generally, strength characteristics increase with density, however the cushioning

characteristics of EPS foam packaging are affected by the geometry of the molded part

and, to a lesser extent, by bead size and processing condition, as well as density.

3. Dimensional Stability- EPS offers exceptional stability, remaining virtually

unaffected within a wide range of ambient factors. The maximum dimensional change of

EPS foam can be expected to be less than 2%, which puts EPS in accordance with

ASTM Test Method D2126

Density(pcf) Stres @10% Flexural Tensile Shear

compressive(psi) Strength(psi) Strength(psi) strength(psi)

1.0 13 29 31 31

1.5 24 43 51 53

2.0 30 58 62 70

2.5 42 75 74 92

3.0 64 88 88 118

3.3 67 105 98 140

4 80 125 108 175

Typical Properties of EPS Molding Packaging (70F Test Temperature)

(Source: EPS Industry Alliance)

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4. Electrical Properties – the dielectric strength of EPS is approximately 2KL/mm. its

dielectric constant measure in the frequency range of 100-400 MHZ and at gross

density from 20-40kg/m3 lies between 1.02-1.04. Molded EPS can be treated with

antistatic agents to comply with electronic industry and military packaging specifications.

5. Water Absorption- EPS is not hygroscopic. Even when immersed in waters it

absorbs only a small amount of water. As the cell walls are waterproof, water can only

penetrate the foam through the tiny channels between the fused beads.

6. Chemical Resistance – water and aqueous solutions of salts and alkalis do not

affect expanded polystyrene. However, EPS is readily attacked by organic solvents.

7. Weathering and Aging Resistance – EPS is resistant to aging. However, Exposure

to direct sunshine (ultraviolet radiation) leads to yellowing of the surface which is

accomplish by a slight embrittlement of the upper layer. Yellowing has no significance

for the mechanical strength of insulation, because of the low depth of penetration.

8. Fire Resistance – EPS is Flammable. Modification with flame retardants significantly

minimize the ignitability of the foam and the spread of flames.

Concrete is made up of three basic components: water, aggregate (rock, sand, or

gravel) and Portland cement. Cement, usually in powder form, acts as a binding agent

when mixed with water and aggregates. This combination, or concrete mix, will be

poured and harden into the durable material with which we are all familiar.

There are three basic ingredients in the concrete mix:

 Portland Cement

 Water

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  Aggregates (rock and sand)

Portland Cement - The cement and water form a paste that coats the aggregate

and sand in the mix. The paste hardens and binds the aggregates and sand together.

Water- Water is needed to chemically react with the cement (hydration) and too

provide workability with the concrete. The amount of water in the mix in pounds

compared with the amount of cement is called the water/cement ratio. The lower the

which ratio, the stronger the concrete. (Higher strength, less permeability)

Aggregates- Sand is the fine aggregate. Gravel or crushed stone is the coarse

aggregate in most mixes. (https://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete.html)

2.1.5. Common Types of Concrete

 Normal Strength Concrete

The concrete that is obtained by mixing the basic ingredients cement, water and

aggregate will give us normal strength concrete. The strength of these type of concrete

will vary from 10 MPa to 40MPa. The normal strength concrete has an initial setting time

of 30 to 90 minutes that is dependent on the cement properties and the weather

conditions of the construction site.

2.1.6. Typical Properties of Normal Strength Concrete

 Density - ρ : 2240 - 2400 kg/m3 (140 - 150 lb/ft3) 

 Compressive strength : 20 - 40 MPa (3000 - 6000 psi)

 Flexural strength : 3 - 5 MPa (400 - 700 psi)

 Tensile strength - σ : 2 - 5 MPa (300 - 700 psi)

 Modulus of elasticity - E : 14 - 41 GPa (2 - 6 x 106 psi)

 Permeability : 1 x 10-10 cm/sec

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  Coefficient of thermal expansion - β : 10-5 oC-1 (5.5 x 10-6 oF-1)

 Drying shrinkage : 4 - 8 x 10-4

 Drying shrinkage of reinforced concrete : 2 - 3 x 10-4

 Poisson's ratio : 0.20 - 0.21

 Shear strength - τ : 6 - 17 MPa

 Specific heat - c :  0.75 kJ/kg K (0.18 Btu/lbm oF (kcal/kg oC))

(https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/concrete-properties-d_1223.html, Engineering

ToolBox, 2008, 10/8/2018, 5:06pm)

2.1.7. Mechanical Properties of Concrete

 Compressive Strength

Cement is usually subjected to compressive stresses when used in the form of

concrete or mortar. If the mortar is weak then also its compressive strength is very low

but if the mortar is a strong one then its compressive strength is also very high. The

mixture of sand and cement in water is generally weak intension and is strong in

compression. Therefore it is obvious the mortar will be strong in compression as

compared to tension. Mortar is generally used for brick masonry and plastering. In first

case the mortar is subjected to very high compressive loads such as the load of the wall

above it, therefore it is very much necessary to test the mortar for its compressive

strength. The strength of the mortar depends upon the fineness of cement, the

gradation of sand and the most important factor which water-cement ratio. If any one of

the above factors be not according to the ASTM-Standard, then the strength of mortar is

badly affected. The standards of ASTM are provided for different ratios of mixture with

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which the test results are compared and then decided for its use. These values are

taken when the mortar is just removed from curing.

 Flexural Strength

Flexural strength, also known as modulus of rupture, or bend strength, or

transverse rupture strength is a material property, defined as the stress in a material just

before it yields in a flexure test. The transverse bending test is most frequently

employed, in which a specimen having either a circular or rectangular cross-section is

bent until fracture or yielding using a three-point flexural test technique. The flexural

strength represents the highest stress experienced within the material at its moment of

failure. It is measured in terms of stress. (Michael Ashby, 2011)

A wire mesh is made up of parallel series of high strength wires in different pattern, the

patterns can be large or small, square or rectangular grid depending upon the purpose

or the application of the product or specimen. This Wire mesh used in a variety of ways

today. The reason of such wide usage is due to certain properties of the product. The

properties of the wire mesh will be discussed below.

1. The Wire mesh are made from different grades of Steel either galvanized or carbon

steel, depending on its usage. Some properties that make wire mesh type so popular all

over the world are discussed below.

 Corrosion resistance

Being made of galvanized steel or stainless steel, with 8% nickel and 18% of

chromium alloyed, or coated with zinc these barriers are highly resistant to

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 corrosion. So, even underwater application prefers using stainless steel or

galvanized steel wire mesh as it decays the least. It is also used in areas where

the is maximum exposure to the elements,

 Low maintenance

The preceding wire mesh requires low upkeep due to its highly stable non-

reactive structure and corrosion resistance properties, they can be left in areas

with high exposure to elements; The stainless steel will ensure maximum

functionality for a longer period of time

 Temperature tolerance

These meshes can also be in extremely hot or cold conditions. with some special

treatments, these barriers can be used under high pressure also, like a

rectangular holding area for pouring concrete for pillars or slabs. These stainless-

steel concrete boxes can withstand a high amount of pressure of subsequent

constructions.

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2.2 Related Studies

2.2.1 Important of structural wire mesh in accelerated precast construction

The accelerated precast construction of culverts and small bridges is the use of
innovative scheduling, delivery, design, manufacturing and construction methods to
reduce on-site construction time and costs, while improving safety and reducing impacts
on road users. Then the growing specification of accelerated precast construction (APC)
in Canada by transportation planners and designers focuses on identifying efficient
ways to build transportation-related structures in a time of increased public demand for
infrastructure rehabilitation, expansion and replacement, along with the ongoing
demand for skilled labour. The inclusion of engineered structural mesh in precast
concrete structural design may provide immediate relief to limited municipal and
provincial infrastructure budgets, while contributing to the resiliency of modern highway
systems. Then the lowers costs for local communities in several ways. Reduced project
delivery time minimizes traffic delays, community disruption, and the land required for
rights of way, temporary alignments and utility relocation. Shortened installation time
reduces impacts on the environment and the possibility of weather-related delays. And
the accelerating the repetitive production of standard precast products with engineered
structural wire mesh rather than with rebar contributes significantly to reduced project
delivery time. Precast elements can be delivered to construction sites within schedules
for stock piling or for just-in-time delivery. (Pater Davey (2016))

2.2.2 Thermal Behaviour and Admissible Compressive Strength of Expanded

Polystyrene Wall Panels of Varying Thickness

According to the study, " Thermal Behaviour and Admissible Compressive

Strength of Expanded Polystyrene Wall Panels of Varying Thickness " by Anthony
Nkem Ede (Ph.D.) and AbimbolaOgundiran (2014), EPS wall panel can be used as a
substitute to a normal or traditional hollow blocks. Their research observed and
investigated the thermal behaviour and the compression strength of a wall panel with
insulation core of polystyrene and concrete shell. It shows that the EPS wall panels
have more benefits than that of the traditional wall panel containing hollow blocks in
terms of thermal resistance of the walls. As for the compression strengths, acceptable
axial load values of EPS wall panels with different internal and external thickness were
obtained. The outcome of the models they conducted shown a compound relationship
between the concrete layers and the EPS core and therefore resulting in high ultimate
load bearing capacity of the EPS wall panels compared to the concrete hollow block
system.
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2.2.3Affordable, safe housing based on expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and a
cementitious coating

As stated in this paper by A.J. Lee. Succeeding work on this project on the far side
representation of energy flows, analysis of construction prices, simulation and testing
of unstable forces, environmental conditions, and hazards, and building
pilot homes in California and Asian nation, includes application in different regions
of the planet and other building sorts.

Another vital application of EPS and concrete is retrofit or addition of roofs

to broken homes, as they're the smallest amount stable element of a building
in associate earthquake. it'll be vital to involve world corporations with the power to
implement new building technologies within the way forward for this project. This project
is current and continuing analysis and development are needed to figure towards
meeting all the performance requirements.

2.2.4 FLEXURAL ANALYSIS OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SANDWICH PANELS WITH TRUSS CONNECTORS

Bush Jr(1998) A closed form elastic continuum approach was modified to

account for discrete truss connectors to estimate service load deflections and bending
stresses of non-loadbearing semi-composite sandwich panels. Predictions of maximum
deflections and bending stresses were compared to finite element results and
experimental data. Close agreement was found between the two analytical approaches,
and both methods produced conservative predictions as compared to experimental
data. Sensitivity analyses indicate the presence of unidentified additional shear transfer
mechanisms in actual panels that are not fully represented in the elastic models.
However, the theory holds promise for design and for understanding the behavior of
semi-composite sandwich panels.

2.2.5 FLEXURAL ANALYSIS OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SANDWICH PANELS

WITH TRUSS CONNECTORS

Bush Jr(1998) A closed form elastic continuum approach was modified to

account for discrete truss connectors to estimate service load deflections and bending
stresses of non-loadbearing semi-composite sandwich panels. Predictions of maximum
deflections and bending stresses were compared to finite element results and
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experimental data. Close agreement was found between the two analytical approaches,
and both methods produced conservative predictions as compared to experimental
data. Sensitivity analyses indicate the presence of unidentified additional shear transfer
mechanisms in actual panels that are not fully represented in the elastic models.
However, the theory holds promise for design and for understanding the behavior of
semi-composite sandwich panels.

CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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 This chapter will discuss the preparation of the materials, test will conduct and

step by step procedure to make the load bearing panel with polystyrene foam and

welded wire mesh.

3.1 Preparation of Material

Sand

The will use as mixture to concrete and amount of sand will be used is

depending “StandardPractice for Selecting Proportion for Normal, Heavyweight, and

Mass Concrete” (ACI 211.1-91).

Gravel

The will use as mixture to concrete and amount of gravel will be used is

depending “Standard Practice for Selecting Proportion for Normal, Heavyweight, and

Mass Concrete” (ACI 211.1-91). The minimum size of nominal aggregates is 12.5mm.

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 Cement

The cement will be used is type I Portland cement conforming

to“Specification for Portland cement” (ASTM C150)

Water

The water will be used is portable water conforming to “Standard

Specification for Mixing Water Used in the Production of Hydraulic Cement Concrete”

(ASTM C1602).

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Wire mess

The wire mesh with diameter of 3mm and spacing of 50mm in vertical and

horizontal.

Polystyrene foam

The polystyrene foam is 70mm and that comply to “Standard Specification

for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal Insulation” (ASTM 578)

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The procedure of step by step of making the load bearing wall panel concrete

with polystyrene foam and wire mesh with the dimension of (2x1x0.15)m

1. preparation polystyrene foam, marker/pen, and ruler. The polystyrene will use

todecrease the weight of wall panel that make it easy to install.

2. make a mark on the polystyrene foam were steel must be place.

SIDE VIEW ISOMETRIC VIEW

3. place the steel rod in diagonal form where it is indicated. The steel

rod will use to connect wire mesh and increase the flexural strength of wall panel.

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4. prepare the wire mesh and connect to steel rod. The wire mesh will use as a binder

to concrete because concrete can’t bind to polystyrene foam.

5. put and connect the reinforcement bar at the end of the wire mesh.

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6. build the form were the polystyrene foam with wire mesh will be place. To form the

wall panel.

7. For preparation on concrete mixture:

The compressive strength will use is 25Mpa and the mixture reference is will

depend on “Standard Practice for Selecting Proportion for Normal, Heavyweight, and

Mass Concrete” (ACI 211)

Step 1. Choice of slump. then choose the reinforcement walls, which is 25mm to

100mm.

Step 2. Choice of maximum size of aggregate.

Choose the 3/4 of the minimum clearspacing between individual

reinforcing bars, bundles of bars,or pretensioning strands. Which is 12.5mm.

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Step 3. Estimation of mixing water and aircontent. Water is 216kg/m3

Step 4. Selection of water-cement ratio.

Step 5. Calculation of cement content.

kg
water ( )
m3
cement =
wc ratio

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Step 6. Estimation of coarse aggregatecontent.

Step 7. Estimation of fine aggregate content.

FA=CUM −( W +C +CA )

FA: fine aggregates

CUM: concrete unit mass

W: water

C: cement

CA: coarse aggregates

Step 8 -- Tests indicate total moisture and absorption

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AW =W −CA ¿

AW: adjust water W: water

CA: coarse aggregates FA: fine aggregates

MC: moisture content

ABS: absorption

8. test the slump test of the concrete

9. pour the concrete to form and cure in 28 days

10. repeat 1 to 9, to make accurate result of the panel

Materials and apparatus

 Balance

 Ruler

 Container

 Pliers

 Grease

 Graduated container

Method of testing

A. Compressive Strength

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General Form:

P
f c=
A

Where: fc= compressive strength in psi or [MPa]

P = total maximum load in lb or [N]

A= area of loaded surface in2 or [mm2]

B. Flexural Strength

General Form:

f PL
b=¿ ¿
bd2

Where:

fb= flexural strength, MPa

P = total maximum load, N

b = average width of specimen at fracture, mm

L = span length, mmd = average depth of specimen at fracture, mm

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