Building Pressure Tests Of Fiber-reinforced Foam-based Lightweight Concrete Precast Wall Panels

Abstract

Instrumentation and procedures for building pressure tests were designed as a means of providing new wind pressure test methods for full-scale building models. Fiber-reinforced foam-based lightweight concrete precast wall panels were studied in this investigation. Three (3) full-scale prototype buildings were tested for this purpose. To determine the material properties and design parameters for this targeted 90 pcf (1,446 kg/m3) cellular lightweight concrete and to gain overall knowledge of its behavior, some tests such as compressive strength test, pull-out strength test, and flexural strength test were performed. The wind pressure tests performed provided results for strength, maximum wind pressure the panels can sustain, and the deflection capacity of these lightweight concrete panels. The results for each of the tests were the following: In Test #1 the maximum pressure sustained was 3.14 psi (0.22 kg/cm2); a deflection of 0.15 inches (0.38 cm) and the failure was ductile. In Test #2 the panels sustained a maximum pressure of 4.5 psi (0.32 kg/cm2); a deflection of 0.18 inches (0.46 cm) and failure was also ductile. The panels in Test #3 sustained a maximum pressure of 4.76 psi (0.33 kg/cm2); a deflection of 0.57 inches (1.45 cm) and failure was ductile as well. Results from these tests provide information that will be later compared with information of Normal Weight Concrete.