Structural testing of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Precast Concete Sandwich Panels

A new load-bearing precast concrete wall panel system has been proposed that uses composite materials instead of steel for reinforcement to reduce the level of heat loss through them and increase their R-Value. The panels will undergo destructive structural testing to determine how well the composite material system compares to a similar wall design that uses steel reinforcement. Bending tests, axial tests, and combined bending/axial tests will be preformed. The test results will allow for the development of a design aid for engineers that will tell them the bending strength of the wall under various axial forces. The partner organization, through the course of the internship, will learn the fabrication process for the walls and can then apply this process to future mass production. The resulting wall design aids can be presented to consulting engineers and customers that wish to use this system as promotional material.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Amir Fam

Student:

Doug Tomlinson

Partner:

Anchor Concrete Products

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Queen's University