Experimental Investigation on Partial Replacement of Concrete Below Neutral Axis of Beam

Aswathy S Kumar, Anup Joy

Abstract: Concrete is the primary structural component, that exist in buildings and bridges. In recent days the problem faced by the construction industry is acute shortage of raw materials. In case of simply supported reinforced concrete beam, the region below neutral axis is in tension and above neutral axis is in compression. As concrete is weak in taking tension, steel reinforcements are provided in this zone. The concrete below the neutral axis act as a stress transfer medium between the compression and tension zone. Partial replacement of the concrete below the neutral axis is an idea that can create reduction in weight and savings in materials. In this paper, an experimental investigation on partial replacement of concrete below the neutral axis by creating air voids using polythene balls is discussed.

Keywords: Neutral axis, sacrificial concrete, stress transferring, center point loading