In ferro-cement, wire-meshes are filled with cement mortar. It is a composite, formed with closely knit wire

mesh tightly wound round skeletal steel. Study was conducted with respect to application of ferro-cement for

water trough construction which could be utilized for drinking water purpose for cattle’s and other domestic

animals. Mixed design of cement and sand ratios 1:1, and casting of ferro-cement water trough was hand

plastering. Water trough capacity was 170 litres which will be suitable for cattle, bullock and other domestic

walled reinforced concrete construction in which small-diameter wire meshes are used uniformly throughout

the cross section instead of discretely placed reinforcing bars and in which portland cement mortar is used

instead of concrete. In ferro-cement, wire-meshes are filled in with cement mortar. It is a composite, formed

with closely knit wire mesh tightly wound round skeletal steel.

The details of the material required for construction of ferro-cement water trough are i) Ordinary portland

cement (43 Grade), ii) Fine Aggregates, iii) Chicken meshes with hexagonal opening, iv) Water, v) Steel as

per design, vi) Binding wire and vii) admixtures.

Ordinary Portland Cement (I.S.I. 269-1976): Some of the properties of the cement are; Specific

Gravity(3.15), Standard consistency (34%) , Initial setting time (40min), Compressive strength (52.16

gravity 2.62. Well graded coarse sand commonly used for making concrete is good enough to prepare mortar

for ferro-cement work (Anonymous, 1976). There should not be excess fine particles, and sand particles

porous in nature since it affects durability and structural performance of the mortar. River borne well graded

coarse sand having fineness modulus 2.3, was used for making mortar.

Chicken Mesh: Galvanized chicken wire mesh with a hexagonal opening of size 12mm and a wire thickness

of 1.29mm is generally used. About 2.54mm hexagonal poultry netting is often used in stables to trap poultry,

rabbits and other small animals. Chicken wire is available in various wire gauges usually 19 gauge (about 1

mm wire) to 22 gauge (about 0.7 mm wire). In the insulation industry, chicken wire is mainly used as a matrix

for holding insulation cements and mastics in place.

water for mixing of mortar has a vital importance on the resulting hardened ferro-cement. Impurities in water

like clay, acids, soluble salts or other organic matters may interfere with the setting time of cement and finally

the strength of the structure. Sea water is not at all suitable. For mixing the mortar as it increases the risk of

corrosion of the mesh and reinforcement. Supplied tap water was used for making cement mortar in present

study.

The ferro-cement casting is done in four stages given as below,

i) Fabrication of reinforcement cage

ii) Preparation of mortar

iii) Plastering and

iv) Curing

The proportion of cement and sand is 1:2 or 1:3. The water cement ratio is 0.4. Admixtures to be added if

required. First dry mixing of cement and sand is to be done and water to be added as per requirement in mix.

Plastering is very important before plastering M.S. steel and chicken mesh cage is to be checked to be properly

tied. The best method is to do by hand plastering. In the second method the plastering from inner and outer

side is to be done. In the first method the internal and external portion to be done simultaneously. In the

second method the plastering of internal portion to be done first and the plastering of outer side to be done

secondly. After plastering within two to three days finishing being done. The plastering layer of 2 mm to be

in the management of curing.

The design details of the water trough are given as below,

Length =100cm

Height = 52cm

Width = 65cm

Wall thickness=6.5cm

Depth = 42cm

Length = 88cm

Width = 52cm

bottom width = 10cm

=144*6=864 cm

=8.64 m

= 204 cm,

No of bars = 4

=204*4=816=8.16 m

= 864+816=1680cm

=16.8 m

0.546+1.04+0.4=1.986 m

= 100gm

= 30 kg

.

=

={[(0.52+0.4) / 2]*0.42}*0.88

=0.17 m