[Ferro List] modelling

[Doug Lacy]

Tamar Arafat - 
 
Your questions cannot be answered by me about the program selection, but I would be interested in any more complete answers you get about that.  
Perhaps I can help concerning a different approach to modeling a ferrocement sandwich panel, since that is what my system is - The Parabolic Stress-Skin Process.  
 
I believe it is possible to treat the model as a uniform density and uniform characteristics, which is what I think you mean by 'a mesh of solid slab'  if the active tensile reinforcing on the surface shells is relatively high for a somewhat thin surface shell and the sandwich design works to inhibit delaminating or internal buckling of the surface plates before failing.  
 
Expanded metal lath mesh based composite, blended with fiber, may better achieve this in a thinner shell because they work to transform cements best characteristic, high compressive strength, into its weakest characteristic, high active tensile strength, rather than relying just on straight steel rods.
 
What makes a ferrocement sandwich system appealing for those of us looking to conserve engineering costs of a complex modeling that describes loading with exactness, (other costs too) is that if it can be shown that the complete sandwich shell does behave like a uniform material, mostly mimicking the characteristics of only the surface shells as a true stress-skin sandwich effect would do, then basic shell formulas can be used to describe, in very reasonable margins of error, loading limits.  With a thick shell sandwich system these limits usually exceed safety standards for construction.  
 
Increasing the availability of these materials and methods seems to be a priority for all of us and is an important part of proliferating true wealth through sustainable independent communities and so any posting of progress you make concerning computer modeling of sandwich system, and your work constructing sandwich systems, would be valuable and appreciated.  I hope I helped answer your question.   Good luck.
 
Doug> > dear all;> how do i model a sandwich panel of ferro cement in Etab, sap2000, or staad.> if it can be assumed as a mesh of solid slab what density and material> characteristics i should use to get the results of ferro cement???
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