1. Compression, Bond and Shear Bond Strength.
Maximum laboratory strengths are achieved by casting and curing cubes in ideal working conditions; site strengths will be lower.
Ronafix® Mix Design | Mix A | Mix A1 |
Age | compression stength /shear bond trength | compression strength / bond strength |
7 days | 50.5 N/mm² /9.3 N/mm² | 38.6 N/mm² / |
28 days | 52.5 N/mm² /18.1 N/mm² | 44.9 N/mm² /3.4 N/mm² |
2. Dynamic Modulus BS 1881 : Part 5 :1970
Electrodynamic Method
Days | Ronafix® Mix A | Ronafix® / Ferrocrete | Ronafix®/ Concrete | Control |
1 | 25.0 KN/mm² | 29.5 KN/mm² | 39.0 KN/mm² | 15 KN/mm² |
7 | 24.8 KN/mm² | 29.5 KN/mm² | 41.3 KN/mm² | 30 KN/mm² |
28 | 24.8 KN/mm² | 29.0 KN/mm² | 41.0 KN/mm² | 40 KN/mm² |
3. Heat Ageing.
Heat ageing tests are employed to obtain data which has a bearing on long term performance. A general guide is that 1 week at 70 oC approximates to 5 years.
3:1 mortar + 9 litres Ronafix®/50 kg cement.
Control 3:1 mortar. Temp 70 oC
Days | Flexural Strength Sample/Control | Tensile Strength Sample/Control |
28 | 10.5/7.0 N/mm2 | 3.5/0.7 N/mm2 |
56 | 15.5/4.9 N/mm2 | 3.0/0.0 N/mm2 |
112 | 14.7/5.5 N/mm2 | 2.0/0.0 N/mm2 |
364 | 14.1/5.4 N/mm2 | 2.3/0.0 N/mm2 |
4. Water Permeability
3:1 mortar Gauging liquid 5:4 Ronafìx/water, w/c ratio 0.32
Time | Top Surface | Laitence Removed | Accepted Level |
0–10 mins | 0.007 | 0.028 | 0.250 |
10–30 mins | 0.003 | 0.019 | 0.150 |
30–60 mins | 0.000 | 0.000 | - |
5. Water Vapour Permeability
Samples : 73 mm dia x 11 mm. 25 oC and RH 75 %
2:1 sand/cement control | 42.20 gm/m2/day | - |
3:1 sand/cement control* | 46.90 gm/m2/day | - |
3:1 sand/cement p/c = 1:20 | 3.60 gm/m2/day | 92.3 % Reduction |
3:1 sand/cement p/c = 1:10 | 3.90 gm/m2/day | 91.7 % Reduction |
3:1 sand/cement p/c = 1:7 | 1.88 gm/m2/day | 96.0 % Reduction |
6. Freeze/thaw cycling.
3:1 mortar, p/c = 1:10. 24 hours -18 oC/+20 oC
Flexural Strength Cycles | Sample 1 | Sample 2 | Control 1 | Control 2 |
0 | 10.8 N/mm2 | 11.6 N/mm2 | 7.2 N/mm² | 6.0 N/mm² |
15 | - | - | 4.5 N/mm² | 3.2 N/mm² |
30 | 10.5 N/mm2 | - | 0.0 N/mm² | 0.0 N/mm² |
60 | - | 11.0 N/mm2 | - | - |
120 | 10.9 N/mm2 | 10.5 N/mm2 | - | - |
7. Thermal Coefficient of Linear Expansion
Prisms : 165 x 50 x 50 mm
Temperature Range
per oC x 10-6 | +20 oC to +60 oC | -20 oC to +20 oC |
Control | 12.8 | 12.7 |
Ronafix® sample | 12.9 | 12.8 |
8. Water Penetration
No water penetration for 3 days at 30 metre water head.
9. Water Immersion. BS 12 : 1971
Dumbell specimens. 3:1 sand/cement. p/c 1:10
Days | Initial | 28 | 112 | 168 |
Tensile control | 3.5 1.4 | 3.2 3.4 | 4.9* 3.9* | 3.4 3.8 |
Adhesion control | 3.1 1.1 | 2.2 1.5 | 3.3* 2.5* | 2.6 2.2 |
*tested dry N/mm2
10. Fire Resistance,
Sample a : Glass Panawall (Insulite) Ronafix® Mix C Stability : 77 minutes
Sample b : 70 x 70 x 25 mm Ronafix® mortar panel. 3:1 sand/cement
p/c ratio 1:10. 60 minutes. 900 oC. Sample degraded 1–3 mm.
Sample c: 12 mm Ronafix/sand/cement render bonded with Weldmesh.
Maximum furnace temperature 1335 oC at 80 minutes.
11. Steam at 100 oC.
Samples : 250 x 25 x 25 mm sand/cement. p/c 1:10
Steam jet played on surface for 1 hour. Flexural strength tested after 1 and 5 cycles. No loss or gain in strength.
12. Shrinkage 100 oC.
Samples : 300 x 75 x 75 mm prisms
p/c ratio (control) | w/c ratio 0.40 | shrinkage % 0.07 |
1.18 | 0.34 | 0.02 |
1.13 | 0.34 | 0.01 |
1.9 | 0.30 | 0.01 |