Ferrocement, an historical material to build shell and spatial structures

Ferrocement is a type of thin wall reinforced concrete composed of hydraulic cement mortar reinforced with several layers of small size steel wire mesh. The material is used as a low-cost construction and retrofit solution and allows the creation of very thin elements. In the past, the material was also used for the construction of some structural engineering masterpieces that currently face preservation challenges. Pier Luigi Nervi largely used it in his structures built after the second world war. Despite the use of the material, few studies have analyzed its durability with respect to corrosion, especially for preservation purposes. The paper presents the results of a testing campaign on ferrocement mockup specimens subjected to a corrosive environment. The aim is to assess the performance of historical ferrocement exposed to degradation due to corrosion; this can be useful to identify the best procedures to protect and preserve it, as well as evaluate its performance over time