GeneralQ I am looking for information on where, when and why welded wire mesh (WWF) would be recommended in lieu of structural steel reinforcement, or with steel reinforcement, or guidance on how to determine which option or combination is the preferred one.
WWF should only be used when the area of reinforcing provides the required reinforcement area. It may serve as supplemental reinforcement to bars, or entirely replace reinforcing bars as long as the required area of reinforcing steel is provided in the concrete section. Where multiple sheets (more than 2 at say a corner) overlap you may need to cutout one or more of the layers to allow good encasement. Don’t use steel fibers with WWF as they tend to bunch up where the wires cross.
WWF can be used to provide reinforcing in double curved sections where it would be hard to bend and place reinforcing bars. Also, it may be used where you have a thick concrete cover or unreinforced thickness of a repair area that you wanted to get some reinforcing in place to control depth of any surface or shrinkage cracking.
If the mesh is just being provided to help support shotcrete being shot overhead you may not worry about the area of steel, just adding it in addition to the original design reinforcing. Then a lighter mesh might be used since you aren’t really worried about its ability to be reinforcing.
