Efficiency of Multi Filament Reinforcement in Cementitious Composites

Abstract

The use of continuous fiber reinforcement in a cementitious composite is very efficient concerning strength and ductility. Using technical textiles made of AR-Glass or Carbon in a cementitious matrix leads to textile reinforced concrete and is a way of doing this cost-effectively. In an extensive study, mechanical testing was combined with microscopic observations to identify basic mechanisms of load transfer between multi- filament yarns and matrix. Uniaxial tension tests on the composite were carried out to evaluate mechanical performance of textile reinforced concrete reinforced with different types of fabrics. Thin section petrography was used to find specific bond properties. The paper discusses failure mechanisms of textile reinforced concrete and how they are influenced by different micromechanical bond parameters. It has been found that bond characteristics between single filaments in the roving structure and between filaments and matrix and how they are distributed across the filament bundles and along the fiber-matrix interface are of major importance for composite performance. Bond properties are affected by several parameters during textile processing, for instance yarn material, yarn titter, size, weaving pattern, and others. Understanding these dependencies leads to recommendations for optimizing textile reinforcement.