Experimental Approach to Identify the Thermomechanical Behaviour of a Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) Subjected to High Temperature and Mechanical Loading

Abstract

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC), a new generation of cementitious material, is used for different applications in civil engineering. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology to identify the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the TRC material. The studied TRC composite is made with a cementitious matrix and grid alkali-resistant glass textile. In this study, TRC specimens are subjected to two types of thermomechanical test designated by the loading path 1 and the loading path 2. The results of the thermo-mechanical tests are discussed. This study presents also an experimental methodology, using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, which permits to identify the specific cracking mode, the crack width and the distance between the cracks of the preheated-cooled TRC specimens as a function of the uniaxial monotonic axial stress. The experimental study is then followed by an analytical model that aims to calibrate existing analytical models (Gibson and Bisby models) for the prediction of the evolution of properties (ultimate stress and post-cracked stiffness) of the TRC material as a function of the temperature.