Experimental study of dynamic mechanical properties and damage mechanism of textile reinforced concrete

Abstract

The flexural characteristics of alkali-resistant (AR) glass textile reinforced concrete slabs (GTRC) at static-to-dynamic loading rates are investigated in the present study. The fabricated GTRC slabs were manufactured with four and six textile layers as reinforcement. Static flexural testing is conducted at 0.5 mm/min, while dynamic flexural tests are conducted at five loading velocities of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4.5 m/s. The corresponding strain rates at selected impact velocities are 4, 8, 12, 16, and 18 s-1. Two separate mechanical setups, including (i) the MTS load frame and (ii) Instron drop-weight impact system, are used for distinct experimental testing. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of flexural strength, maximum strain, ultimate strain, flexural modulus, and toughness are calculated by using mathematical relations. In addition, failure patterns and the load-bearing intrinsic mechanisms of GTRC samples are analyzed in detail. Flexural experiments at various loading rates revealed that the loading rate and the number of reinforcing layers significantly influence the bending characteristics and mechanical properties of GTRC samples. In addition, the mechanical response is comparatively reduced at six layers of reinforcement than GTRC with four layers, proving better mechanical properties in flexural load at static and dynamic loading conditions.