Abstract
In this paper, the reinforcement of concrete combining composite materials with carbon, glass and aramid fibers is discussed. Accordingly, cement specimens reinforced with chopped carbon fibers were manufactured via the retrofitting method and coated using various different types of fabrics (carbon, glass and aramid), and epoxy resin systems were developed and studied using compressive strength tests. In addition, polymeric matrix (epoxy resin) composite materials reinforced with different types of fabric (carbon, glass and aramid (Kevlar® 49)) were manufactured and their shear and bending strengths were measured. Before reinforcing cement specimens, all fabrics (carbon, glass and aramid (Kevlar® 49)) were placed in a vacuum chamber and were processed via pre-impregnation. This specific reinforcing method significantly improved the mechanical properties of cementitious structures with compressive strength values that reached 81 MPa. In a similar way, the bending and shear strengths of the materials under study were measured at 405 MPa and 33 MPa, respectively.
Highlights
Since the 1960s, the construction industry has taken steps to adopt fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) in various technological aspects
The superior mechanical properties and low weight that characterize the majority of composite materials has attracted the interest of engineers in the research and development of FRP materials that are appropriate for utilization in the construction industry [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
The epoxy paste-type resin system (Sika, Swiss), a high-strength resin mainly applied in fabric reinforcements, and the liquid epoxy resin system (SINTECNO, Hellas), a low-viscosity solvent-free resin (WINTER: 140 ± 28 mPa s/SUMMER:320 ± 64 mPa s) suitable for reinforcing fabrics were used in the manufacture of composite specimens
Summary
Since the 1960s, the construction industry has taken steps to adopt fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) in various technological aspects. In order to prevent damage caused by corrosion phenomena as a result of environmental conditions (humidity, temperature variation, air pollution, negative ions, etc.) and considering that composites are quite time-durable compared to other materials, such as wood, metal and bricks, that become vulnerable when exposed to such conditions, polymer matrix composite systems are often used as protection [31,32,33,34,35] These materials are known for their adequate thermal and electrical insulation efficiency [36,37], a very important feature in construction applications, since currently the issue of building energy efficiency has become crucial. The mechanical properties of all of the resulting materials and their specific flexural and shear strength were measured
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