Textile Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Acidic and Alkaline Environment: Experimental Study

Abstract

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a special type of concrete gaining popularity nowadays in the field of civil engineering due to its technical advantages. Owing to the absence of coarse aggregate and high paste content, the properties of TRC are different from conventional concrete. Further, for the same reason, the characteristics against aggressive environmental conditions are different for TRC. As TRC can be used in many applications subjected to aggressive environments, in the present work, the mechanical and durability characteristics of TRC against acidic and alkaline environments are studied. The effect of the thickness of TRC specimens is also studied by using specimens of varied thicknesses such as 10, 15, and 20 mm. Compressive and flexural behavior tests for mechanical properties and water permeability as well as weight loss tests for durability characteristics are conducted. The results obtained showed that there is no significant weight loss due to the exposure to acidic or alkaline environments. However, there is a change in the compressive and flexural behavior of the TRC specimens subjected to various pH. This shows that the material can perform differently for strength and durability properties, as durability is mainly concerned with the density/permeability of the concrete whereas the strength depends on many other factors. Further, it is concluded that the increased thickness reduces the impact of aggressive solutions on TRC.