Invited:
TEXTILE-REINFORCED CONCRETE COMPOSITES

The mechanical properties of concrete are enhanced by reinforcement bars (rebars). However, the metallic rebars are oxidized with time or with exposure to salts and acids, which shortens the life time of the construction. In my talk, I will describe an alternative to rebars, namely, Textile Reinforced Cementitious (TRC) composite. The light carbon-based textile is not oxidized, hence paves the way for the production of Ultra High Durable Cementitious Composites to be employed in structures exposed to extremely aggressive conditions. We developed few textile coating alternatives to enhance the interaction between the textile’s yarns and the concrete, the mechanism of which has been studied by a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopy techniques. The long-term performance of the TRC is characterized under conditions representative of its structural service scenario.