Hartwig N. Schneider

Dimensioning and Application of Textile-Reinforced Concrete

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a composite material consisting of textile reinforcement and fine-grained concrete. Because of different bond performance and material properties of textiles compared to reinforcing steel, the load-bearing behavior of TRC differs from that of ordinary reinforced concrete. As a consequence, the design methods for ordinary reinforced concrete cannot be directly applied to TRC structures. This paper investigates the load-bearing behavior of TRC. Design methods for TRC are derived considering different textile properties and different loading conditions such as tension, bending, and shear. Based on the extensive theoretical and experimental investigations conducted, design methods have been derived that allow the dimensioning of TRC structures. Further investigations are aimed at identifying appropriate applications for TRC. The results of theoretical and experimental investigations conducted have been put into practice by producing TRC elements for applications such as facade elements, formworks, and tanks.

Textile Reinforced Concrete Applications and prototypes

Textile reinforced concrete is a new composite material suitable for a wide range of structural or cladding applications. The material can be produced in plate or panel form or as a lattice structure, each of these forms requiring different production and connection techniques. Geometric and structural modifications are necessary to improve the performance of thin-walled building components in textile reinforced concrete. Using selected applications, we outline the main principles of component design in relation to type of load, method of production and connection details.