Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Dec 12;16(24):7619.
doi: 10.3390/ma16247619.

Mechanical Properties and Water Permeability of Textile-Reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete with Lightweight Aggregate

Marcin Różycki  1 , Izabela Hager  2 , Tomasz Zdeb  2 , Mateusz Sitarz  2 , Katarzyna Mróz  2 , Jarosław Zdeb  3 , Natalia Smorońska  1
Affiliations

Mechanical Properties and Water Permeability of Textile-Reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete with Lightweight Aggregate

Marcin Różycki et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of thin-walled panels with specific properties for applications such as water-tight structures. The authors propose the use of textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) as a composite material and highlight its advantages, which include high tensile strength, improved crack resistance, and design flexibility. The study presents a novel approach which combines TRC with reactive powder concrete (RPC) as a matrix and a lightweight aggregate. RPC, known for its brittle behaviour, is reinforced with glass fibres and a textile fabric to increase its flexural strength. The research includes a comprehensive analysis of the physical and mechanical properties of both the unreinforced RPC matrix and the TRC composite. In particular, the lightweight aggregate RPC matrix has a porosity of 41%, and its mechanical properties, such as flexural and compressive strength, are discussed. The TRC composites, produced in thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 4 mm, are subjected to flexural tests to evaluate their behaviour under load. The thicker elements show typical damage phases, while the thinner elements show greater flexibility and elasticity. SEM observations confirm good adhesion between the glass fibres and the RPC matrix. Water permeability tests show that the TRC composite, despite its highly porous structure, achieves a water permeability two orders of magnitude higher than that of a reference material, highlighting the roles of both the porous aggregate and the matrix hydration. The paper concludes with a proof of concept-a canoe called the PKanoe, which is constructed from the developed TRC composite. The design of the canoe is supported by numerical analysis to ensure its optimal shape and structural integrity under load. The research contributes to the exploration of innovative materials for sustainable civil engineering applications and addresses both structural and environmental considerations.

Keywords: RPC; TRC; cement composites; fibre reinforcement; modelling; textile reinforcement; thin-wall structures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Author Jarosław Zdeb was employed by the Synergy Building Structures Consortium. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PKanoe boat—production technology (Archives of the FOOTPRINT Student Research Club).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Particle size curves of Silimic silica fume and CEM I 52.5R NA cement.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Lightweight aggregate “Stikloporas” and its porous, foamed internal structure [37].
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Flexural tensile strength test of the RPC matrix; (b) compressive strength test of the RPC matrix; (c) bending of the textile-reinforced composite, 1 mm thick.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Water permeability measuring device on 4 mm TRC plate.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Porosity of RPC matrix with lightweight aggregate: (a) total porosity, (b) pore size distribution.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Percentage share of each pore fraction in the RPC matrix.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Relationship between bending force and deflection for samples of different thicknesses: (a) after 7 days of curing, (b) after 28 days of curing.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Flexural tensile strength and work of damage: (a) after 7 days of curing, (b) after 28 days of curing.
Figure 10
Figure 10
SEM observations: (a) concrete structure with Cem-Fil AR Anticrack HD fibres (×1000), (b) textile with visible fibrous structure (×50).
Figure 11
Figure 11
SEM observations: (a) cement matrix structure and interface between Stikloporas porous aggregate and RPC matrix (×180), (b) RPC composite structure with fibres (×270).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Global deformations of the system, expressed in [mm].
Figure 13
Figure 13
Reduced stresses according to the HMH hypothesis, expressed in [N/mm2].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Zdanowicz K., Marx S. Flexural Behaviour of Thin Textile Reinforced Concrete Slabs Enhanced by Chemical Prestressing. Eng. Struct. 2022;256:113946. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.113946. - DOI
    1. Zdeb T. Effect of Vacuum Mixing and Curing Conditions on Mechanical Properties and Porosity of Reactive Powder Concretes. Constr. Build. Mater. 2019;209:326–339. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.116. - DOI
    1. Zdeb T. An Analysis of the Steam Curing and Autoclaving Process Parameters for Reactive Powder Concretes. Constr. Build. Mater. 2017;131:758–766. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.11.026. - DOI
    1. Daskiran M.M., Daskiran E.G., Gencoglu M. Mechanical and Durability Performance of Textile Reinforced Cementitious Composite Panels. Constr. Build. Mater. 2020;264:120224. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120224. - DOI
    1. Scholzen A., Chudoba R., Hegger J. Thin-Walled Shell Structures Made of Textile-Reinforced Concrete. Struct. Concr. 2015;16:106–114. doi: 10.1002/suco.201300071. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources