Synergistic effect of carbon textile reinforced cementitious composites on tensile and flexural behaviour

Abstract

Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) is a composite material that combines a cement-based matrix with textile mesh reinforcement to enhance mechanical properties. While previous research has explored different reinforcement materials, the synergistic effects of combining carbon textiles with Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (FRCC) containing short fibres have been understudied. This study investigates the synergistic effects of combining carbon textile reinforcement and short Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fibres in Carbon Textile Reinforced Cementitious Composites (CTRCC) to enhance tensile and flexural performance. Various configurations of carbon textile layers and PVA fibre dosages were tested, with flexural behaviour assessed using a four-point bending test and tensile performance evaluated through direct tensile tests. The results indicate that increasing carbon textile layers significantly boosts tensile strength and flexural performance, with three layers improving tensile stress by up to 2671.4 %. However, benefits diminished with the addition of layers beyond two. The optimal configuration was found to be 1.0 % PVA fibre combined with two carbon textile layers, yielding the highest load-bearing capacity and reducing strain. While 1.5 % PVA fibres increased crack formation and reduced crack spacing, excessive fibre content led to performance degradation due to poor dispersion and clustering. A negative synergistic effect was observed with 1.5 % PVA fibres, resulting in a 71.1 % reduction in performance compared to 1.0 % PVA fibres. The results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanical behaviour of CTRCC and provide insights for enhancing the durability and strength of cementitious composites.