Comparison of calculation models for flexural capacity of RC beams strengthened with TRC in China and Germany

Abstract

The new innovative composite material textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has been intensively investigated in Germany since the end 1990s. It has become increasingly important in the construction industry. Compared with conventional steel reinforcement, TRC has advantages such as higher load-bearing capacity, higher strength-to-weight ratio, better ductility, and non-corrosive behavior. This made them a subject of extensive research and diverse applications both nationally and internationally. In 2004, Xu et al. started research on bond properties of TRC in China in cooperation with Hans-Wolf Reinhardt et al. from the University of Stuttgart in Germany. Since then, there have been numerous researches on TRC in China. This article introduces a calculation method for the flexural capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with TRC in China. For comparison, the dimensioning procedure in Germany is also presented. Subsequently, the two models are compared with each other in a case study. Both models in China and Germany have the same mathematical background and also provide similar results. However, they have some differences in definitions of material characteristics (e.g., design concrete compressive strength, strain, and stress distribution) and consideration of the damage resulting from the preloading stage.