Application of Polymers to Textile-Reinforced Concrete

In order to improve the load bearing behavior of concrete structures which are subject to bending and tensile stresses, a steel reinforcement is, in general, applied. For reasons of corrosion protection, the steel reinforcement requires a concrete cover with a thickness of several centimeters. The demand for corrosion-resistant thin-walled parts is a motivation for the application of alternative reinforcement materials. Within the scope of the Collaborative Research Centre “SFB 532” the application of textiles made of polymer, carbon, and alkali-resistant (AR) glass filaments in a fine concrete matrix are examined. The long term aim is to reach the filament strength of the immersed textiles as thoroughly as possible. As a consequence of textile manufacturing processes and of bad bond properties, the utilization of AR glass textiles is approximately 30% compared to the material strength. In this paper the possibility of improving the load bearing behavior of textile-reinforced concrete structures through the saturation of textiles and the modification of concrete with liquid polymers is discussed. The increase of the internal bond between the filaments doubled the maximum component load-carrying capacity.