The aim of this research project was to develop a textile-reinforced concrete ceiling board that remains as part of the ceiling after completion. The lost formwork element was designed to carry the load of a 200 mm (7.87 inch) thick layer of fresh concrete. The influence of different reinforcement textiles was examined. The load bearing capacity and the serviceability were investigated by 4-point bending tests. The bond to the top concrete layer was examined by bending tests carried out on composite beams consisting of the formwork element with a top concrete layer. To test the loadbearing capacity when the element is used as part of a one-way spanning slab, composite slabs of three formwork elements with steel-reinforced top concrete were cast and tested. The resistance to fire of the integrated formwork elements was investigated by conducting standardized fire tests. The results from this investigation demonstrate that the developed textile reinforced concrete formwork element successfully achieved the designed load-bearing capacity and serviceability requirements.

Textile-reinforced concrete has great potential for use in lightweight, thin-walled structural components. Since such elements participate directly in load transmission in the structural framework, satisfactory fire resistance is often desirable. Experience until now, however, has been limited with respect to the behavior of textile concrete elements subjected to fire. In this investigation, four fire tests have been performed on textile-reinforced concrete sections (I-profiles), in which one side of the sections was exposed to fire. The textiles tested were AR glass, carbon, and carbon coated with styrene butadiene. These experiments demonstrated that the load-bearing behavior of textile-reinforced structural components in fire greatly depends on the textile used, their bond to the concrete, and the behavior of the concrete under high temperatures.

Incorporation of short fibers as reinforcement in concrete as popularly practiced at the moment provides only a low level of improvement in composite mechanical properties. The application of directed endless fiber reinforcement (i.e. textiles), so far utilized only in some limited special areas, has a high growth potential for use as reinforcement in concrete and promises several new fields of applications. In order to fulfil the reinforcement function, particular heavy-duty filament yarns are required in concrete composites. Their utilization in a multitude of possible applications can be practical only if prefabricated textile reinforcements with desired construction and properties can be manufactured efficiently. Modern textile production processes are now available with which extensive as well as spatial thread alignments in the production process can be implemented to produce novel textile reinforcement for applications in concrete. This paper provides an overview of the relevant textile formation methods for reinforcement textiles. A review of testing methods to characterize textile properties is also provided.

Textile-reinforced concrete is an interesting and promising material for thin-walled structural elements. Since sufficient fibers can be included when glass fiber reinforcement is introduced in the form of textiles, a distinct strain-hardening behavior can be obtained beyond the introduction of matrix multiple cracking. However, to improve the range of applications in which this material can be used, stress-strain behavior characteristics and crack control should be globally understood, as well as the parameters influencing them. Both properties are discussed as function of fiber volume fraction, matrix-fiber bundle interface, and the influence of complex fiber-matrix interaction. The constitutive material model that is used in this paper is based on the well-known ACK-theory (Aveston-Cooper-Kelly), but includes the fact that matrix cracking occurs progressively with increasing strength and not at one deterministic stress level.

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a composite material taking advantage of non-corrosive nature of fiber materials such as alkali-resistant glass (AR-glass), carbon, or aramid for designing slender and filigree structural elements. Compared to short cut fibers, textile reinforcement provides a higher degree of effectiveness because the fiber bundles are arranged in the direction of the main tensile stresses. These properties make TRC a promising construction 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. This investigation aims at identifying appropriate applications for TRC. These include façade, housing, and load-bearing systems made using slender TRC elements. Geometric and structural modifications are necessary to improve the performance of thin-walled building components made of textile-reinforced concrete. Using selected applications, this paper outlines the main principles of component design in relation to type of load, method of production, and connection details.