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This paper presents engineering use of textile reinforced concrete (TRC) for integrated formwork applications. The integrated formwork are very light compared to the normal precast elemets owing to their small thickness, typically around 10 mm. The cross-section of the integrated formwork can be chosen as dictated by the specific application, and the composite can be designed to have a high load-bearing capacity. The young concrete is protected against moisture loss by the integrated formwork that remains in place. Hence, neither demoulding nor curing of TRC integrated formork is required. The integrated formwork also possess a high quality surface appearance. In this contribution, a compilation of results from testing performed on the textile reinforced concrete integrated formwork is presented.

The composite material textile reinforced concrete (TRC) offers a number of advantages, in particular for the manufacturing of façades. The textile reinforcement and the possible thin concrete cover, enable the construction of thin-walled structural components. Filigree cladding panels made of textile reinforced concrete open up new ways for an entirely new application of the construction material concrete and give architects and engineers more freedom in the design. In this paper some basic information about the load bearing behavior of textile reinforced concrete is given and the use of textile reinforced concrete in a pilot project for the exterior claddings of the extension of the laboratory hall at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany, is described.

Thin, fiber reinforced cementitious products offer a useful balance of properties such as strength, toughness, environmental durability, moisture resistance, dimensional stability, fire resistance, aesthetics and ease of handling and installation. For more than 30 years, AR glass fibers have been at the forefront in the development of new applications of such products throughout the World. Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete [GFRC] is a thin, cement composite based on AR glass fibers with an excellent strength to weight ratio. Extensive early laboratory work produced a test method for determining long term strength. The validity of this work has been proven by the large number of buildings clad with GFRC, as well as a vast range of other GFRC products, used over a this 30 year period. This paper explains the fundamental principles behind GFRC and gives examples of some of its uses. These applications range from high quality, architectural wall panels and decorative elements through to modular buildings down to low cost channel sections and utility components. New developments and techniques will also be discussed.

Thin sheet concrete products are receiving increased attention because of the large number of potential applications. By using crushed glass as aggregate, a multitude of different esthetic effects can be produced, which again open up numerous architectural and decorative uses. Such thin sheets are most effectively reinforced with fiber mesh, whether made of polypropylene, AR-glass, or other types of materials. At Columbia University, a project is currently under way to explore the possibilities of prestressing thin sheet glass concrete products. There are numerous performance criteria that need to be satisfied by the fiber mesh material in order to qualify for the tasks on hand. Most promising to date are high-performance materials such as aramid and carbon fiber mesh. This paper discusses the elimination process by which the most appropriate type of fiber mesh was selected. Various technical problems of prestressing and anchoring the fiber mesh are pointed out, as well as other issues that need to be resolved, before such products can be mass-produced commercially.

"This publication contains the papers originally presented in a symposium on the topic of thin reinforced cementitious products organized by ACI Committee 549, Thin Reinforced Cementitious Products and Ferrocement, during the ACI 2003 Spring Convention held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The symposium explored current state-of-the-art and recent advances in material science, manufacturing methods, and practical applications of thin reinforced cementitious products. The topics covered in this publication include material science of textile reinforced concrete, use of textile reinforced concrete for integrated formwork and exterior cladding panels, prestressed thin-sheet concrete products, ultra-high-performance thin precast concrete products, production of concrete tubes by centrifugation method, freezing-and-thawing durability of commercial fiber-reinforced cement boards, structural evaluation of cement-skin sandwich building systems, microwave accelerated curing method for producing precast cementitious products, history of glass fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC) products, and modeling of cement-based laminate composites." Note: The individual papers are also available as .pdf downloads.. Please click on the following link to view the papers available, or call 248.848.3800 to order. SP224