Influence of bundle coating on the tensile behavior, bonding, cracking and fluid transport of fabric cement-based composites

The goal of this work was to study the mechanical performance and fluid ingress of fabric cement based components made of epoxy coated and non-coated multifilament carbon fabrics. Direct tensile, pullout, and fluid transport tests were performed. Cracking was observed using four test geometries: (i) tensile tests, (ii) pullout tests, (iii) restrained shrinkage tests, and (iv) wedge splitting tests. The results show that coating multifilament carbon yarns improves mechanical behavior and bonding of the composite when compared with non-coated carbon yarn composites. The non-coated carbon systems may be problematic due to poor bonding as well as their potential to permit fluid ingress along the bundle–matrix interface and through the empty spaces between filaments. In addition, it was also found that fabric with coated bundles reduces crack width and develops dense branched network cracks. However, these additional fine cracks were found to increase fluid ingress into the matrix as compared with the plain cement paste.