Tensile behavior of textile reinforced concrete subjected to freezing–thawing cycles in un-cracked and cracked regimes

This work investigates the tensile behavior of a textile reinforced concrete (TRC) reinforced with an alkali resistant glass fabric when exposed to freezing–thawing cycles. This paper presents tensile tests carried out on prismatic specimens after their exposure to a different number of freezing–thawing cycles (up to 500). Both un-cracked and pre-cracked specimens were treated and then tested. In all the tests the load direction was aligned with the fabric warp. The influence of this severe environmental condition on ductility and strength of the composite is investigated. The behavior of the composite material seems to be governed, on one side, by the damage due to the thermal cycles and, on the other side, by the matrix self-healing and late hydration due to the permanence in water of the specimens. The latter phenomenon is enhanced by the presence of cracks in pre-cracked specimens, which facilitates the penetration of water.