Tensile behaviour of textile reinforcement under accelerated ageing conditions

iHighlights
• Accelerated ageing and tensile tests on textile reinforcement with standard methods.
• Documented change in physico-mechanical properties of textiles.
• Empirical degradation curves describing the tensile retention rate of textiles.
• Methods developed for end anchorage and measurement of strain up to failure.

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has emerged as a promising alternative wherein corrosion is no longer an issue and much thinner and light-weight elements can be designed. Although TRC has been expansively researched, the formalization of experimental methods concerning durability arises when attempting to implement and design such innovative building materials. In this study, accelerated ageing tests paired with tensile tests were performed. The change in physico-mechanical properties of various commercially available textile reinforcements was documented and evaluated. The ability for the reinforcements to retain their tensile capacity was also quantified in the form of empirical degradation curves. It was observed that accelerated test parameters typically applied to fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and grids are generally too aggressive for the textile reinforcement products and alternative boundary conditions are necessary. The developed degradation curves were found to have an overall good correlation with the experimental findings.