Experimental study of the mechanical behavior of FRP-reinforced concrete canvas panels

Concrete canvas (CC) is a promising material in civil and military engineering due to its flexibility, fast construction with low labor cost, and rapid strength development. However, relatively lower tensile and flexural strength limit the application of CC products. This paper presents an experimental study of the improvement of the tensile and flexural strength of CC panels through the employment of external reinforcement by a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheet. The tensile and flexural behaviors of CC and FRP reinforced CC panels are investigated through uniaxial tensile and four-point bending tests in both warp and weft directions. The bond behavior between FRP sheets and CC is investigated through a single-shear pull-off test, by which both strain distribution and local bond stress-slip relationships are experimentally measured. Experimental results reveal that the tensile and flexural properties, especially the reinforcing efficiency of flexural strength, are significantly improved in the FRP reinforced CC samples.