Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) materials are lightweight, ductile, strong, and have the potential to be used as structural components taking tensile, cyclic, and impact loads. The advancements in the textile technology specifically directed at the use in cement-based materials has also led to composites with an order of magnitude higher in strength and two orders of magnitude higher in ductility than conventional fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). The TRC is increasingly being developed using innovative fabrics, matrices, and innovative manufacturing processes. The potential for worldwide use of textile materials for reinforcement of civil infrastructure systems is tremendous. This demand could grow exponentially if the potential benefits of the system and the methodology to design and manufacture them become more widely available. The main objective of high ductility designs is based on using a rational serviceability-based approach. Applications include highly ductile fatigue and impact resistance, industrial structures, and transportation structure components.
The Nexus Seminar Series is coordinated by Prof. Serena Coetzee and Prof. Samanthi Dijkstra-Silva as part of the course Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Sustainability (the Nexus Approach), jointly offered by UNU-FLORES and TU Dresden.
