Effects of Strain Rate and Temperature on the Flexural Behavior of Basalt and Glass Textile–Reinforced Concrete

Abstract

Flexural behavior of textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) samples were investigated by using three-point bending test systems under quasi-static and low-velocity (1.–4.5 m/s) impact loadings. Two types of TRC samples, namely basalt textile-reinforced concrete (BTRC) and alkali-resistant glass textile-reinforced concrete (GTRC) were tested. The mechanical performance of TRC composites was evaluated in terms of flexural strength, modulus, flexural ultimate strain, and toughness. Samples were tested under quasi-static bending at an initial strain rate of 3.33×1−5 s−1 at room temperature and flexural impact at five different initial strain rates (4, 8, 12, 16, and 18 s−1) and temperatures (−5, , 25, 5, and 1°C). The experimental results show that at room temperature, flexural strength has a significant increase with increasing initial strain rate, while flexural modulus first increases and then reduces. Changes in flexural ultimate strain and toughness are in an inverse trend. At the initial strain rate of 12 s−1, toughness and flexural strength generally decrease with increasing temperatures, but flexural modulus and flexural ultimate strain do not vary significantly. When textiles with six layers were used in the composite samples, the reinforcing effect was more significant. Initial strain rate, temperature, and the number of textile layers can significantly affect the flexural performance of TRC samples.