Textile Reinforced Concrete and Fabric Formwork
topic
Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) replaces conventional steel rebar with alkali-resistant (AR) glass fibre or carbon fibre woven or knitted textiles (mesh spacing 10–40 mm) embedded in fine-grained concrete matrix (maximum aggregate 2 mm), enabling structural elements with thickness of 20–40 mm versus 80–150 mm for steel-reinforced concrete. AR glass fibre textile (ZrO₂ content 16–20%, tensile strength 1,200–1,800 MPa, modulus 72–80 GPa) resists concrete alkalinity (pH 12.5–13.5) maintaining >80% tensile strength after 28 days in Ca(OH)₂ solution (EN ISO 10618). Carbon fibre textile reinforcement (tensile strength 3,500–5,000 MPa, modulus 230–390 GPa, corrosion-free) enables ultra-thin structural panels (10–20 mm) for building façade cladding and bridge deck overlays. Fabric formwork — flexible woven or knitted geotextile moulds (PP, 200–400 g/m²) — produces optimised concrete structural forms following principal stress trajectories, reducing concrete volume by 30–40% versus prismatic sections at equivalent structural capacity. Shotcrete reinforcement fabrics (AR glass fibre nonwoven, 300–600 g/m²) are used for tunnel lining and slope stabilisation. TRC composites exhibit tensile strength of 8–25 MPa and flexural strength of 15–40 MPa (DIN SPEC 20000-401). Global TRC market is projected to reach $680 million by 2028.
Role
Textile reinforced concrete enables unprecedented slender, lightweight concrete structures free from steel corrosion limitations, revolutionising the design of building façades, bridges, and infrastructure rehabilitation by combining the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile performance of high-modulus textile reinforcement.