Self-healing of the textile-reinforced concrete: Additives and coatings

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 364; p. 129930
• Main Authors: Alatawna, Amr, Rahamim, Yarden, Hartig, Carina, Peled, Alva, Regev, Oren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 18-01-2023
• Subjects: Bond strength; Cement; Crystals admixture; Self-healing; Textile reinforced concrete; Water permeability; Bond strength; Self-healing; Crystals admixture; Textile reinforced concrete; Cement; Water permeability
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.129930

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•Nano-additives accelerated the self-healing of the textile reinforced concrete (TRC).•Decorating the textile surface with micro silica particles accelerated the self-healing process and enhanced TRC tensile strength and toughness.•Salt-cured TRC samples showed more fine cracks than tap-water-cured which promotes the self-healing process.
Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) is an attractive alternative to the classic steel rebar reinforcement since the textile is stronger, more flexible, and non-corrosive compared to steel. Moreover, the TRC approach promotes the formation of multiple thin cracks pattern upon loading instead of a few wide cracks in rebar reinforcement. We found that the self-healing of these multiple thin cracks was accelerated by modifying the concrete matrix (addition of crystalline additive and alumina nanofibers) and by decorating the carbon-based textile with micro silica particles. Exposing the TRC samples to a saturated NaCl environment (as in coastal constructions) improved the bonding strength between the textile and the matrix, hence increasing the self-healing capability (compared to samples cured in tap water).