Smart 3D-textile reinforced cementitious materials with microfibers

Concrete is the most used construction material in the world, yet its
traditional way of use is being challenged by its huge environmental
impact and durability issues. With climate change leading at the top
of the political and societal agenda, and with the forecast of growing
urban populations, it is necessary to increase the sustainability of the
built environment.
This project aims to make concrete structures more sustainable by
investigating a new way of reinforcing them. Combining 3D fiber
textiles and microfibers, future concrete structures will be slender,
lighter and more durable. While the 3D textiles assure the
loadbearing capacity, the short fibers constrain the cracks to a
restricted size and assure that the material heals its own cracks.
These smart cementitious materials optimise both the material and
the structure, and hence minimize the use of resources, and reduce
maintenance and repair costs in order to maximize the service life of
future structures.
This project wants to investigate how the short fibers, 3D textiles and
cementitious matrix fundamentally act together in a synergetic way.
The goal of developing a loadbearing and durable cementitious
composite directs the experimental program: all aspects of
mechanical performance under monotonic as well as repeated
loading, durability properties in aggressive environments, and selfhealing capacity after cracking will be investigated.