New perspectives for design of lightweight structures by using textile reinforced concrete

Nowadays, reinforced concrete (RC) is one of the most widely spread construction materials: allowing to build robust and durable structures. Traditionally, due to cover requirements of the reinforcement and to casting and vibration needs, it has yet been associated with heavy and massive structural elements. One possible way to reduce this shortcoming has been identified as to replace steel reinforcement with non-corrosive textile fabrics. This approach known as Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC), allows to build robust thin-walled structures. Despite the wide spectrum of commercially available fabrics, TRC is not yet a common building solution, due to a large extent, the lack of design provisions and construction experience. In this article both topics are addressed with the aim to increase the level of knowledge on this material. First, a performance-based comparison between several fabrics is made from a material and structural point of view. Second, some construction examples of thin-walled, curved and folded precast prototypes are presented. Finally, formworking techniques and mould materials for such types of elements are discussed.