Non-metallic reinforcement allows optimised reinforcement aligned with the stress paths in members. This reduces material consumption and increases sustainability in concrete construction.

Concrete is an integral part of the construction industry. However, corrosion of steel reinforcement requires costly repair measures. To avoid this, the steel reinforcement needs to be protected by a large concrete cover. This leads to increased material consumption, thus contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions of concrete structures.

Non-metallic reinforcement does not rust and requires significantly less concrete cover. Through automated production of structures made from non-metallic reinforcement a great flexibility in terms of reinforcement layout and component design is achieved. The fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) can, for example, be aligned with the principal stress trajectories of a member, to make ideal use of the properties of such high-performance materials, particularly their high tensile strength.

This research project investigates optimised reinforcement layout using sustainable non-metallic reinforcements, e.g. basalt FRPs. New manufacturing techniques are employed, such as Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP), that enables a precise fibre placement along predefined paths. These are derived and digitally provided using finite element methods. The component behaviour will be evaluated through experimental tests, from which an analytical model to describe the load-bearing behaviour is derived.

The use of TFP for the reinforcement of concrete members represents an innovation in the construction industry, that will be realised with our co-operation partners.

Production of the reinforcement using TFP by Fiber Elements GmbH

(https://fiber-elements.com/, opens an external URL in a new window)

Principal Investigator: Philipp, Preinstorfer (philipp.preinstorfer@tuwien.ac.at, opens an external URL in a new window)
Researchers involved: Simon, Leitner (simon.leitner@tuwien.ac.at, opens an external URL in a new window)