Textile reinforcement for creating integrated cavities in concrete bodies

Abstract

Technical Description of Basalt Fibers as Reinforcement Basalt fibers can be processed into reinforcement in concrete in a wide variety of forms. The starting point for all reinforcement products considered here is continuous basalt fibers. Short-fiber concretes, which are subject to separate considerations, are therefore not included in this compilation. Following production, the filaments are generally bundled into rovings and processed either by pultrusion into one-dimensional rods, profiles, or lamellae, or by textile manufacturing processes such as embroidery or knitting into two- or multi-dimensional textiles [1]. Reinforcement products manufactured by pultrusion are always a two-component system consisting of the fibers and an impregnation of a (polymeric) matrix. These are called fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP).Textiles can, in principle, be manufactured without impregnation, as the sewing thread provides a certain degree of stabilization. However, this comes at the cost of reduced strength and stiffness, since only the outer filaments are in direct contact with the concrete, while the inner filaments are activated solely through friction. Furthermore, impregnation protects the filaments from the alkaline environment of the concrete. Therefore, according to current technological standards, textiles are also impregnated. The chemical composition of the fibers and the matrix, as well as the fiber volume ratio, significantly determine the properties of the reinforcement product.