AN INNOVATIVE WOVEN 3D BASALT TEXTILE AS REINFORCEMENT IN TRC: A FLEXURAL COMPARISON, WEFT VS WARP

This study focuses on the flexural behavior of Textile Reinforced Cement (TRC) using uncoated woven basalt textiles. Four different TRC configurations were compared in a four-point bending test using Digital Image Correlation (DIC): 2D weft, 2D warp, 3D weft, and 3D warp. Compositions with 2D reinforcements performed mechanically better than ones with 3D, and reinforcement in the warp direction showed higher failure load and displacement than in the weft direction. These unexpected results are related to the sensitivity of the load bearing behavior to inaccurate textile positioning, particularly within very thin cross sections and for low fiber volume fractions.