TITLE:
Function-Integrative Textile Reinforced Concrete Shells
AUTHORS:
Sandra Gelbrich, Henrik L. Funke, Lothar Kroll
KEYWORDS:
Textile Reinforced Concrete, Carbon Reinforced Concrete, Textile Reinforced Composites, Function-Integrated Lightweight Structures, Glass-Fibre Reinforced Polymer Formwork, Thin-Walled Shells
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Composite Materials,
Vol.8 No.4,
October
30,
2018
ABSTRACT: This paper presents the development and technological implementation of
textile reinforced concrete (TRC) shells with integrated functions, such as illumination
and light control. In that regard the establishment of material,
structural and technological foundations along the entire value chain are of
central importance: From the light-weight design idea to the demonstrator
and reference object, to the technological implementation for the transfer of
the research results into practice. The development of the material included
the requirement-oriented composition of a high-strength fine grained concrete
with an integrated textile reinforcement, such as carbon knitted fabrics.
Innovations in formwork solutions provide new possibilities for concrete
constructions. So, a bionic optimized shape of the pavilion was developed, realized
by four connected TRC-lightweight-shells. The thin-walled TRC-shells
were manufactured with a formwork made of glass-fibre reinforced polymer
(GFRP). An advantage of the GFRP-formwork is the freedom of design concerning
the formwork shape. Moreover, an excellent concrete quality can be
achieved, while the production of the precast concrete components is simple
and efficient simultaneously. After the production the new TRC-shells were
installed and assembled on the campus of TU-Chemnitz. A special feature of
the research pavilions are the LED light strips integrated in the shell elements,
providing homogeneous illumination.