Sponsors: ACI Committee 549, Rilem-MCC Editors: Barzin Mobasher and Flávio de Andrade Silva Several state-of-the-art sessions on textile-reinforced concrete/fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (TRC/FRCM) were organized by ACI Committee 549 in collaboration with RILEM TC MCC during the ACI Fall 2019 Convention in Cincinnati, OH, and the ACI Virtual Technical Presentations in June 2020. The forum provided a unique opportunity to collect information and present knowledge in the field of TRC and FRCM as sustainable construction materials. The term TRC is typically used for new construction applications whereas the term FRCM refers to the repair applications of existing concrete and masonry. Both methods use a textile mesh as reinforcement and a cementitious-based matrix component and, due to high tensile and flexural strength and ductility, can be used to support structural loads. The technical sessions aimed to promote the technology, and document and develop recommendations for testing, design, and analysis, as well as to showcase the key features of these ductile and strong cement composite systems. New methods for characterization of key parameters were presented, and the results were collected towards the development of technical and state-of-the-art papers. Textile types include polymer-based (low and high stiffness), glass, natural, basalt, carbon, steel, and hybrid, whereas the matrix can include cementitious, geopolymers, and lightweight matrix (aggregates). Additives such as short fibers, fillers, and nanomaterials were also considered. The sessions were attended by researchers, designers, students, and participants from the construction and fiber industries. The presence of people with different expertise and from different regions of the world provided a unique opportunity to share knowledge and promote collaborative efforts. The experience of an online technical forum was a success and may be used for future opportunities. The workshop technical sessions chairs sincerely thank the ACI staff for doing a wonderful job in organizing the virtual sessions and ACI TC 549 and Rilem TC MCC for the collaboration.

In 2017, the Rilem Technical Committee 250-CSM coordinated a Round Robin initiative, in which 19 research institutions tested 28 Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) composites, with the support of 11 industrial partners. Two years after the publication of the first papers on the results of this wide investigation, it is still worth further analysing its outcomes to highlight the fundamental properties of mortar-based reinforcements and give an overview of the various available fabrics and matrices, which are currently used in structural rehabilitation activities. Equally, a better understanding still needs to be gained on the causes of the variability observed in test results. These include the quasibrittle behaviour of the inorganic matrix and its sensitivity to manufacturing, curing and handling. Test implementation, such as gripping method and measuring techniques, also plays a crucial role in the reliability and repeatability of experimental outcomes.

There is a great demand in the world for low-cost and functional pipeline systems due to the renovation requirements of pipes in use and the continuous development of new settlements. Previously used pipeline systems made of steel reinforced concrete are economical and sufficiently resistant. However, due to the corrodibility of steel reinforcement and to enable sufficient crack reduction, large wall thicknesses and thus heavy constructions are required. Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) eliminates these disadvantages by enabling the production of light and thin-walled structures.

The aim of this research is the development of a concept for the realization of smart pipes made of sensory TRC by using the advantages of lightweight, thin-walled structures, focusing on the production process. Based on different warp knitted textile variations with different coating concentrations, preliminary tests were carried out using the fourpoint bending test. As a result of the preliminary tests, the textile variation of counterlaid tricot with a maximum coating concentration was selected as a suitable reinforcing material for the concept development. Concepts for the production of smart TRC pipes are developed accordingly. As a result, a casting mold and process were created which allowed a production with reduced diameter and depth of pores and concentric positioning of the reinforcement structure.

Externally bonded fiber-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites are applied to the tension side of reinforced concrete (RC) beams to increase their flexural strength. Composite action is often prematurely lost because of the debonding of the composite, which for most of the available FRCMs occurs at the matrix-fiber interface. The bond behavior is studied at the small-scale by means of single- and double-lap direct shear tests. An alternative small-scale test configuration is the beam test. Beam tests can be performed using a single notched prism with a composite strip attached to the face where the notch is located (notched beam test) or by two prisms connected by a cylindrical hinge on one side and by a composite strip on the opposite side (modified beam test). As the scientific community is discussing the best test configuration, the goal of this paper is to shed light on the differences between the two test methods. In this paper, an FRCM composite comprising polyparaphenylene benzo-bisoxazole (PBO) fibers, which exhibits debonding at the matrix-fiber interface, is subjected to single-lap shear and modified beam tests. Load responses and failure modes are compared in an attempt to provide guidance on the selection of the test method.

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) combines high-performance fabrics made of impregnated carbon yarns with state-of-the-art high strength concrete. Due to the corrosion resistance of non-metallic reinforcement, the application of TRC for external components especially with freeze-thaw and de-icing salt exposure is promising. This allows for reduction of concrete cover, to create slender structural elements and to execute thin slabs without additional waterproofing or protective decking. Different existing theoretical models and experience from various research projects were used in design of several pedestrian- and road bridges in Germany. The pedestrian bridges in Rems Valley and Ottenhöfen use TRC slabs without shear reinforcement as transversal loadbearing component. For the road bridges in Gaggenau, skew slabs made of TRC with shear reinforcement were chosen as principal structural system. Prior and during construction, experimental investigations on shear capacity were performed at the Institute of Structural Concrete (IMB) of RWTH Aachen. A comprehensive characterization of the material properties of the non-metallic reinforcement is a prerequisite for transfer and adaption of existing design rules, e.g. the determination of tensile strength of the bent portion of pre-formed shear reinforcement. This paper highlights the application potential and further challenges for the use of textilereinforced concrete in new engineering constructions.