Experimental characterization of TRC disposable formworks

Within the framework of building industrialization, the use of prefabricated elements characterized by lightness, ease to assembly, cheapness and notable mechanical capacities is constantly growing in popularity. Interesting opportunities can be offered by high performance cementitious composites, whose applications entail an incisive optimization of the structural components. In this work, an innovative solution for elevated slabs is presented, with particular reference to a 6 to 10 mm thick disposable formwork made of Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC). The selected cement-based material consists of a single Alkali Resistant (AR) glass fabric embedded in a self-compacting fine-grained matrix. Following CAD and CNC-assisted design and production procedures, two nominally identical full-scale samples were cast and tested by means of the application of point loads aimed to represent transient conditions such as the presence of a worker during the assembly phase. Referring to the mesoscale, the composite was investigated in uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension, leading to the identification of piecewise-linear constitutive laws; such relations, consistent with the orthotropic nature of the considered material, were finally used for the definition of a first-attempt numerical model.