1. UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
SECTOR A: DIVISION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
STRUCTURAL MATERIALS LABORATORY
“EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF ONE-WAY COMPOSITE RC/TRC SLABS UNDER
FLEXURE”
DIPLOMA THESIS
Co-executed by
THANOPOULOS CHARALAMPOS
KORDAS DIMITRIOS
SUPERVISOR
Assigned
Assistant Professor Catherine Papanicolaou
MARCH 2011
PATRAS, GREECE

2. Preface
The purpose of the present “diploma thesis” is the experimental investigation of one-way
composite composite slabs of Reinforced Concrete (RC) and Textile Reinforce Concrete (TRC)
under flexure in one dimension. The graduation project was implemented in the Structural
Materials Laboratory, during the academic year 2009-2010, within the division of structural
engineering.
Dr. Catherine Papanicolaou remained our supervisor during this year and we would like to
truly thank her for the ongoing practical and theoretical help, also for her crucial
recommendations and her actual interest in making successful and creative this highly
demanding project.
Moreover, we feel really grateful and committed to the Doctoral candidate, Ioanni
Papantoniou who constantly guided and advised us in the experimental part of this research
project as well as in the documentation effort to produce a solid proposal in the field of
investigation of RC elements cast in permanent TRM formworks.
It would a serious failure, if we hadn’t thanked in this point Mr. Kyriako Karlo; the main
responsible operator and controller of the SMLab1 machinery and equipment for his help in
the use and installation the mechanical tools used.
In the end, we need to recognize the support with their ideas and on-site help of the
following colleagues, Mr. Lampro Kouta (MSc Candidate) and two undergraduate students;
Mr. Chari Gata and Mr. Niko Anagnostou (M.Eng Candidates).
Kordas Dimitrios
Thanopoulos Charalampos
Patras, March 2011
1
http://www.sml.civil.upatras.gr/staff_en.html

3. SUMMARY
The purpose of this Diploma thesis is the investigation of the effectiveness of remaining
forms (molds) constructed by Textile Reinforced Concrete materials (TRC), used as tensile
reinforcing elements in the production process of steel-concrete composite structures.
The 2-D textiles which are used in TRC structural method are new, synthetic materials and
constitute a great challenge in the field of structural engineering. The preparation of the
research required a dedicated effort for the deeper knowledge and application of these
modern techniques and technologies in composite materials. In order to achieve this goal,
two molds were casted in cementitious matrices. The first element was a simple TRC form
and the second one, an one-way TRC slab, being constructed by a fine-graded cement and
glass fiber textiles.
In the first chapter, there is a brief presentation of the properties of the most widespread
construction materials, steel and concrete. There is also an analytical comparison between
the new generation composite materials (RC, FRP, and TRC) and an extended presentation of
precast permanent forms, as external reinforcing elements.
In chapter two a general survey of all fiber types, used in TRC method, and their properties is
given. There are references also, about the yarns and the textiles, according to their type
and shape. Finally it is mentioned the texture and the mechanical properties of matrices,
and presented the production methods of TRC materials.
The third chapter deals with several and different applications of TRC elements used both in
research and real scale.
The experimental procedure is described in the fourth chapter. The production process of
the two composite forms is presented step by step, until the final experiment, a 4-point
bending test.
Concluding, the fifth chapter presents the results of the experiments, analyzes and
demonstrates through diagrams the flexural behavior of the tested TRC slabs.
In general, the application of composite TRC material has significant contribute to the
growth of ultimate load, strengthening the structural durability of the remaining forms.
Current research has shown that this new technique provides modern civil engineers with
the opportunity to build up especially lightweight structures, optimizing the time-cost
relationship and facilitating the work of the technical staff involved. Considering the
development of this innovative method, it’s quite sure that it will play a crucial role in
structural engineering, replacing the typical structural form systems in the near future.