A layered-wise, composite modelling approach for fibre textile reinforced cementitious composites

Textile Reinforced Cements (TRCs) offer an adequate alternative to more conventional building systems in construction due to their tunable and lightweight geometries. TRCs are currently either modelled by means of a discrete approach, where the textiles and the matrix are modelled separately, or by means of a smeared approach that averages the material's mechanical response over the cross-section. The research presented in this paper proposes a new, layered-wise approach of modelling where the through-thickness response of the composite is subdivided in different layers with individual mechanical properties. A tensile experimental campaign on different combinations of TRC layups, combining both glass and carbon fibre textiles, is performed and used as an input for the layered-wise numerical model. The model is then validated by comparison with flexural experiments performed on four different TRC layup combinations. The good agreement witnessed between the numerical predictions and the experimental results validates the layered-wise modelling approach proposed in this paper.