Growing environmental concerns and the pursuit of sustainable construction materials have motivated the use of natural fibre reinforcements as alternatives to synthetic ones. However, their application in timber–concrete composite (TCC) beams has not been widely explored. This study investigates the bending behaviour of TCC beams reinforced with multilayer textiles made of natural fibres through four-point bending tests. Four identical beams, each with textile reinforcement embedded in the concrete slab and notched connections for shear transfer, were tested. Unlike conventional practice, no uplift protection devices were employed. The underlying hypothesis was that the unconventional textile reinforcement would provide sufficient bending capacity to counterbalance uplift moments, potentially eliminating costly and labour-intensive uplift protection. Experimental results showed that shear failure in the notches occurred prematurely, preventing the reinforced slabs from fully mobilising their intended bending capacity. Nonetheless, the beams consistently met the shear capacity of the notches, demonstrating safe load-bearing performance even without uplift protection. The results were compared against preliminary push-out tests and reference values from CEN/TS 19103 design models. Despite the absence of significant gains in bending capacity, reinforcement remained essential to transfer eccentric moments and tensile forces in the notch regions, which are not accounted for in concrete tensile strength per EN 1992-1-1. The four-point bending tests revealed load-bearing capacities comparable to reference values, confirming that notched connections performed reliably despite the lack of uplift protection. However, variability in notch stiffness was observed, largely attributable to inconsistencies in lamination and concrete compaction. These led to voids and reduced shear performance, highlighting the importance of precise manufacturing for uniform concrete placement. The findings emphasise both the potential and the limitations of natural fibre textile reinforcements in TCC systems. Recommendations for improved production methods are provided to enhance future applications in timber–concrete slab systems.

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Bending Behavior of Timber-Concrete Composite Structures Reinforced with Natural Fibers

  • Malte Kaliske,
  • Sebastian Kuhn,
  • Sebastian Krug,
  • Tânia Feiri,
  • Jörg Schänzlin,
  • Marcus Ricker

摘要

Growing environmental concerns and the pursuit of sustainable construction materials have motivated the use of natural fibre reinforcements as alternatives to synthetic ones. However, their application in timber–concrete composite (TCC) beams has not been widely explored. This study investigates the bending behaviour of TCC beams reinforced with multilayer textiles made of natural fibres through four-point bending tests. Four identical beams, each with textile reinforcement embedded in the concrete slab and notched connections for shear transfer, were tested. Unlike conventional practice, no uplift protection devices were employed. The underlying hypothesis was that the unconventional textile reinforcement would provide sufficient bending capacity to counterbalance uplift moments, potentially eliminating costly and labour-intensive uplift protection. Experimental results showed that shear failure in the notches occurred prematurely, preventing the reinforced slabs from fully mobilising their intended bending capacity. Nonetheless, the beams consistently met the shear capacity of the notches, demonstrating safe load-bearing performance even without uplift protection. The results were compared against preliminary push-out tests and reference values from CEN/TS 19103 design models. Despite the absence of significant gains in bending capacity, reinforcement remained essential to transfer eccentric moments and tensile forces in the notch regions, which are not accounted for in concrete tensile strength per EN 1992-1-1. The four-point bending tests revealed load-bearing capacities comparable to reference values, confirming that notched connections performed reliably despite the lack of uplift protection. However, variability in notch stiffness was observed, largely attributable to inconsistencies in lamination and concrete compaction. These led to voids and reduced shear performance, highlighting the importance of precise manufacturing for uniform concrete placement. The findings emphasise both the potential and the limitations of natural fibre textile reinforcements in TCC systems. Recommendations for improved production methods are provided to enhance future applications in timber–concrete slab systems.