J. Cent. South Univ.

(2020) 27: 876−890

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-020-4338-6

Performance of interface between TRC and existing concrete

under a chloride dry-wet cycle environment

LI Yao(李耀)1, 2, YIN Shi-ping(尹世平)1, 2, LV Heng-lin(吕恒林)2

1. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics & Deep Underground Engineering, China University of
Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China;
2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Impact and Structural Safety in Engineering, School of
Mechanics & Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
© Central South University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract: Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is suitable to repair and reinforce concrete structures in harsh
environments. The performance of the interface between TRC and existing concrete is an important factor in
determining the strengthening effect of TRC. In this paper, a double-sided shear test was performed to investigate the
effects of the chloride dry-wet cycles on the average shear strength and slip at the interface between the TRC and
existing concrete, also considering the existing concrete strength, bond length, textile layer and short-cut fiber
arrangements. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) technology was used to analyze the microscopic matter at the
interface in the corrosive environment. The experimental results indicate that the interface performance between TRC
and existing concrete would decrease with continued chloride dry-wet cycles. Compared with the specimen with a
single layer of textile reinforcement, the specimens with two layers of textile with added PVA or AR-glass short-cut
fibers could further improve the properties of the interface between the TRC layer and existing concrete. For the TRC
with a single layer of textile, the average shear strength tended to decrease with increasing bond length. In addition, the
strength grade of the existing concrete had a minor effect on the interface properties.

Key words: textile-reinforced concrete; chloride dry-wet cycles; double-sided shear; average shear strength; interface
slip; X-ray diffraction technology

Cite this article as: LI Yao, YIN Shi-ping, LV Heng-lin. Performance of interface between TRC and existing concrete
under a chloride dry-wet cycle environment [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2020, 27(3): 876−890. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-020-4338-6.

concrete structures are important tasks for these

1 Introduction constructions [6]. In recent decades, the use of
fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps has become
Because of the temperature difference between popular due to the favorable properties of this
the inside and outside of concrete and the effect of retrofitting method: extremely low weight-to-
the marine environment, coastal concrete structures strength ratio, easy application, minimal change in
often contain cracks, and the effect of chloride the structure behavior, and protection against and
erosion is considerable [1−3]. Additionally, prevention of corrosion [7, 8]. Despite these
buildings and civil infrastructures have increasingly advantages, the FRP retrofitting technique has a few
been exposed to multihazard environments in recent drawbacks; for instance, exposed fabric results in
years [4, 5]. Therefore, repairing and reinforcing poor resistance to fire, high temperatures and
Foundation item: Project(2017XKZD09) supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China
Received date: 2019-02-22; Accepted date: 2019-09-29
Corresponding author: YIN Shi-ping, PhD, Professor; Tel: +86-15262013916; E-mail: yinshiping2821@163.com; ORCID: 0000-0001-
8304-5914
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
radiation, and fabric inconsistencies with the
existing concrete structure limit the strengthening
effect [9, 10]. Therefore, scholars have introduced
the concept of reinforcement fibers that combine
textile fibers with inorganic substrates (such as
cement-based mortar) [11]. Some scholars have
proposed textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) [12, 13],
textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) [10, 14, 15] and
fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) [16,
17] systems as alternative methods of FRP
reinforcement. These systems are merely variations
of the same core idea and typically include only
minor differences.
TRC is a new type of fiber-reinforced concrete.
TRC uses carbon fiber, alkali-resistant (AR)-glass
fiber, basalt fiber or a hybrid textile of these fibers
as the main reinforcing material. These fibers are
used for the restoration of existing buildings and for
the strengthening of new buildings due to their
tensile strength and corrosion resistance, and
high-performance concrete is used as the matrix
[15, 18]. Due to the combination of the textile and
cementitious matrix, TRC has good corrosion
resistance, tensile properties and anticrack
characteristics. Compared with FRP, TRC can be
better integrated with existing concrete structures
[9, 10]. Recently, TRC has been applied to
strengthen concrete structures [19].
The reinforcement effect of composites is
largely determined by the interface properties
between composites and existing concrete [13, 20].
Regarding FRP, many scholars have investigated
the interface properties [20−22]. TUAKTA et al
[20] studied the effects of cyclic moisture
conditions on the fracture toughness of a
CFRP-concrete bond system, considering the peel
and shear fracture toughness. In addition, a
predictive model has been developed for predicting
the service-life of FRP-concrete bond systems.
LI et al [21] found that the FRP-concrete bond
strength was related to the number of dry-wet
cycles and that the interface bond strength increased
during the early stage of testing. LIANG et al [22]
explored the effect of FRP type, dry-wet cycles and
sustained loading level on the failure modes, stress
transfer, and local bond-slip curves of the
composite specimens. In addition, a reasonable
model was proposed to predict the fracture energy
that could be a reference for the design of bond
877
durability factors. On the other hand, some scholars
have been devoted to studying the interface
properties between TRC/TRM/FRCM and existing
concrete by performing pull-out tests [14, 16, 17,
23, 24] and push-in tests [13, 25]. These research
results are valuable for investigating the interface
performance. ORTLEPP et al [23] summarized the
form of interface damage between TRC and
existing concrete. Further, ORTLEPP et al [24]
found that the strain distribution of the TRC sheet
was not continuous in the cracking process of the
interface. According to this theory, ORTLEPP et al
[23] described the development of cracks during the
destruction of the interface bond and proposed the
basic bond-slip theory of TRC and existing concrete.
ASKOUNI et al [14] noted that the effective bond
length between glass TRM overlays and masonry
substrates was approximately 130 mm.
D’AMBRISI et al [17] also improved the bond-slip
model between fiber and matrix based on the
experiments. In addition, D’AMBRISI et al [16]
verified the bond-slip curve between
polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole fiber
reinforced cementitious matrix (PBO-FRCM) and
existing concrete using the results from a
double-side shear test and confirmed the validity of
reinforcement from the perspective of fracture
energy. XUN et al [25] investigated the interface
properties between TRC and existing concrete in a
conventional environment under different interface
treatments by push-in testing. The results showed
that the roughing treatment and roughness had
significant impacts on the performance of the
interface between TRC and existing concrete. YIN
et al [13] studied the effect of TRC precracking,
concrete strength, interface form, short-cut fibers,
and freezing-and-thawing cycle number on the
interfacial bond properties between TRC and
existing concrete under chloride salt erosion and
freezing-and-thawing cycles. In addition,
POURASEE et al [26] explored the anti-infiltration
performances of different forms of fabric-cement-
based materials by conducting water permeability
experiments. The results showed that the
impermeability of concrete specimens with a TRC
layer was significantly improved compared with
that of concrete specimens without a TRC layer.
That study also noted that when durability was
considered for fabric-cement composites, it was not
878
sufficient to consider only the crack width; instead,
the fluid-transport properties and physical geometry
of the yarns composing the fabric must also be
considered. LIEBOLDT et al [6] further
investigated the impermeability of TRC-
strengthened concrete structures. The results
showed a lower number of cracks in the concrete
structure strengthened with TRC; thus, the
impermeability of concrete was improved
significantly.
To apply TRC to the construction
reinforcement field, particularly to marine
engineering, the properties of the interface between
TRC and existing concrete in a chloride
environment must be studied to improve its
reinforcement effect. However, few studies have
investigated the effects of different forms of
reinforcement on the interface between TRC and
existing concrete [10]; to the best of our knowledge,
no studies have investigated the effect of chloride
dry-wet cycles on the interface properties. This
paper investigated the properties of the interface
between TRC and existing concrete by analyzing
the average shear strength and slip at the interface
under chloride wet-dry cycles and different forms
of TRC reinforcement through a double-side shear
test. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD)
technology was used to analyze the microscopic
matter at the interface under the effects of the
environment.
Figure 1 Hybrid textiles made of carbon and E-glass yarns: (a) Untreated; (b) Treated with epoxy resin and sand
Table 1 Mechanical properties and geometric parameters of yarns
Number of Tensile Modulus of
Fiber type
filaments per yarn strength/MPa elasticity/GPa
Carbon 12000 4660 230
E-glass 4000 3500 74
Impregnated
12000 4100 180
carbon
Impregnated
4000 3000 59
E-glass
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
2 Materials and test methods
2.1 Experimental materials
2.1.1 Textiles
Textile was produced from carbon fiber and
glass fiber using a warp knitting process. The
carbon fiber was the reinforcing fiber (cross-
sectional area was 0.45 mm2). The glass fiber was
used only to fix the carbon fiber; its load-carrying
contribution was not considered in this study. The
mesh size of the textile was 10 mm×10 mm, and its
thickness was approximately 2 mm (shown in
Figure 1(a)). To increase the adhesive properties
between the textile and fine-grained concrete,
textile structures were impregnated with epoxy
resin and sand. The particle size of the selected sand
was 0.6−1.2 mm. Figure 1(b) shows the treated
textile. In this experiment (push-in test), the
properties of the interface between the TRC and
existing concrete were the main research object, and
the textile did not bear the direct bending or tensile
load. Thus, in this experiment, the mechanical
properties of the fibers were not exclusively
studied; specific studies on this topic have been
presented [27]. The details of the yarns used in
textile, according to the manufacturer and the
literature [27], are listed in Table 1.
2.1.2 Existing concrete
Ordinary Portland cement of 42.5R and 32.5R
Ultimate Linear density Density/
strain /% of yarn/(g∙km−1) (gꞏcm−3)
2.1 800 1.8
4.7 600 2.57
2.3 800 1.8
5.2 600 2.57
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
was chosen for the existing concrete. Gravel with a
diameter of 5−10 mm was chosen as the coarse
aggregate, and its apparent density was 2720 kg/m3.
Medium sand was chosen as the fine aggregate, and
its fineness modulus was 2.7. The superplasticizer
was polycarboxylate. The laboratory fine-grained
concrete mix proportion is shown in Table 2.
2.1.3 Fine-grained concrete
The fine-grained concrete mainly contained fly
ash, silica fume, cement and fine aggregate.
Ordinary Portland cement of 52.5R was used. The
particle size of the fine sand was 0−0.6 mm, and the
particle size of the coarse sand was 0.6−1.2 mm.
The laboratory mix proportion of the fine-grained
concrete is shown in Table 2. Tests confirmed that
the selected mix proportion met the performance
requirements of the self-compacting concrete [28].
Furthermore, according to Ref. [29], tests were
performed to study the slump flow (expansion),
flow rate and permeability. The slump flow index of
fine-grained concrete was 12.05, which was slightly
higher than that of the self-compacting concrete; the
time of fine-grained concrete outflow from the
V-shaped container was 7 s. The outflow rate was
1.43, which surpassed the self-compacting concrete
879
requirements and was faster than the average flow
of self-compacting concrete. The value of
parameter L, which characterizes the permeability
of fine-grained concrete, was 0.95, which was
larger than 0.73 suggested by NAGAMOTO et al
[30]. That is, the permeability of the fine-grained
concrete satisfied the test requirements. In addition,
the segregation phenomenon did not occur. The
hardened properties of the fine-grained concrete are
shown in Table 3.
2.1.4 Short-cut fibers
This paper investigated the effects of two types
of short-cut fibers (AR-glass and polyvinyl alcohol
(PVA)) on the properties of the interface with the
reinforced layer. Previous research has explored a
more reasonable volume fraction, and a value of
0.5% was found suitable for the matrix. Therefore,
the volume fraction of PVA or AR-glass fiber was
chosen as 0.5%. The fiber basic properties are
shown in Table 4. Furthermore, to ensure the fibers
were uniformly distributed and the results reported
herein were not affected by the fiber distribution,
before the reinforcement, the concrete was fully
stirred.

Table 2 Laboratory mix proportion of concrete (kg/m3)

Type of Medium Silica Fine sand Coarse sand
Cement Water Gravel Superplasticizer Fly ash
concrete sand fume (0−0.6 mm) (0.6−1.2 mm)
C40 415/42.5R 161 643 1181 2.85 — — — —
C30 459/32.5R 188 542 1206 — — — — —
C20 404/32.5R 190 542 1264 — — — — —
Fine-grained
475/52.5R 262 — — 9.10 168 35 460 920
concrete

Table 3 Mechanism properties of fine-grained concrete

Mechanism property 1d 7d 28 d
Compressive strength/MPa 18 40 52
Bending strength/MPa 3.8 6.5 7.8
Elastic modulus/MPa 12600 29200 32100
Shrink/(mm∙m−1) — 0.5 0.6
Fracture energy, GF/(N∙m−1) 40
Fracture toughness, KIC/(N∙mm−3/2) 19

Table 4 Properties and geometric parameters of short-cut fibers

Tensile Modulus of Density/ Volume
Fiber type Length/mm Diameter/μm
strength/MPa elasticity/GPa (gꞏcm−3) content/%
PVA 12 40 1600 42 1.3 0.50
AR-glass 12 15 1700 72 2.7 0.50
880 J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890

2.2 Specimen information
In this experiment, the properties of the
interface between the TRC and existing concrete
under different numbers of chloride dry-wet cycles
and different forms of the interface were studied.
A total of 5 groups of specimens, each with 3
specimens, were designed to study the effects of
different numbers of chloride dry-wet cycles on the
properties of the interface between the TRC and
existing concrete. A total of 7 groups of specimens,
each with 3 specimens, were designed to study the
influence of different interface forms (such as
different bond lengths and concrete strengths) on
the properties of the interface between the TRC and
existing concrete under the chloride dry-wet cycles.
The specimen details are shown in Table 5. L1 was
the standard group, L2 was the group that did not
undergo chloride dry-wet cycles, and L3 was the
group treated with a chloride salt solution but not
dry-wet cycling. The test period for groups L2 and
L3 was 120 d.
2.3 Specimen production
As a strengthening material, TRC is typically
applied by spraying or laminating. However, in
some cases, such as when the strengthening side is
the bottom surface of a beam, it is inconvenient to
adopt these methods. Furthermore, adopting
prefabricated TRC sheets could save time in a
strengthening project. Thus, in this paper, a
prefabricated TRC sheet was utilized to reinforce
the existing concrete, and the interface properties
were studied.
For the TRC sheet with a single layer of textile,
the production was divided into four steps. First,
each wooden mold with dimensions of 900 mm
(length)×450 mm (width) was leveled, and then,
5 mm thick wooden strips were nailed around the
wooden mold to control the thickness of the
fine-grained concrete. Second, a 5 mm layer of
fine-grained concrete was poured into the wooden
molds. Third, the textile under tension was fixed on
the mold. Finally, the remaining fine-grained
concrete was poured into the wooden molds to
create another 5 mm layer after the 5 mm thick
wooden strips were nailed around the wooden mold,
as in the first step. For the TRC sheet with two
layers of textile, the third and fourth steps were
repeated, and the thickness of the specimens was
approximately 19 mm. The molds were removed
after 24 h at constant room temperature; then, the
TRC sheets were placed in a curing room for 27 d.
Using a concrete cutter, the large TRC sheets were
cut into small TRC sheets with different lengths and
cross-sectional dimensions of 100 mm×12 mm (a
single layer) and 100 mm×19 mm (double layers).
In this paper, the contribution of fine-grained
concrete to the interface strength was not
considered independently; the experimental results
were attributed to the synergistic effect between
textile and fine-grained concrete. In addition, the
carbon fibers of the textile were always aligned in
the longitudinal direction of the TRC sheet.
The concrete mix proportions of the existing
concrete are shown in Table 2. Substrate specimens
measuring 300 mm×100 mm×100 mm were

Table 5 Test scheme designed for specimens

Chloride Number of Number of textile
Serial number Bond length/mm Concrete strength Short-cut fiber
concentration/% cycles layers
L1 200 C40 5 120 1 None
L2 200 C40 — — 1 None
L3 200 C40 5 — 1 None
L4 200 C40 5 90 1 None
L5 200 C40 5 150 1 None
L6 200 C20 5 120 1 None
L7 200 C30 5 120 1 None
L8 200 C40 5 120 2 None
L9 100 C40 5 120 1 None
L10 300 C40 5 120 1 None
L11 200 C40 5 120 1 PVA
L12 200 C40 5 120 1 AR-glass
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890 881
produced. The molds were removed after 24 h at
constant room temperature; then, the specimens
were placed in a standard curing room for 27 d. The
interface treatment was performed on the surfaces
of the concrete specimens to enhance the bonding
properties between the concrete and TRC. In this
process, cement slurry was chiseled off to
artificially expose the coarse aggregates. The
chiseled depth ∆h of the existing concrete surface
was controlled to between 2 and 4 mm to achieve a
better interfacial property.
The bonding agent adhered the prefabricated
TRC sheet to the existing concrete. The mix
proportion of the bonding agent was the same as
that of the fine-grained concrete. The specimens
used to investigate the interface performance were
treated by chloride dry-wet cycle processing after
production and standard curing for 28 d. Specimens
were soaked in a 5% NaCl solution at room
temperature for 12 h and then dried naturally for
12 h indoors. The duration of one cycle was 24 h
[31−33]. A total of 120 cycles were completed. In Figure 2 Diagram of double-side shear loading: (a) Front
this process, the specimens were soaked and were view (side having displacement gauge); (b) Side view
not sealed laterally to mimic actual construction
conditions in a marine environment. To study the bear the tensile stress. The performance of the
effects of different numbers of cycles on the fine-grained concrete in the TRC was improved
properties of the interface between the TRC and because of the effect of the textile, as the textile
existing concrete, specimens for 90 and 150 decreased the deformation caused by the
chloride wet-dry cycles were designed for the nonuniform stress during the test and increased the
experimental groups. The environment simulated in plastic deformation of the concrete; otherwise, the
this experiment was an ideal environment, i.e., an failure phenomenon of fine-grained concrete would
environment without tensile stress, with the goal of not be debonding from the interface.
clearly observing the effects due to various factors. Because the shear stress does not distribute
Thus, the effect of tensile stress was not considered. uniformly along the bond interface between the
The properties of the interface between the existing TRC and existing concrete, it was not convenient to
concrete and TRC under the coupling action of calculate the stress at each observation point. Thus,
tensile stress and various factors will be further the average shear strength at the interface was
investigated in the future. calculated by Eq. (1) to reflect the shear resistance
of the bond interface.
2.4 Loading method
In the experiment, because the thickness of the Pm
= (1)
TRC sheet used for strengthening was A
approximately 10 or 20 mm, a double-sided shear where τ is the average shear strength, Pm is the
test was adopted using the push-in method by vertical load exerted on the existing concrete, and A
exerting pressure on top of the existing concrete is the total bond area between the two sides of the
(shown in Figure 2). The maximum pressure value TRC and existing concrete.
was acquired when the TRC and/or existing When the load was applied, the test specimen
concrete was damaged. The bonding effect of the and concave steel base were centered; the existing
fine-grained concrete adhered the TRC and existing bottom concrete surface was covered with this
concrete together, and the textile did not directly concave base, and the outer TRC layer was
882 J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
arranged on the concave base. A pressure sensor
was placed on the loading plate to record the
magnitude of the load applied on the specimen, and
two displacement sensors were placed on the
surface of the existing concrete to monitor the slip
between the TRC and existing concrete (Figure 3).
The specimen was monotonically loaded using the
displacement-control method until the specimen
was destroyed, and the loading speed was
0.5 mm/min. Before the test, specimens were
loaded 2 to 3 times to a proper value in order to
eliminate the gap between the specimens and
device; then, the data of the test machine was reset
to zero. A schematic diagram of the loading is
shown in Figure 2, and a photograph of the test
setup is provided in Figure 3. In the static test, the
shear loads and slip were recorded by using a static
strain acquisition system developed by the Jiangsu
Donghua Testing Technology Co., Ltd., China.

2.5 XRD test Figure 3 Test setup

The XRD test was carried out after the
double-sided shear test was completed. First, a
small sample was obtained at the interface between
the TRC and existing concrete from the outer
midpoint of the bonding interface. Before grinding,
the sample was cleaned with anhydrous alcohol.
Then, the sample was ground. Next, the power was
obtained by filtering through a 325-mesh sieve.
Finally, XRD technology was used to analyze the
microscopic matter.
3 Experimental results and analysis
3.1 Experimental results
The failure modes, ultimate loads, ultimate
shear strength and maximum slip of each specimen
are summarized in Table 6. During the test, the
shear strength-slip characteristics of the specimens
from the same group were similar. Therefore, nearly
all of the data in the shear strength-slip curve were

Table 6 Specimen shear resistance and failure mode

Ultimate load, Maximum slip,
Ultimate
Serial Pm/kN ∆cr/mm
shear strength, Failure mode
number Average Standard Average Standard
τ/MPa
value deviation value deviation
L1 61.1 1.849 1.52 0.480 0.02944 Double-side shear damage
L2 106.3 1.791 2.66 0.555 0.02160 Double-side shear damage
L3 96.8 1.846 2.42 0.605 0.01472 Double-side shear damage
L4 74.5 1.577 1.86 0.530 0.01780 Double-side shear damage
L5 51.1 1.105 1.28 0.305 0.01225 Double-side shear damage
L6 60.9 1.965 1.52 0.400 0.01080 Double-side shear damage
L7 63.4 2.007 1.55 0.440 0.01871 Double-side shear damage
L8 71.2 1.590 1.78 0.470 0.02273 Double-side shear damage
L9 39.2 2.177 1.96 0.265 0.02041 Double-side shear damage
L10 99.1 2.245 1.65 0.905 0.03629 Delamination
L11 81.2 1.098 2.03 0.385 0.02550 Double-side shear damage
L12 78.9 2.566 1.97 0.505 0.02630 Double-side shear damage
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890 883
from one sample of the three specimens, and the
ultimate shear strength and corresponding slip in
the curve represented the average values from the
three samples.

3.2 Interface properties affected by different

forms of chloride dry-wet cycles
3.2.1 Failure-mode analysis
The failure mode of L1-L5 was double-side
shear damage, as shown in Figure 4. When the
specimen was damaged, the interface between the
side of the existing concrete and the TRC cracked
thoroughly, and the TRC detached from the existing
concrete. The destruction process occurred rapidly
and with a loud sound. The typical shear failure
form is shown in Figure 4(a). This damage
phenomenon suggested that when double-side shear
failure occurred, the weakest location of the
specimens was the interface between the TRC layer
and existing concrete. The poor performance of the
interface was typically due to damage during
production and the loose microstructure. When the
damage occurred, the TRC layer and some
fine-grained concrete peeled from the existing
concrete, as shown in Figure 4(b).
3.2.2 Analysis of average shear strength and slip of
interface between TRC and existing concrete
1) Effect of chloride-solution immersion on
interface properties
As shown in Figure 5(a), the shear strength−
slip curves of L3 and L2 largely coincided in the
initial loading phase. During the loading process,
the curve of L2 maintained a steady upward trend.
For the curve of L3, the slip increased significantly,
and the shear strength was nearly constant,
indicating that slip occurred at the interface. In
addition, the value of the slip was approximately
0.09 mm. Compared with L2, the ultimate shear
strength of L3 was 9.0% lower, and the slip Figure 4 Failure modes: (a) Double-side shear damage;
corresponding to the ultimate shear strength was (b) Interface after failure; (c) Delamination form
9.0% higher when the interface failure occurred, as
shown in Table 5. The shear strength-slip curve of The shear strength-slip characteristics between
L3 indicated that the increase in the maximum slip the existing concrete and TRC under 90, 120 and
at the interface was mainly due to the increase in 150 chloride dry-wet cycles are shown in
slip during the loading process. This result suggests Figure 5(b). In the initial loading phase, the curves
that continuous immersion in the chloride solution of L1, L4 and L5 exhibited similar rising trends,
adversely affects the interfacial bonding property and a sliding phenomenon was observed in L5.
between the existing concrete and TRC. However, With increasing load, the curve of L4 continued to
this deterioration was not extensive. rise, and the curve of L1 exhibited an increase in
2) Effect of number of dry-wet cycles on slip while the shear strength remained nearly
interface properties unchanged, which indicated that an interface
884
Figure 5 Average shear strength−slip curves for
specimens under different numbers of chloride dry-wet
cycles: (a) Chloride solution immersion and natural
environment; (b) Different dry-wet cycles
slippage occurred in L1. Damage occurred in L5,
even though its slip was small. Table 6 shows that
compared with L4, when the interface failure
occurred, the ultimate shear strength of L1
decreased by 22.4%, and the corresponding
maximum slip decreased by 10.4%; the ultimate
shear strength of L5 decreased by 45.3%, and the
corresponding maximum slip decreased by 73.8%.
These test results illustrate that the ultimate shear
strength and corresponding maximum slip between
the TRC and existing concrete decreased with an
increasing number of chloride dry-wet cycles.
3.3 Interface properties affected by different
interface reinforcement types
3.3.1 Failure-mode analysis
1) Double-sided shear damage
In all specimens except L10, the failure mode
of the specimen was double-sided shear failure; the
detailed analysis is given in the discussion above.
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
2) Delamination at bottom of TRC layer
The failure mode for specimen L10 is shown
in Figure 4(c), cracks extended upwardly along the
TRC, and the delamination occurred between the
textile and fine-grained concrete at the bottom of
the TRC layer; however, the TRC layer did not peel.
At the same time, cracks stretched into the existing
concrete, but these cracks were minor. This
phenomenon shows that when the bond length is
increased, the interface performance between the
TRC and existing concrete is improved and the
weak position of the specimens is changed.
3.3.2 Analysis of average shear strength and slip of
interface between TRC and existing concrete
1) Effect of existing concrete strength on
interface properties
Figure 6(a) illustrates that during the initial
loading phase, the specimens presented nearly the
same shear strength for a given amount of slippage.
When the specimens were damaged, the ultimate
shear strengths of the three groups were nearly
identical, whereas the corresponding maximum slip
increased slightly with the concrete strength. The
ultimate slips of L7 and L1 were 10% and 20%
higher than that of L6, respectively. Therefore, the
compressive strength of the existing concrete had a
slight influence on the interface bond properties
between the TRC and existing concrete.
Consequently, the TRC possesses good applicability
for a range of concrete strengths, ensuring the
interfacial properties between the strengthening
layers and existing concrete.
2) Effect of textile layers on interface
properties
Figure 6(b) illustrates that the shear
strength−slip curves of L1 and L8 were nearly
identical during the loading process. When the
shear strength approached the ultimate shear
strength, the shear strength of L1 increased slowly,
and its slip increased rapidly; however, the shear
strength−slip curve of L8 continued to rise, and its
slip did not increase significantly. As shown in
Table 6, the ultimate shear strength of L8 was
17.1% higher than that of L1 possibly because the
textiles were treated by epoxy resin and sand, which
could play a bridging role and improve the integrity
of the TRC and the interface between the TRC and
existing concrete. Therefore, the ultimate shear
strength of the specimen reinforced with two layers
was slightly larger than that with one layer. On the
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890 885
increased with the bond length. As shown in Table 6,
compared with the results for L9, the maximum slip
of L1 increased by 81.1%, and the maximum shear
load increased by 55.8%; the maximum slip of L10
increased by 241.5%, and the maximum shear load
increased by 152.8%. However, the changes in the
shear strength failed to comply with this trend: the
ultimate shear strengths of L9 and L10 both
increased compared with that of L1; Table 6
illustrates that the ultimate shear strength of L10
increased by 8.6%, while that of L9 increased by
28.9%; however, the reasons for these increases
were not consistent. The interface area of L9 was
decreased because of the smaller bond length of its
TRC layer. When damage occurred, the maximum
shear load and maximum slip also decreased. In L1
and L9, a portion of the fine-grained concrete
binder peeled off with the TRC layer from the
existing concrete. This section of the fine-grained
concrete was a core part of the interface and was
directly connected to the existing concrete surface,
which was roughly treated. Moreover, the stripped

Figure 6 Average shear strength−slip curves for different

interface types of specimens: (a) Different concrete
strength; (b) Different textile layers

other hand, in the double-sided shear test, the

misalignment of the interfacial shear stress and
bottom compressive stress led to an eccentric
compression of the TRC. The cross-sectional area
of the TRC with two layers was increased, and the
contact area between the TRC panel and the
concave steel socket was augmented, which
improved the force transmission of the TRC and
avoided the local compression of the TRC at the
base. Thus, the ultimate shear strength of L8 was
larger than that of L1, fluctuating within a narrow
range. In addition, comparing the damage forms of
L1 and L8, when the interface shear failure
occurred in L8, more of the fine-grained concrete
used as a binder peeled off from the existing
concrete with the TRC layer. This observation
indicates that the use of the two textile layers
changes the interfacial failure mode but not
inherently, as the double-sided shear failure still
appeared in the specimen L8. Figure 7 Influences of bond length on interface
3) Effect of bond length on interface properties properties of specimens: (a) Shear load−slip curves;
Figure 7(a) reveals that the slip and shear load (b) Average shear strength−slip curves
886
areas of fine-grained concrete in L1 and L9 were
very similar; however, the total area of the TRC
layer of L9 was small, which meant that the shear
load of L9 decreased but its shear strength
increased.
Furthermore, throughout the loading process,
the slip of L10 under the same shear strength was
reduced compared with that of L1 because of its
longer bond length and larger interface area. When
the interface cracked, the cracks extended into the
existing concrete such that the interface between the
existing concrete and TRC could withstand a
greater load, and consequently, there was a greater
slip at the interface. During the final destruction of
specimen L10, delamination occurred at the bottom
of the TRC layer, but double-sided shear failure did
not occur.
4) Effect of short-cut fibers on interface
properties
As shown in Figure 8, in the initial loading
phase, the shear strength of specimens with
fine-grained concrete modified by either PVA fibers
or AR-glass fibers was reduced compared with that
of L1 at the same slip; however, with continued
loading, the shear strength−slip curves of both types
of specimens rose rapidly. Unlike L1, the slip
phenomenon was not observed in L11 and L12
during the loading process. Therefore, the use of
PVA/AR-glass fibers improved the interfacial
bonding properties. Table 6 reveals that when the
interface failure occurred, the shear strengths of
L11 and L12 increased by 33.5% and 29.6%,
respectively, compared with that of L1, suggesting
that the modification of fine-grained concrete with
PVA/AR-glass fibers is effective for enhancing the
shear strength between TRC and existing concrete.
This result may have been due to the bridging effect
of short fibers improving the microstructure
between the TRC and existing concrete, and the
fibers could restrict the shrinkage and creep of
fine-grained concrete during hydration, reducing the
damage and deterioration caused by tensile stress at
the interface of the TRC and existing concrete.
Therefore, the chloride ion and free water diffusion
and permeability decreased at the interface between
the TRC and existing concrete in a corrosive
environment, reducing the shrinkage due to drying,
and the expansion and the deterioration due to the
presence of chloride ions. When failure occurred at
the interface, the shear capacities of specimens L11
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
and L12 were nearly identical, but the maximum
slips at the interface were slightly different. The
maximum slip of L12 was higher than that of L11.
Table 6 shows that compared with the results for
L1, the maximum slip of L12, corresponding to the
ultimate shear strength, was increased by 5%;
therefore, this specimen expresses a more
significant deformation capability when subjected
to the interfacial shear load. However, compared
with that of L1, the maximum slip of L11,
corresponding to the ultimate shear strength,
decreased by 19.7%, which means that this
specimen exhibits a more significant slip-limiting
capability when subjected to the interfacial shear
load.
Figure 8 Average shear strength−slip curves of
specimens with fine-grained concrete modified by
short-cut fiber
3.4 Interfacial microstructure analysis under
chloride dry-wet cycles
The concrete deterioration mechanisms under
chloride dry-wet cycles have been previously
studied [1], and the reasons for such deterioration
can be summarized in terms of three aspects:
1) Concrete properties are affected by the
shrinkage and imbibition in moisture circulation: a
greater number of dry-wet cycles leads to greater
shrinkage and imbibition;
2) During the drying process, the NaCl
solution in the concrete becomes supersaturated and
crystallizes, leading to increasing inner pressure;
3) Chloride solution and concrete hydration
products react to cause chemical corrosion,
resulting in internal damage to the concrete.
When concrete undergoes chloride dry-wet
cycles, the combined effects of these three aspects
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
lead to the deterioration of the concrete. XRD tests
mainly determine whether the chloride chemical
corrosion can still affect the performance of the
interface between the TRC and existing concrete.
Samples were taken from the interface
between the TRC and existing concrete in
specimens L2-L5 to analyze the composition of the
interface under the action of chloride dry-wet cycles.
In addition, the composition of the interface
material affected by chloride dry-wet cycles was
deduced. In this test, the XRD patterns of the
interfacial microstructure between the TRC and
existing concrete were obtained under different
conditions, which are shown in Figure 9. Under the
influence of different factors, the main composition
of the interface microstructure was consistent
within each group of specimens: SiO2 (DS: 0.334,
0.425, 0.246 and 0.228 nm. Note: “DS” is short for
“d-spacing”, and it represents the interplanar
distance at the characteristic peaks that identify the
phase) was from the coarse sand, fine sand and
silica fume of the fine-grained concrete. CaCO 3
Figure 9 Specimen XRD patterns: (a) Chloride solution
immersion and natural environment; (b) Different
dry-wet cycles
887
(DS: 0.301, 0.334, and 0.228 nm) was mainly from
the coarse aggregate of the existing concrete. In
addition, the carbonization reaction between the
concrete and CO2 in the air might have also led to
the generation of CaCO3. The characteristic peaks
of C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O (DS: 0.786 and 0.286 nm)
were found in the XRD patterns of all the
specimens except L2. When comparing the
specimen XRD patterns under the influences of
different factors, small amounts of C3A∙CaCl2∙
10H2O were found in the patterns, and the
characteristic peaks are described below:
1) The characteristic peak of C3A∙CaCl2∙
10H2O was not found in the XRD patterns when the
specimen remained in the natural environment;
2) Under the influence of continuous chloride
immersion, the characteristic peak of C3A∙CaCl2∙
10H2O was found in the XRD patterns but was not
large;
3) Compared with the results from specimens
undergoing 90 dry-wet cycles, the characteristic
peak of C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O was larger for specimens
undergoing 150 dry-wet cycles.
A comparison of the characteristic peaks of
C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O with the shear strengths of the
specimens affected by the same factor illustrates
that for the same factors, a larger characteristic peak
of C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O indicates a lower specimen
shear strength.
This conclusion is consistent with the results
of previous studies suggesting that C3A∙CaCl2∙
10H2O is a corrosion product from the reaction of
chloride ions in solution and concrete hydration
products and that C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O expands the
concrete internally, causing microscopic damage to
the concrete structures. The results showed that
C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O would be produced at the
interface between the TRC and existing concrete,
and chemical corrosion would lead to weaker
interfacial bonding properties under chloride
dry-wet cycles. However, C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O
chemical corrosion is not the only reason for the
degradation of the interfacial bonding performance
between the TRC and existing concrete. The
shrinkage and imbibition of concrete and salt
crystallization expansion may also cause the
degradation of the interfacial bond performance.
The interface properties are considerably affected
by different forms of interface reinforcement;
whether C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O chemical corrosion
888
remains the primary reason for the deterioration of
the interfacial properties is unclear and must be
further investigated.
4 Conclusions
In this paper, double-sided shear test was used
to study the effects of chloride solution immersion,
number of chloride dry-wet cycles, existing
concrete strength, bond length, textile layer and
short-cut fibers on the average shear strength and
slip at the interface between the TRC and existing
concrete. XRD technology was also used to analyze
the microscopic matter at the interface under the
effect of a chloride environment. The following
conclusions are drawn from the test results.
1) Compared with the natural environment,
continuous chloride immersion adversely affects the
interfacial bonding properties between the existing
concrete and TRC. Continuous chloride immersion
reduces the ultimate shear strength by 9.0%.
2) The ultimate shear strength between the
TRC and existing concrete is decreased with an
increasing number of chloride dry-wet cycles.
Compared with the specimen that does not undergo
dry-wet cycles, the shear strength is reduced by
30%, 42.9% and 51.9% after 90, 120 and 150
cycles, respectively.
3) For specimens with a single layer of textile,
the average shear strength tends to decrease with
increasing bond length. The interface properties of
the specimen are mainly determined by the nature
of the TRC layer and the interface when the
concrete strength is between C20 and C40. The
strength of existing concrete presents a slight
influence on the interfacial bond properties between
the TRC and existing concrete.
4) Compared with using a single layer of
textile, the use of two layers of textile further
improves the interfacial properties between the
existing concrete and TRC as well as the ultimate
shear strength and maximum slip of the interface.
5) The average shear strength between the
TRC and existing concrete is improved under the
effect of fine-grained concrete modified by PVA or
AR-glass fibers, but the effect of PVA fibers on
limiting the slip at the interface is more apparent.
6) C3A∙CaCl2∙10H2O is produced between the
TRC and existing concrete under chloride dry-wet
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
cycles, and the chemical corrosion led to the
deterioration of the interfacial bonding properties.
Additional experiments are needed to
generalize certain results and determine overarching
rules. This research will be pursued in the future.
Moreover, the determination of the depth-dependent
distribution of chloride concentration is meaningful,
and experiments toward this goal will be performed
in future studies to establish an improved theory.
References
[1] SHI Xian-ming, XIE Ning, FORTUNE K, GONG Jing.
Durability of steel reinforced concrete in chloride
environments: An overview [J]. Construction and Building
Materials, 2012, 30: 125−138. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.
2011.12.038.
[2] FU Chuan-qing, YE Hai-long, JIN Xian-yu, YAN
Dong-ming, JIN Nan-guo, PENG Zhao-xiong. Chloride
penetration into concrete damaged by uniaxial tensile fatigue
loading [J]. Construction & Building Materials, 2016, 125:
714−723. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.08.096.
[3] YE Hai-long, FU Chuan-qing, JIN Nan-guo, JIN Xian-yu.
Influence of flexural loading on chloride ingress in concrete
subjected to cyclic drying-wetting condition [J]. Computers
and Concrete, 2015(15): 183−198. DOI:
10.12989/cac.2015.15.2.183.
[4] YAN Dong-ming, LIN Gao, CHEN Gen-da. Dynamic
properties of plain concrete in triaxial stress state [J]. ACI
Materials Journal, 2009, 106(1): 89−94.
[5] LU Yi-yan, HU Ling, LI Shan, WANG Kang-hao.
Experimental study and analysis on fatigue stiffness of RC
beams strengthened with CFRP and steel plate [J]. Journal of
Central South University, 2016, 23(3): 701−707. DOI:
10.1007/s11771-016-3115-z.
[6] LIEBOLDT M, MECHTCHERINE V. Capillary transport of
water through textile-reinforced concrete applied in repairing
and/or strengthening cracked RC structures [J]. Cement and
Concrete Research, 2013, 52: 53−62. DOI: 10.1016/
j.cemconres.2013.05.012.
[7] COLAJANNI P, DOMENICO F, RECUPERO A,
SPINELLAA N. Concrete columns confined with fibre
reinforced cementitious mortars: Experimentation and
modelling [J]. Construction and Building Materials, 2014, 52:
375−384. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.11.048.
[8] TOUTANJI H, BALAGURU P. Durability characteristics of
concrete columns wrapped with FRP tow sheets [J]. Journal
of Materials in Civil Engineering, 1998, 10(1): 52−57. DOI:
10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(1998)10:1(52).
[9] OMBRES L. Debonding analysis of reinforced concrete
beams strengthened with fibre reinforced cementitious
mortar [J]. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2012, 81:
94−109. DOI: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2011.06.012.
[10] BOURNAS D A, PAVESE A, TIZANI W. Tensile capacity of
FRP anchors in connecting FRP and TRM sheets to concrete
J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890
[J]. Engineering Structures, 2015, 82: 72−81. DOI: 10.1016/
j.engstruct.2014.10.031.
[11] KOUTAS L, PITYTZOGIA A, TRIANTAFILLOU T C,
BOUSIAS S N. Strengthening of infilled reinforced concrete
frames with TRM: Study on the development and testing of
textile-based anchors [J]. Journal of Composites for
Construction, 2014, 18(3): A4013015. DOI: 10.1061/
(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000390.
[12] MECHTCHERINE V, LIEBOLDT M. Permeation of water
and gases through cracked textile reinforced concrete [J].
Cement and Concrete Composites, 2011, 33(7): 725−734.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.04.001.
[13] YIN Shi-ping, LI Yao, JIN Zhe-yu, LI Peng-hao. Interfacial
properties of textile-reinforced concrete and concrete in
chloride freezing-and-thawing cycle [J]. ACI Materials
Journal, 2018, 115(2): 197−208. DOI: 10.14359/51701919.
[14] ASKOUNI P D, PAPANICOLAOU C G. Experimental
investigation of bond between glass textile reinforced mortar
overlays and masonry: The effect of bond length [J].
Materials and Structures, 2017, 50(2), 164: 1−15. DOI:
10.1617/s11527-017-1033-7.
[15] RAOOF S, KOUTAS L N, BOURNAS D A. Bond between
textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) and concrete substrates:
Experimental investigation [J]. Composites Part
B−Engineering, 2016, 98: 350−361. DOI: 10.1016/
j.compositesb.2016.05.041.
[16] D’AMBRISI A, FEO L, FOCACCI F. Bond-slip relations for
PBO-FRCM materials externally bonded to concrete [J].
Composites Part B−Engineering, 2012, 43(8): 2938−2949.
DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.06.002.
[17] D’AMBRISI A, FEO L, FOCACCI F. Experimental and
analytical investigation on bond between carbon-FRCM
materials and masonry [J]. Composites Part B−Engineering,
2013, 46(3): 15−20. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.
10.018.
[18] YIN Shi-ping, XU Shi-lang, LI He-dong. Improved
mechanical properties of textile reinforced concrete thin
plate [J]. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-
Materials Science Edition, 2013, 28(1): 92−98. DOI:
10.1007/s11595-013-0647-z.
[19] PELED A. Confinement of damaged and nondamaged
structural concrete with FRP and TRC sleeves [J]. Journal of
Composites for Construction, 2007, 11(5): 514−522. DOI:
10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0268(2007)11:5(514).
[20] TUAKTA C, BÜYÜKÖZTÜRK O. Conceptual model for
prediction of FRP-concrete bond strength under moisture
cycles [J]. Journal of Composites for Construction, 2011,
15(5): 743−756. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.
000021.
[21] LI Yue, LIU Xiong-fei, LI Jia-qi. Bond properties of
FRP-concrete interface with nano-modified epoxy resin
under wet-dry cycles [J]. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering,
2017, 21(4): 1379−1385. DOI: 10.1007/s12205-016-0921-7.
[22] LIANG Hong-jun, LI Shan, LU Yi-yan, YANG Ting. The
889
combined effects of wet–dry cycles and sustained load on the
bond behavior of FRP–concrete interface [J]. Polymer
Composites, 2019, 40(3): 1006−1017. DOI: 10.1002/pc.
24785.
[23] ORTLEPP R, CURBACH M. Bonding behavior of textile
reinforced concrete strengthening [C]// NAAMAN A E,
REINHARDT H W, eds. Fourth International Workshop on
High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites
(HPFRCC4). France: RILEM Publications, 2003: 517−527.
[24] ORTLEPP R, HAMPEL U, CURBACH M. A new approach
for evaluating bond capacity of TRC strengthening [J].
Cement & Concrete Composites, 2006, 28(7): 589−597. DOI:
10.1016/j.cemeoncomp.2006.05.003.
[25] XUN Yong, XIAO Bao-hui, ZHANG Qin. Experimental
study on interfaces bond behavior of textile reinforced
concrete (TRC) with RC component [J]. Sichuan Build Sci,
2011, 37(4): 55−59. (in Chinese)
[26] POURASEE A, PELED A, WEISS J. Fluid transport in
cracked fabric-reinforced-cement-based composites [J].
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 2011, 23(8):
1227−1238. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000289.
[27] YIN Shi-ping, XU Shi-lang, WANG Fei. Investigation on the
flexural behavior of concrete members reinforced with epoxy
resin-impregnated textiles [J]. Materials and Structures, 2015,
48(1, 2): 153−166. DOI: 10.1617/s11527-013-0174-6.
[28] XU Shi-lang, SHEN Ling-hua, WANG Ji-yang, FU Ye. High
temperature mechanical performance and micro interfacial
adhesive failure of textile reinforced concrete thin-plate [J].
Journal of Zhejiang University−Science A, 2014, 15(1):
31−38. DOI: 10.1631/jzus.A1300150.
[29] LI He, XU Shi-lang. Development and optimization of
cementitious matrices for textile reinforced concrete [J].
Journal of Hydroelectric Engineering, 2006, 25(3): 72−76.
(in Chinese)
[30] NAGAMOTO N, OZAWA K. Mixture proportions of self-
compacting high-performance concrete [C]// High-
performance Concrete: Design and Materials and Advances
in Concrete Technology, ACI SP-172. 1997: 623−636.
[31] JULIO G R, JOSÉ M S, PEDRO F, JOSÉ X. Effect of
dry-wet cycles on the bond behaviour of concrete elements
strengthened with NSM CFRP laminate strips [J]. Composite
Structures, 2015, 132(12): 331−340. DOI: 10.1016/
j.compstruct.2015.05.053.
[32] YU Yu-lin, YIN Shi-ping, NA Ming-wang. Bending
performance of TRC-strengthened RC beams with secondary
load under chloride erosion [J]. Journal of Central South
University, 2019, 26(1): 196−206. DOI: 10.1007/s11771-
019-3993-y.
[33] LI Yao, YIN Shi-ping, CHEN Wen-jie. Seismic behavior of
corrosion-damaged RC columns strengthened with TRC
under a chloride environment [J]. Construction and Building
Materials, 2019, 201: 736−745. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.
2019.01.009.
(Edited by FANG Jing-hua)
890 J. Cent. South Univ. (2020) 27: 876−890

中文导读

氯盐干湿循环下纤维编织网增强混凝土与既有混凝土的界面性能

摘要：纤维编织网增强混凝土(TRC)适用于恶劣环境下混凝土结构的修补和增强。TRC 与既有混凝土
的界面性能是决定 TRC 加固效果的重要因素。本文通过双面剪切试验研究了氯盐干湿循环对 TRC 与
既有混凝土界面处平均抗剪强度和滑移的影响，同时考虑了既有混凝土强度、粘结长度、加固层数和
掺加短切纤维等因素。此外，还利用 X 射线衍射(XRD)技术分析了腐蚀环境中界面处的微观物质。试
验结果表明，随着氯盐干湿循环次数的增加，TRC 与既有混凝土的界面性能降低。与加固单层试件相
比，加固两层且基体中掺入 PVA 或 AR-玻璃短切纤维的试件可以进一步改善 TRC 层与既有混凝土的
界面性能。对于具有单层纤维编织网的 TRC，试件的平均抗剪强度随粘结长度的增加有减小的趋势。
此外，既有混凝土的强度等级对 TRC 与混凝土界面性能的影响较小。

关键词：纤维编织网增强混凝土(TRC)；氯盐干湿循环；双面剪切；平均剪切强度；界面滑移；X 射
线衍射技术