To enhance the durability of reinforced concrete structures, high performance concrete with low water/binder ratio is often employed. However, once cracking occurs in the concrete cover due to mechanical loading or shrinkage, water and chloride can penetrate easily to induce…
To enhance the durability of reinforced concrete structures, high performance concrete with low water/binder ratio is often employed. However, once cracking occurs in the concrete cover due to mechanical loading or shrinkage, water and chloride can penetrate easily to induce steel corrosion. The present study fo- cuses on an alternative approach for the construction of durable concrete members, with the use of permanent formwork. To make the formwork, strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) is employed. With 2% of incorporated fibers, the SHCC exhibits multiple cracking behavior in tension, with crack openings controlled to below 60 micron at strain level up to several percent. ith such small crack openings, the transport properties are similar to those of the un-cracked material. n addition to SHCC, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) can be incorporated into the formwork to provide flexural resistance. n some applications, the member can be made by casting concrete directly on the formwork. n others, a reduced amount of steel reinforcement can be added. With steel protected by the GFRP/SHCC formwork (which acts as part of the cover), high durability can be en- sured. In this paper, we will describe the material employed for making the permanent formwork and the method to fabricate U-shape formwork for slabs and beams. Test results on components made with the perma- nent formwork will be presented. Failure behavior will be discussed and failure load compared to analytical val- ues. An example will also be provided to illustrate the use of GFRP/SHCC formwork in practice.