Textile Concrete

Many modern buildings are made of steel reinforced concrete. However, after about 100 years it starts to crumble as the popular combination of concrete and steel corrodes. As a result, millions of buildings will require expensive repair work in the coming decades. New solutions are called for. One such solution is textile reinforced concrete. It is lighter, less expensive and, most importantly, stronger and more versatile. We take a journey into the world of modern building materials.

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Textile Concrete: Episode 06, 20/05/2008

New Cohesion

The concrete and fibreglass finally meet at the Otto-Mohr Laboratory in Dresden. A joist is used for testing. Pia and Ralph are trying to make some of the new composite material themselves at the "Semper Strasse Building Materials Laboratory". What factors do they need to take into consideration? At the Otto-Mohr Laboratory it soon becomes evident that preparing the tests demands maximum precision, because one day, the concrete will be exposed to wind, rain and sun and will need to stand up to high loads, for instance where it is used in bridge building.

At a glance

University: Technische Universitaet Dresden

Field of Research: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Engineering Sciences

Location: Dresden

Episodes: 12

Season/Year: 1. Season/ 2008

Status: Finished

Topics: concrete, fibreglass, otto mohr, laboratory, dresden, joist

15.04.2008

Concrete and Fibreglass

Dresden: The students Pia and Ralph lead us beyond the architectural masterpieces to places that are crumbling. But it isn't just the capital city of Saxony where there are areas that need some attention.

22.04.2008

Spinning a Yarn in Dresden

The fibres used to make the textile reinforced concrete are spun at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden. A fascinating fact: the glass fibres are eight times thinner than a human hair.

29.04.2008

A Success Story

Concrete is a success story that began 2,000 years ago in Rome with "opus caementitium". The Pantheon bears witness to the Roman art of concrete making. Why have so many Roman buildings survived to the present day?

06.05.2008

Warp and Weft

Weaving, knitting, and stitching. The fabric used to reinforce the new material is made at the Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology using glass fibres or carbon fibres. The process plays the crucial role.

13.05.2008

From Large to Small

Ladies and gentlemen, the first durability test: An experiment is conducted to test the strength of conventional steel reinforced concrete and textile reinforced concrete. And the winner is....

20.05.2008

New Cohesion

The concrete and fibreglass finally meet at the Otto-Mohr Laboratory in Dresden. A joist is used for testing.

27.05.2008

Virtual Load

How high will the load-bearing capacity of textile reinforced concrete buildings be? Using a computer simulation the researchers are able to predict how any given structure will behave.

03.06.2008

Innovation in Everyday Use

World premiere in Oschatz: The first bridge made of textile reinforced concrete was built here for the Saxony State Garden Show in 2005. Pia pays a visit to the Oschatz Concrete Works, which broke new ground with this manufacturing process.

10.06.2008

Well Calculated

The final tests all went according to plan and now, after many years of development work, textile reinforced concrete is ready for real-life use, and the first orders have already been placed....

17.06.2008

On the Career Ladder

Several years of intense research have gone into developing this high-tech material, but the uses of textile reinforced concrete are not restricted to large buildings such as bridges or concrete shells. Ralph can envisage slim, elegant chairs, concrete boats....

24.06.2008

Textile Reinforced Concrete Makes Architectural History

Kempten makes architectural history: The pedestrian bridge over the Rottach River is the longest textile reinforced concrete bridge in the world. But the new material has also been put to use in Schweinfurt.

01.07.2008

Concrete Art

Textile reinforced concrete is a very versatile material, as Einhart Grotegut explains. He uses paintbrushes, spatulas and paint to give the new composite material that special artistic touch. But can he paint with it too?

Field of Research