CT Scan-Based Modelling of 3D Through Thickness Textile Reinforced Cement Composites
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Textile reinforced cement composites (TRC) use fibre textiles instead of steel reinforcement to create thinner and more resource-efficient concrete elements. When using woven textiles as reinforcements, the load-bearing behaviour can be influenced by various effects, including the interlocking mechanism and the undulation/crimp of the fabric [1]. Those factors are not considered in simplified models where woven textile reinforcements are smeared in the matrix or yarns follow a straight weaving pattern. Synthetic generated woven geometries [2] do take into account those effects, and show promising results especially at the design stage, but miss the alterations coming from the manufacturing process. To tackle this, the present study created an explicit mesoscale representation of woven textile reinforcements based on CT- scans. The scans have been segmented and used to create a numerical model which follows the real yarns path through the textiles. The segmentation was performed using a newly developed machine learning (ML) tool, directly applied to each 2D slice of the CT-scans. The segmented slices were then stacked to form a voxel 3D geometry that is corrected using automated processes. The voxelisation has been refined and used to create a representative volume element (RVE) for a finite elements (FE) simulation, allowing for the assessment of its mesoscale mechanical performances. Besides enabling the investigation of interlocking and crimp effects at mesoscale, the proposed numerical model can also be used in a multiscale approach, allowing comparison with lab experiments. [1] Peled, Alva, Arnon Bentur, and Barzin Mobasher. “Micromechanics and Microstructure.” In Textile Reinforced Concrete. CRC Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315119151. [2] Toderascu, Christian, Badadjida Wintiba, Karim Ehab Moustafa Kamel, Thierry J. Massart, and Tine Tysmans. “Modelling of 3D Woven Textile Reinforced Cement Composites Behaviour Accounting for Through-Thickness Reinforcement.” Finite Elements in Analysis and Design 255 (March 2026): 104509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.finel.2025.104509.
