Experimental Investigation on the Buckling Behavior of Slender TRC Structures

Abstract

Carbon reinforced concrete is an innovative composite material made of high-performance materials that allows the construction of material-efficient, slender structural members with high load bearing capacity. Due to the significant reduction in thickness compared to structures made of conventional reinforced concrete, the subject of stability behavior of carbon concrete components becomes significantly more important. Regarding this matter, the increased sensitivity of the filigree structures to imperfections must particularly be taken into account. Buckling tests on slender specimens with a rectangular cross section and hinged supports were carried out, observing the nonlinear deformation behavior under uniaxial compressive loading. The focus of the investigations was on the variation of the textile position in the cross section and eccentricities in the load application. This paper presents the first experimental results of specimens with a slenderness ratio of λ ≈ 125 providing an initial insight into the effects of the purposefully applied imperfections on the stability behavior.