Distributed cracking and stiffness degradation in fabric-cement composites

Formation of distributed cracking and the associated degradation in the stiffness of fabric-cement composites under tensile loading were studied. Composites made from low modulus woven polyethylene fabric and bonded Alkali Resistant (AR) glass mesh were manufactured by means of pultrusion technique. The influence of fabric type, matrix modification and curing as well as the pressure applied after pultrusion were studied using tensile stress strain response. Three distinct measures of damage including quantitative crack spacing by image analysis, stiffness degradation, and microstructural observation by optical and scanning electron microscopy are evaluated.