Tensile tests on PBO1-FRCM specimens show a tri-linear behavior
as in Fig. 1. In the first linear branch the specimen is uncracked
and the slope reflects the elastic modulus of the cementitious mortar.
Once the tensile strength of the mortar is reached (point T1) the
force is transferred to the textile (second phase). In the third phase
(starting from point T2) only the contribution of the textile is noticeable
and the slope reflects the elastic modulus of the dry fibers.
As expected, the results show a large variability in particular for
the localization of points T1 and T2. This phenomenon is mainly
caused by two parameters: the non-regular dimensions of the
specimen section (see Table 4) and the location of the first crack
with respect to the extensometer [38]. As described in Chapter 2,
the extensometer had a length of 100 mm and was located in the
central part of the specimens. Therefore the cracks that appeared
outside this interval could not be recorded.
A series of 23 tensile tests made with PBO-FRCM was tested.
Fig. 8 shows the stress–strain behavior of some specimens. In
Table 5 a summary of the results is reported. The parameters were
derived dividing the loads by the section of the fabric. Only for the
first phases, in which the mortar is un-cracked, tensile stress (r⁄t1)
and elastic modulus (E⁄1) were also referred to the composite cross
section in order to compare the cracking tensile stress and the elastic
modulus with the mortar properties. These values are reported in
the last two columns in Table 5. The stress in the mortar at point
T1 is 3.65 MPa that is lower but comparable to the nominal maximum
tensile strenght of the mortar (4.27 MPa).
The elastic modulus of the third phase (215.7 GPa) is very similar
to the elastic modulus of the dry PBO textile (216 GPa). Fig. 9
shows a comparison between the tensile test on PBO-FRCM with
4 rovings, and the dry PBO textile with 1, 4 and 5 rovings.
The experimental results show a quite large variability, in
particular for the elastic modulus of the second phases and the
deformations corresponding to first and second points of
transition. These variability could be caused by several factors:
the irregularities of the cross section of the specimens