Flexural behavior of carbon fabric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composite plates with added short fibers

To address the limitations of organic adhesives in reinforcement structures, fabric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites has been introduced as a substitute for fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs). However, the high strength properties of the fabric cannot be fully exploited due to the brittle nature of the cementitious matrix. To address this issue, short fibers have been proposed to be incorporated into the matrix to enhance the mechanical properties of FRCM composites. In this study, the flexural properties of carbon FRCM composites plates with short fibers were investigated by four-point flexural tests. The effects of volume fraction and type of short fibers, aspect ratio of short polyethylene (PE) fibers, matrix strength, and fabric type were considered. The load-deflection curve, flexural performance parameters, and crack pattern were evaluated. A qualitative analysis of the average crack spacing was performed.