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TECHNICAL PAPER

(a)

(b)
Figure 18. Illustration of construction with TRC modules: (a) building units (application by Archana Blocks, Rajapalayam) and (b) tanks at IIT Madras

an equivalence between 1 day of accelerated ageing and about fundamental bases for understanding and design of any
120 days in tropical conditions could be established. It was also cementitious system that cracks. The research works that have
identified that the type of damage occurring on the textile is the been highlighted in this paper emphasize the importance
same when it is directly immersed in alkaline solution or when of the approach, and serve as illustrations of its applications
it is within the composite (see Figure 17), which indicates how in the engineering of better materials and for utilising
these effects can lead to rupture of the filaments. Similar studies them appropriately. In particular, concrete with distributed
are being conducted under sustained loading to assess the reinforcement can be efficiently used when the design considers
overall durability and limiting strains in the composites . fracture mechanics, rather than just limiting stress or strain.
[61]
The behaviour and the characteristics obtained at the material
level has helped in the structural design and implementation 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
of TRC in several pilot projects [48, 61-63] . The images in Figure 18 The fracture and related work at IIT Madras has been funded
show panel and ring modules being used in the construction of by multiple grants and industry projects including those from
buildings and sewage treatment plants.
IGSTC (R&D Project/Call 2017/CleanWater/IITM/18/2018-19),
SERB (Core Research Grant CRG/2019/004267), DST - Ministry
5. CONCLUDING REMARKS
of Science and Technology (Indo-UK Project, DST/INT/UK/P-
Research at IIT Madras aimed at the rational characterization 172/2017), Bekaert and Saint Gobain Research India. The
and design of fibre and textile reinforced concretes, based on experimental research has benefited tremendously from the
fracture mechanics principles and models has been successful, FIST Grant SR/FST/ETII- 054/2012 from DST, Government of
through a long series of projects, in developing test methods, India, which led to procurement of closed-loop servohydraulic
identifying key behavioural aspects and implementing these systems for the laboratory for mechanical performance of civil
materials in the field. Though fracture mechanics is not engineering materials, IIT Madras. The team is part of the
perceived currently as a “hot” research topic, it provides Centre of Excellence on Technologies for Low-carbon and

50 THE INDIAN CONCRETE JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2026