A main topic of consideration for glass-fibre reinforced cementitious composites is their durability. Recent developments of new cementitious matrices and advances in chemical composition and sizing of glass fibres lead to increased durability of cementitious composites with glass fibre reinforcement. Still, the relative importance of the main degradation mechanisms is not fully understood. A joint experimental program at RWTH-Aachen (Germany) and VUB-Brussels (Belgium) shows that the pH of the matrix has a considerable influence on the durability of the studied composite. Recent investigations on single filaments in high alkalinity solutions and on rovings in concrete show that filaments lose strength mainly due to chemical attack in local weak points of the glass structure. Once this chemical attack becomes diffusion controlled, further corrosion slows down to a considerably lower rate. The aim of these investigations is to finally build a model, allowing prediction of the long-term behaviour of textiles -made of glass filaments -in concrete, which is based on the physico-chemical background of degradation.1359-5997 9 2004 RILEM. All rights reserved.
RI~SUME
M~me ~ ce jour, la durabilit~ reste une consideration importante clans l'usage des composites h matrice cimentaire renforc~s par des fibres de verre. Les d~veloppements rOcents en matiOre de matrices cimentaires et les progrks r~alisOs dans le domaine de l 'ensimage des fibres de verre ont d~j~ abouti ~ une amelioration de la durabilitO des composites eimentaires renforc~es par des fibres de verre, mais l'importance relative des m~canismes de dOgradation n 'est pas encore ~tablie. R WTH-Aachen (Allemagne) et ULB-Brw
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