Quantifying the influence of textile fibre characteristics on drying-induced moisture transportation in textile fibre reinforced concrete

Drying analysis on Textile Fibre Reinforced Concrete (TFRC) is performed. An intrinsic humidity transport coefficient in capillary pores (CP) is determined. A novel percolation function is introduced for CP connectivity of TFRC. A relationship between CP connectivity and textile fibre properties is defined. Optimisation for enhanced moisture retention can be achieved with proposed method. This study presents a computational framework to determine time-dependent relative humidity transport coefficients in Textile Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (TFRC) made with cement and fly ash binders. These coefficients, influenced by capillary pore (CP) connectivity, depend on porosity and microstructural changes caused by textile fibre inclusions. Porosity evolution and CP connectivity are modelled by integrating hydration analysis with mixed effective medium theory, capturing the time-dependent transport properties across hierarchical concrete scales. The intrinsic relative humidity transport coefficient is derived to represent moisture transport mechanisms. A novel percolation function that quantifies CP connectivity changes induced by textile fibres is developed. This function links fibre characteristics to microstructural modifications, providing quantitative insights into reduced pore connectivity and enhanced drying resistance in TFRC. The findings reveal that textile fibres can reduce pore connectivity by up to 75 %, with fibre volumes below 0.5 % offering optimal drying resistance. The framework also optimises fibre content to improve water retention in TFRC under environmental drying. This model lays the groundwork for analysing drying shrinkage and improving the durability of TFRC in practical applications, addressing the long-term performance requirements of fibre-reinforced cementitious composites.