The protection and repair of existing buildings is becoming increasingly important. In addition to weather protection and durability, building reinforcement is the focus of new developments. Systems with fiber-reinforced shotcrete are available for this purpose, for example. This composite system provides long-term protection for the existing building fabric and can also increase the load-bearing capacity of the structure.

Various test methods already exist for testing fiber-reinforced concretes, which aim to determine the residual load-bearing capacity after the maximum strength has been exceeded. These tests are challenging because they are deformation controlled and go beyond Fmax.

For testing structural coatings, there is a fairly new test method according to EN 14891.

In this test method, a slender prism 40 x 12(15) x 160 mm is made, if possible, from the substrate material, which contains a predetermined breaking point in the center. The coating is then applied to one side according to the manufacturer’s specifications and stored if necessary. The prism is then broken in a special device on the uncoated side at the predetermined breaking point, creating a very precisely defined tensile specimen and allowing the coatings to be tested reproducibly for adhesion, elasticity and tensile strength.

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