In this study water absorption and water permeability were tested on uniaxially preloaded, cracked specimens made of textile reinforced concrete (TRC) and cracked composite specimens (ordinary concrete + TRC) preloaded in bending. The influence of imposed strain on the permeation of water was observed in-situ by using uniaxial tensile tests and described by an analytical model. The transport values for the cracked material correlated with the cracks’ characteristics (number of cracks, crack width). Furthermore, the effect of self-healing phenomena on the transport properties of TRC was considered. The distribution of water in cracked ordinary concrete and cracked composite specimens was studied by means of neutron radiography which provided with a high spatial and temporal resolution. The penetration of water is presented qualitatively and discussed.