In order to pursue sustainable objectives in the construction industry, a new composite material using vegetal fibre mesh coated with resin and embedded in mortar is developed and characterized. In this study, meshes of different types of vegetal fibres (flax, hemp, sisal, and cotton) coated with epoxy and polyester resins were manufactured. A mixture of meshes and mortar cast different fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) specimens, which were later subjected to direct tensile tests. The results showed an excellent interaction between the vegetal fibres and the mortar matrix. The coating with epoxy and polyester improved the mechanical properties of the yarns and apparently avoided the typical slipping failures in FRCM composites. Hemp and flax FRCM are the composites that reached the highest mechanical strength, whereas cotton FRCM had the greatest elongation capacity and multicracking response. In addition, an analytical model was proposed and validated by a comparison with the experimental results.

This work explores the feasibility of strengthening masonry with Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM) by projecting it to save application time. Nineteen tests on masonry samples strengthened with TRM have been carried out to assess this new application method. Different mortars and fibre grids were considered for studying their influence and applicability with this new technique. Three points bending tests have been performed on the specimens to compare the flexural strength between cases with manually applied mortar (TRM) and sprayed application (TRSM) of the mortar layer. It was noticed that the strengthening mortar has a significant influence on the failure mode. Results show a remarkable (between 2 and 6 times more) productivity increase when using TRSM and a load-bearing capacity rise for the cases with larger grid spacing and projectable mortar when using TRSM instead of TRM. Greater ductility values were also observed for the TRSM cases in comparison with the analogue TRM cases (same grid and mortar).

No abstract

Fibre Reinforced Polymers laminates are currently used to strengthen brick masonry walls. However, no specific evidences of the structural response of this strengthening system when brick walls are subjected to eccentric compressive loads, which might lead to second order bending effects, have been found. An experimental campaign on real-size walls has been carried out and the results have been compared with a numerical model, which predicted the observed shear/compressive masonry failure, and a new analytical approach, which has been used to accurately calculate the load-bearing capacity of the walls. Useful considerations for the strengthening design are also presented.

© 2017. This version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/The feasibility of using ultrasound transmission method to assess raw earthen materials is investigated. Results indicate that this technique is effective at controlling the drying process of raw earthen materials. Near the hygrometric equilibrium, there is a linear relationship between the moisture content of the earthen material and the ultrasound transmission speed, which increases during the drying process. For the tested compressed earth, the hygrometric equilibrium is reached when the ultrasound transmission speed is over 1100 m/s. In addition, ultrasound transmission method is useful to reliably calculate the dynamic Young's modulus of raw earthen materials.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft