Experimental Investigation on the Bond Behaviour of Basalt TRM Systems - Influence of Textile Configuration and Multi-Layer Application

Abstract

Textile Reinforced Mortars (TRM) include a series of innovative strengthening systems suitable for conservation interventions since inorganic matrixes, instead of polymeric resins, are employed. Recent research supported the definition of guidelines on testing methods for TRM systems applied to masonry, but further investigation is needed to clear out the role played by the numerous factors affecting the strengthening capacity. In this study, an experimental campaign on basalt-fibre TRM systems was carried out. A series of tensile and single-shear bond tests are compared. Samples differ for fibre reinforcement ratio, textile layout and the number of textile layers, while the lime-based mortar matrix is the same for all specimens. For tensile tests, results show that, after a mortar-cracking phase, a third, substantially linear phase, during which the textile response is dominant, occurred for specimens failed both for textile tensile rupture and textile slippage. For shear bond tests, results showed that increasing the reinforcement ratio tightening textile mesh is not as beneficial as increasing textile layers, i.e. active bond surfaces.