Tensile behavior of textile-reinforced mortar: Influence of test setup and layer arrangement

Textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) systems are a popular solution for strengthening existing masonry structures these days. The vast application of these materials requires a thorough study of their properties and performance. The tensile behavior of TRMs has a significant role in their mechanical properties and requires a reliable setup to record their performance. Studies in the past focused on different gripping systems and setups for characterizing tensile behavior, but harmonization is still lacking. The present study aims at presenting a suitable setup for tensile testing. To this aim, two different TRM systems were utilized. Four different setups for the clamping of coupons were used: three of them were based on gripping textiles directly, while the other one was based on gripping the mortar. Also, the effect of the textile-to-mortar strength ratio variation was studied for different setups, and using a different number of plies and different mortar thicknesses. Furthermore, digital image correlation was used for all specimens to track cracking patterns and failure modes. Finally, a comprehensive discussion of the results is presented, and the most suitable testing setup is recommended.

Automated summary

This study investigates the tensile behavior of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) systems and proposes a suitable testing setup. Two different TRM systems were used and four different clamping setups were compared. The study also examines the effect of the textile-to-mortar strength ratio variation on the test results. Digital image correlation was employed to track crack patterns and failure modes. The study concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the results and a recommendation for the most suitable testing setup.