Textile-reinforced mortars (TRM) (also known as fabric-reinforced cementitious mortars (FRCM) are

composite material A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...

s used in structural strengthening of existing buildings, most notably in

seismic retrofit Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...

ting. The material consists of bidirectional

orthogonal In mathematics, orthogonality (mathematics), orthogonality is the generalization of the geometric notion of ''perpendicularity''. Although many authors use the two terms ''perpendicular'' and ''orthogonal'' interchangeably, the term ''perpendic ...

textiles made from

knitted Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: ...

, woven or simply stitched

roving A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton, or other fibres. Their main use is as fibre prepared for spinning, but they may also be used for specialise ...

s of high-strength

fibre Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorp ...

s (e.g.

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

, aramid,

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

, or PBO), embedded in inorganic matrices (most commonly cement-based

mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...

). The textiles can also be made from natural fibres, e.g.

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

. When combining plant fibers with mortars, one must pay attention to potential hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and lignin. Compared to other

s used in seismic retrofitting such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP), the fibre sheets are replaced by open-grid textiles and the epoxy resin is replaced by mortar. The synergy between the materials is mainly achieved due to a mechanical interlock forming between the textile layers and the mortar. A benefit of TRMs is their compatibility with typical construction materials such as concrete and masonry, and their improved fire resistance and resistance at high temperatures. TRM has been proven effective for strengthening both concrete and masonry structures, including the strengthening of masonry-infilled reinforced concrete structures. In combination with advanced thermal retrofitting materials or systems, TRM may offer avenues for the combined seismic and energy retrofitting of building envelopes

References

{{Reflist Composite materials Textiles

See also

References