Title: Comparative Assessment of the Tensile Behavior of Steel and Textile Reinforced Mortar Systems

Author(s): Costantino Menna, Alberto Balsamo, Gennaro Maddaloni, Andrea Prota

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 324

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 2.1-2.14

Keywords: Glass fibers, steel reinforced grouts (SRGs), steel fabric, tensile behavior, textile reinforced mortars (TRMs).

DOI: 10.14359/51702354

Date: 4/1/2018

Abstract:
Steel reinforced grout (SRG) systems consist of high strength steel cords or fabrics embedded in a mortar or grout matrix; these are typically utilized as external reinforcement of existing reinforced concrete (RC) or masonry structures. Despite extensive experimental investigations conducted so far, reliable answers concerning their tensile, bond strength, strain to failure and stiffness properties seem still incomplete mainly due to their heterogeneous nature; this represents a limit for the design, standardization process and applications of such a system. These limiting aspects are also of a major interest in comparison with similar strengthening systems, namely textile reinforced matrix (TRM), in which the reinforcing system is typically made of a fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bi-directional grid rather than steel cords. This study deals with an experimental investigation on the tensile behavior of SRG and TRM systems, focusing on the mechanical aspects related to the different scales of the strengthening system itself, i.e. reinforcement and composite system. The tensile tests are carried out on two different SRG systems manufactured with two different matrix types. Typical glass TRM systems are also considered in this study for comparison purposes. Based on the experimental outcomes, some analytical interpretations are provided.