Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Cement Mortar for Out-of-Plane Strengthening of Masonry Prisms

The retrofitting process contributes to the sustainability of the construction sector, since adopting measures to increase the lifespan of buildings reduces the need for new constructions. However, many of the materials used in this process come from nonrenewable sources and require significant water and energy consumption for production. The aim of this study is to assess the viability of using a more environmentally friendly mortar coating reinforced with short jute fibers (SJFRM) to reinforce ceramic brick masonry walls. Both coated and uncoated prisms were subjected to compression and flexural tests under two-point (line) out-of-plane loading. The reinforcement layer comprised mortar without fibers and mortars reinforced with jute fibers at levels of 2% and 4%, with lengths of 20 mm and 40 mm. Physical and mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the properties of SJFRM in both fresh and hardened states. Results indicate that the compressive and flexural strengths were enhanced with SJFRM reinforcement due to alterations in the failure mode of the prisms. The fibers impede crack propagation in the reinforcement layer, enabling better redistribution of internal stresses in the prisms. This results in an increase of 6 to 9 times in stiffness under direct compression and up to 42 times in toughness under flexion in the prisms reinforced with SJFRM when compared to uncoated prisms.