Artificial Ageing of Mortar Prisms Reinforced through Steel, Glass and Organic Fibres

Abstract

The process of ageing in construction materials is natural and expected, and the technologies to contrast and reverse any damage due to the passing of time are well known in the field of civil engineering. This is true for structures themselves as well as the reinforcement technologies such as, for example, fiber reinforcements (FRP or FRCM). In fact, studies [1,5] have brought attention early on to severe mechanical characteristic reduction caused by the ageing process of specific resin matrices used in composite reinforcement materials, or, even more perilous, their exposure to extreme conditions of temperature. In this project, the authors have set up an experimental campaign on mortar prisms reinforced with different types of fibers and subjected to cycles of ageing through heat exposure. This paper presents the results obtained by three point flexural testing performed at the Testing Laboratory of the University of Florence, comparing the results of the reinforced and aged prisms with those of the non-aged and non reinforced prisms, providing a precedent on how ageing influences the structural behavior of fibers and mortar.