Freeze-thaw durability of glass textile-reinforced mortar composites

Application of textile-reinforced mortars (TRMs) for externally bonded reinforcement of existing masonry structures has received a considerable recent attention. The mechanical behaviour of these composites, which are composed of continuous fibers embedded in an organic matrix, and their effectiveness in improving the performance of strengthened structures are highly dependent on the fiber-to-mortar bond behaviour as well as the bond between TRM system and substrate. Understanding the long-term performance of these mechanisms is therefore of critical importance for design of durable TRM composites and ensuring the safety of strengthened structures. To address this aspect, the effect of freeze-thaw cycles on the textile-to-mortar bond behaviour is experimentally investigated and discussed in this paper. The results illustrate a significant deterioration of the textile-to-mortar bond performance in the studied composites.FEDER funds through the Competitivity Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE) and by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the scope of project POCI-01-0145-FEDER007633. The support to the first author through grant SFRH/BD/131282/201