Jute fiber-reinforced mortars: mechanical response and thermal performance

Enhancing energy efficiency and structural capacity are the main objectives of masonry retrofitting. However, a combined enhancement of both aspects is hardly achievable, as they are related to the relevant geometric and physical parameters in a somewhat “competitive” fashion. Therefore, the main focus of this research is to achieve the dual positive effect by improving both thermal insulation properties and structural behavior of composite building materials, also with an eye to sustainability. In this context, jute fibers composite mortars were fabricated by using three different fiber lengths (5 mm,10 mm and 30 mm) and four different fiber percentages (0.5%,1%,1.5% and 2%) with respect to the mortar masses. Unreinforced mortar samples showed fragile collapse during the flexural and compression (with hour-glass shape) tests. Whereas the fiber reinforced mortar samples exhibited higher ductility and strain energy but lower strength. These composite samples present also higher thermal resistance as the fiber percentage increases. Samples with longer fibers (30 mm, in all fiber percentage category) can dissipate more mechanical energy, whereas the samples with shorter fibers (5 mm, in all fiber percentage category) have lower thermal conductivity values, which leads to improving the insulation capacity of the composite samples.