Mechanical performance of vegetal fabric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites

In order to pursue sustainable objectives in the construction industry, a new composite material using vegetal fibre mesh coated with resin and embedded in mortar is developed and characterized. In this study, meshes of different types of vegetal fibres (flax, hemp, sisal, and cotton) coated with epoxy and polyester resins were manufactured. A mixture of meshes and mortar cast different fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) specimens, which were later subjected to direct tensile tests. The results showed an excellent interaction between the vegetal fibres and the mortar matrix. The coating with epoxy and polyester improved the mechanical properties of the yarns and apparently avoided the typical slipping failures in FRCM composites. Hemp and flax FRCM are the composites that reached the highest mechanical strength, whereas cotton FRCM had the greatest elongation capacity and multicracking response. In addition, an analytical model was proposed and validated by a comparison with the experimental results.