Textile-reinforced mortar: Durability in salty environment

Reinforcing a fine-grained cement-based matrix with a textile fabric is an emerging approach in civil engineering, termed Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM). We propose to load the ultra-high-performance matrix with nano additives, i.e., a crystalline admixture (CA) or CA plus alumina nanofibers. The mix was designed to yield flow values in the fresh state suitable for retrofitting, and to provide high compressive strength. Examination of the durability of the TRM elements exposed to salty environments unexpectedly showed enhanced tensile strength (< 81%). This is owing to the growth of salt crystals at the matrix-textile interface resulting in stronger bond strength, as imaged by scanning electron microscopy, identified by acoustic emission measurements, and validated by pull-off tests.