Sustainable Retrofitting Solutions: Evaluating the Performance of Jute Fiber Nets and Composite Mortar in Natural Fiber Textile Reinforced Mortars

Arnas Majumder (), Flavio Stochino, Andrea Frattolillo, Monica Valdes, Gianluca Gatto and Enzo Martinelli
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Arnas Majumder: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II n.132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Flavio Stochino: Department of Civil Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Andrea Frattolillo: Department of Civil Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Monica Valdes: Department of Civil Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Gianluca Gatto: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Enzo Martinelli: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II n.132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: Sustainable building materials for integrated (structural and thermal) retrofitting are the need of the hour to retrofit/upgrade the seismic vulnerable and ill-insulated existing building stocks. At the same time, the use of natural fibers and their recyclability could help construct safer and more sustainable buildings. This paper presents three aspects of jute fiber products: (1) the evaluation of the mechanical performance of the jute nets (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm and 2.5 cm and 1.25 cm mesh configurations) through tensile strength tests (with the aim for these to be used in upgrading masonry wall with natural fiber textile reinforced mortars (NFTRM) systems); (2) the hundred percentage recyclability of left-over jute fibers (collected during the net fabrication and failed nets post-tensile strength tests) for the composite mortar preparation; (3) and the evaluation of insulation capacity of the recycled jute net fiber composite mortar (RJNFCM) through thermal conductivity (TC) measurements, when a maximum amount of 12.5% of recycled jute fiber could be added in the mortar mixture at laboratory conditions and with available instruments Notably, when more than the said amount was used, the fiber–mortar bonding was found to be not optimal for the composite mortar preparation. These studies have been carried out considering these products’ applicability for integrated retrofitting purposes. It has been found that the denser mesh configuration (2.5 cm × 1.25 cm) is 35.80% stiffer than the other net configurations (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm). Also, the mesh configuration (2.5 cm × 1.25 cm) shows about 60% more capability to absorb strain energy. TC tests have demonstrated the moderate insulation capacity of these composite mortar samples, and the TC values obtained from the tests range from 0.110 (W/mK) to 0.121 (W/mK).

Keywords: jute fiber; natural fiber textile reinforced mortars (NFTRM); recycled fiber composite; structural retrofitting; thermal capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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