Durability of a Glass Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix Composite under Different Environmental Conditions

The use of fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites for strengthening and retrofitting existing masonry structures is nowadays a well-established practice, due to its speed and ease of application, low invasiveness, and high performance-to-cost ratio. Among different FRCMs, those comprising glass fiber textiles (GFRCM) represent an excellent choice due to the good mechanical properties and low cost of the raw material. However, limited information is available on the effect of environmental conditions on the performance of GFRCM composites and on their long-term behavior. This paper investigates the effect of different environmental conditions on the tensile performance of a GFRCM composite comprised of a cement-based matrix reinforced with an open-mesh alkali-resistant glass textile. Namely, the effect of hygrothermal conditioning, saline environment, alkali environment, freeze-thaw cycles, and dry heat conditioning were considered. After conditioning, specimens were tested using a clamping-grip tensile test configuration and the effect of the various exposures was analyzed comparing the composite tensile strength, ultimate strain, and elastic modulus of conditioned and control specimens. The experimental results show a good performance of the tested GFRCM composite with respect to the conditions considered.