Freeze-thaw effects on the performance of TRM-strengthened masonry

In recent years, textile-reinforced mortars (TRMs) have been introduced as a sustainable and effective mean of strengthening masonry and concrete structures. Although many recent studies have focused on understanding the mechanical performance of TRM composites and TRM-strengthened masonry panels, their long-term durability has remained unexplored. This article presents a multi-level experimental and analytical investigation on the effect of freeze-thaw conditions on the behavior of masonry components strengthened with TRMs. The adopted TRM strengthening system is composed of an AR-glass fabric reinforced embedded in a hydraulic lime-based mortar. The tests include characterization of the changes in material properties, TRM tensile behavior, the fabric-to-mortar and the TRM-to-substrate bond behavior, and finally, the in-plane and the out-of-plane response of TRM-strengthened masonry panels after exposure to freeze-thaw cycles. The results reveal that although deterioration of properties at the composite level is observed, the considered freeze-thaw cycles did not affect the in-plane and out-of-plane performance of the strengthened panels.