Natural fiber reinforced mortars to induce a specific mechanical amortization behavior in rupture as basis of seismic-resistant architecture

Abstract

The main focus of the actual research work was to define and study an emerging effective manufacturing process of producing natural fibers. It is also to insert them within the mortar or cement to preserve their mechanical behavior in terms of toughness, ductility, resistance... while extending their bending amortization following their possible rupture. Our objectives have been to:

define a new process for manufacturing high quality long natural fibers using Instant Controlled Pressure-Drop DIC - assisted "organosolv"; design and build a specific laboratory-scale TRIPOLIUM DIC reactor devoted to such an operation by coupling the solvent treatment of various natural materials and DIC; identify correlations between the specificities of such natural fibers and the characteristics of the mortars intending to reinforce their anti-seismic aspect and behavior by inducing a non-linear large-time post-cracking behavior able to absorb the main amounts of breakage energy prior to collapse.

The analysis of the mechanical behavior of the NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED MORTARS (NFRMs) was achieved in a well-detailed manner. Fiber distribution and fiber orientation were approached as the most critical parameters. The geometry of the structure shall ultimately dictate the NFRM composition that provides the best behavior for which fiber reinforcement is designed. Thus, this objective of producing Natural Fiber Reinforced Mortar (NFRM) should allow defining an interesting basis of seismic-resistant architecture.

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