Experimental investigation on concrete overlaid with textile reinforced mortar: Influences of mix, temperature, and chemical exposure

Textile reinforced mortar is widely used as an overlay for the repair, rehabilitation, and retrofitting of concrete structures. Recently, textile reinforced concrete has been identified as a suitable lining material for improving the durability of existing concrete structures. In this study, we developed a textile-reinforced mortar mix using river sand and evaluated the different characteristics of the textile-reinforced mortar under various exposure conditions. Studies were carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the pullout strength, temperature resistance, water absorption, and compressive and bending strength values of three different textile-reinforced mortar mixes with a single type of textile reinforcement were investigated. In the second phase, the chemical resistance of the mix that showed the best performance in the abovementioned tests was examined for use as an overlay for a concrete substrate. Investigations were performed on three different thicknesses of the textile reinforced mortar overlaid on concrete specimens that were subjected to acidic and alkaline environments. The flexural responses and degradations of the textile reinforced mortar overlaid specimens were examined by performing bending tests. The experimental findings indicated the feasibility of using textile reinforced mortar as an overlay for durable concrete construction practices.