Fibre-Reinforced Geopolymers (FRGPs) as Inorganic Composites for Flexural Strengthening of Brick Masonry

This study presents an assessment of externally bonded Fibre-Reinforced GeoPolymers (FRGPs) as strengthening material for masonry structures. Geopolymer matrices can also potentially fulfil the requirements of restoration criteria for historical buildings, with heat-resistant performances generally better than Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs). Four FRGPs, embedding either unidirectional steel or bidirectional carbon, basalt or glass mesh as reinforcement, were tested by means of local shear and bending tests on fired clay brick specimens, either alone or coupled with hydraulic lime mortar. In addition, the behaviour of each reinforcement exposed to alkaline environments was investigated through tensile tests on coupons. Results confirmed the interesting potential of FRGPs for strengthening masonry elements, highlighting a good performance of steel and carbon reinforcements.