An Experimental Study on the Thermo-mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar with Textile Fibers for Building Applications

Developing materials with enhanced thermal properties is fundamental to reduce the energy demand in buildings and consequently energy consumption. In this study, an experimental assessment of the use of textile fiber waste in cement-based composites for building applications was addressed. In particular, both mechanical and thermal characterizations were performed to evaluate the behavior of cement mortars incorporating two types of textile fibers in different percentages after 7 and 28 days of water curing, respectively. Results show that the addition of fibers has great potential to improve the thermal insulation capacity of buildings by reducing the thermal conductivity of cement mortar by up to 52%. Moreover, the textile fibers improved the mechanical strength of the cementitious mortar, especially with a high percentage of textile and a prolonged period of curing.