Natural fibers based composites applied to masonry structures:

experimental and numerical analysis

Rosamaria Codispoti1, Daniel V. Oliveira2, Renato S. Olivito1
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Calabria, Italy,
Email: rosamaria.codispoti@unical.it, rs.olivito@unical.it
2
Department of Civil Engineering, ISISE, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal,
E-mail: danvco@civil.uminho.pt

Keywords: Natural fibers, Composite material, Masonry.

SUMMARY. This paper deals with the comparison between experimental and numerical results
related to bending behavior of natural fiber reinforced polymer (NFRP) sheets externally glued on
masonry bricks, in terms of load capacity and stress distribution along the bonded length. The
bricks adopted for this experimentation are solid clay bricks, similar to the ones used in ancient
masonry structures. The experimental tests were carried out at University of Minho, Portugal.
Numerical analyses have been performed with a plane stress finite element model in the FE code
DIANA. Two different models have been performed: a model for the unreinforced brick and
another for the reinforced brick, using two types of natural fibers: flax and hemp. The comparison
between numerical and experimental results has showed that the adopted numerical model is able
to reproduce with accuracy the experimental results.

1 INTRODUCTION
The last few years have been characterized by a remarkable development of technologies
related to two fundamental concepts: environment and sustainability. Their importance is
explained by the study, increasingly detailed, on natural materials which have led to the
development of so-called "biocomposites" [1]. Nowadays, biocomposites represent an important
component in the field of science and mechanics of materials. Biocomposites have recently
attracted the attention of researchers and engineers as an alternative strengthening for fiber
reinforced polymer composite FRP due to their low cost, good mechanical properties, high
specific strength, non-abrasive, eco-friendly and bio-degradability characteristics [2].
The present work presents the numerical modeling of the bond behavior of natural fiber based
composites, following a considerable experimental program carried out at University of Minho [3].
In particular, a numerical study based on the finite element method has been developed in order to
model three point bending tests on masonry bricks externally strengthened with natural fiber-
reinforced polymer sheets, in order to analyze the NFRP's flexural strength and the load capacity
between unreinforced and reinforced masonry bricks. Following a wide range of experimental
tests carried out on different natural materials [3-5], flax and hemp strengthening were modeled,
due to their higher and more uniform mechanical properties, previously obtained. Epoxy based
matrix was used as matrix [4]. Finally, the comparison between the experimental and numerical
results has been examined.
 2 EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM AND RESULTS
Three point bending tests were performed on unreinforced bricks and on bricks strengthened
with two different epoxy based composites natural materials: flax and hemp fibers. The NFRP
strips of 50 mm width were applied on masonry bricks following the wet layup procedure. Natural
fiber-based composites under study have a thickness tfiber=3mm for flax (six specimens,
CoV=16%) and tfiber=2,5mm for hemp (six specimens, CoV=11%). One layer of fabric, previously
cut in the warp direction (90° direction) for each specimen was applied to the brick, after the
cleaning of the substrate and the primer application. The bonded length of the strips was equal to
140 mm, as illustrated in Fig 1. The masonry units used as the substrate were clay bricks with
dimensions of 200x100x55mm3, a mean compressive strength of 20MPa (CoV=2,5%), tensile
strength of 2,2MPa (CoV=4%) [6]. The resulting load was measured by means of a load cell. To
measure the displacements, two LVDT's were applied to the specimen, one in the midpoint of the
brick and another, of control, corresponding to the load cell. In order to have an approximately
idea about the strain, one strain gage was bonded at the centerline of the composite.
50

140

200
100
50
80

Reinforced Brick NFRP

Strain Gauge b) c)
a)
Figure 1: a) Specimen's size, plan view and elevation view; b) Unreinforced brick;
c) Reinforced bricks with strain gauges

2.1 Experimental results

These tests were carried out in order to analyze the load capacity between unreinforced and
reinforced masonry bricks. The results obtained demonstrate that the reinforced bricks are more
resistant when compared to unreinforced bricks, as expected. Indeed, it's possible to note that the
reinforced bricks are characterized by an increment of flexural resistance of almost 30% with flax
and 28% with hemp (see Table I). Also the figure 2 shows the maximum Force – Displacement
experimental envelope of unreinforced brick and reinforced brick (Hemp and Flax).
Experimental tests were carried out according to BS EN 1015-11:1999 [7]. However, the tests
carried out in this present work differ from the tests described in the standard procedure: in the
current test the specimens are bigger (200x100x50mm3) and they are masonry bricks externally
strengthened with natural fiber-reinforced sheets.
 Table I: Average of results obtained from three point bending tests
(CoV is provided inside parentheses).
d Fmax fflexural ε
Type of specimen
[mm] [kN] [kPa] [μm/m]
0,82 4,81 800 _
Unstrengthened
(59%) (14%) (14%)
0,68 6,18 980 1142
HEMP
(69%) (4%) (3%) (44%)
Strengthened
0,91 6,49 1050 1284
FLAX
(32%) (2%) (3%) (17%)

Displacement - Force Diagram

7

5
FORCE [KN]

2
UNBRICK
1 FLAX-FRP
HEMP-FRP
0
0 0,05 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 0,3
DISPLACEMENT [mm]
Figure 2: Experimental envelope of unreinforced brick (UNBRICK),
Hemp-FFRP and Flax-FFRP strengthened bricks

The failure mode of the specimens is characterized by the breakage of the specimen in the
section at the mid-span. This mode is the same for both flax-based reinforced and hemp-based
reinforced bricks (Figure 3a and 3b).

a) b)
Figure 3: a) Testing machine; b) Failure modes for TPBT.
 3 FINITE ELEMENT MODEL
The numerical analysis has been performed with a plane stress finite element model in the FE
code DIANA [8], see Fig.4, for modeling the three point bending tests on unreinforced bricks and
on Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer (NFRP) strengthened masonry bricks.
The adopted mesh includes eight-node plane stress elements for representing the masonry brick
and two-node truss elements for the NFRP strip. The boundary conditions and the loading
condition are applied to the model as shown in Fig.5. An incremental force was applied in the top
center of the brick, which is in the plane of the element, in order to simulate the bending
conditions. A modified Newton-Raphson iterative scheme together with the line search method is
used for solving the non-linear equations.

8 NODE PLANE
STRESS ELEMENT
(Brick)

2 NODE TRUSS
ELEMENT (NFRP)

Figure 4: Finite element model

Two different element sizes were used for representing the brick, Element 1(5x5mm) for the
edges of the brick and Element 2 (3x5mm) for the central area, subjected to a higher stress state
variation , see Fig.5. Two different meshes were modeled, Mesh 1 for the unreinforced bricks and
Mesh 2 for reinforced bricks, in order to compare the two behaviors. The total number of elements
and the total number of nodes for each mesh are shown in table II.

Figure 5: Full mesh with loads and boundary constrains

Table II: Adopted mesh types

Mesh type Total n. of elements Total n. of nodes
Mesh 1 570 1845
Mesh 2 656 1845
 3.1 Material models
Isotropic elastic material models are used for NFRP sheets; the mechanical properties of the
brick and NFRP sheets are shown in the table III in terms of modulus of elasticity, Ef, tensile
strength, ft, Poisson's ratio, n, composite thickness, tf, and cross-section area, Af, obtained from
experimental tests [9]. Regarding the physical properties of the materials used, two different cases
have been considered: one for the brick and another for the cross section on the middle of the brick,
so called crack section, see table II. In addition, for the non-linear analysis, the mode-I tensile
fracture energy of the brick has been selected equal to Gf =0,08 N/mm and compressive fracture
energy equal to 20 N/mm [10].

Table III: Mechanical Characteristics of the materials

Ef ft tf Af
Materials n
[MPa] [MPa] [mm] [mm2]
Bricks 9579 2,2 0,15 100 -
FFRP 1866 117,4 0,15 0,9 0,66
HFRP 1674 63,1 0,15 0,87 0,60

4 NUMERICAL RESULTS
The numerical part was organized into two sections: preliminary linear analysis of the
specimens (UBRICK and REBRICK) and nonlinear analysis. In the second case, quasi-brittle
behavior has been the constitute model used for the brick. It is characterized by tensile cracking
and compressive crushing; in particular the so called “Total Strain crack models”, which describes
the tensile and compressive behavior of a material with one stress-strain relationship evaluated in
the principal directions of the strain vector, was adopted. The stress –strain diagram considered for
the brick during the non-linear static analysis is represented in figure 6 and is characterized by
exponential tension softening diagram and parabolic diagram in compression. To take into account
the possible lateral cracking, due to the reduction of the strength of the brick along the principal
compressive direction, the relationship of the model Vecchio & Collins has been taken [11].
σ σ
PARABO EXPONE

ft
1 ε
fc
3
G c

I
fc G /h
f

a) ε
b)
Figure 6: Constitutive model: a) Compression behavior; b) Tension behavior
 Regarding the constitute model used for the NFRP composite, in was assumed a linear
behavior. The numerical results obtained from nonlinear analysis on the unreinforced brick, are
compared with the experimental ones in figure 7, in order to assess the reliability of the proposed
model. It’s possible to note that the numerical global force-relative displacement curve fits the
envelope of the experimental results with reasonable accuracy, especially in terms of stiffness and
maximum load.

5
Exp erimental Envelope
4,5
Numerical
4
BENDING FORCE [kN]

3,5

2,5

1,5

0,5

0
0 0,01 0,02 0,03 0,04 0,05 0,06 0,07
Displacement [mm]

Figure 7: Comparison of numerical and experimental

force-relative displacement envelopes of unreinforced brick.

Figure 8 shows the comparison between the numerical results obtained and the with the
experimental ones, using flax fibers (fig. 8a) and hemp fibers (fig.8b) like a strengthening of the
bricks. As expected the curve represents the only mechanical behavior of the brick with a
maximum value of force equal to 5,7 kN for the bricks strengthened with flax and 5,6 kN for the
bricks strengthened with hemp, respect the maximum values achieved from experimental tests (6,5
kN for flax and 6,2 kN for hemp). The model is able to capture the pre-peak behavior and the load
capacity, but the ductility exhibited during experiments was not reproduced numerically. The
suitable simulation of this feature would require a more powerful model, with the incorporation of
structural interfaces between the brick and the fibers.
 7

BENDING FORCE [kN] 5

1
HEMP-FRP
Numerical
0
0 0,05 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 0,3
DISPLACEMENT [mm]

a)
7

5
BENDING FORCE [KN]

1
FLAX-FRP
Numerical
0
0 0,05 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 0,3
DISPLACEMENT [mm]

b)
Figure 8: Comparison of numerical and experimental bending force-relative displacement
envelopes of reinforced brick: a) Flax fiber; b) Hemp fiber

The Von Mises stress distribution show, obviously, that the peak values are localized in the
middle section of the brick, moreover in the last load step, it doesn’t occur the break in the
composites, due to the elastic characteristics initially assigned to it, see also figure 9.
 a)

b)
Figure 9: Nonlinear analysis: Von Mises equivalent stress on reinforced brick:
a) First load step, b) Max load step

As said before, it was assumed that the NFRP composite materials have elastic behavior and
the nonlinearity is concentrated only in the brick. This assumption was checked by controlling the
maximum stress state in the fibers, which does not surpass 13 MPa for hemp and 12,8 for the flax,
lower than the tensile strength of the fibers.

5 CONCLUSIONS
Three point bending tests on unreinforced solid clay bricks and on bricks externally
strengthened with natural fiber reinforced polymer (NFRP) sheets have been presented, both from
the experimental and numerical points of view. The results obtained in the experimental tests have
been presented and compared with the numerical results. Two different natural fibers have been
used: flax and hemp. In both cases, the same bond behavior and failure mode was observed; in fact,
failure has occurred in a uniform way in the middle of the brick and of the fiber, ensuring a strong
bond between the two materials.
A numerical model based on plane stress conditions has been used to investigate the bending
behavior of unreinforced bricks and of composite materials (Hemp-FRP and Flax-FRP) applied to
solid clay bricks. In particular a numerical simulation of the global behavior (bending force-
relative displacement) has been presented. The proposed model, for the unreinforced brick, has
been found in a good agreement with the experimental results, both in terms of stiffness of the
model that in terms of maximum force. Regarding the proposed model of the reinforced brick, it is
suitable, especially in terms of stiffness and maximum load, but the softening regime could not be
captured. Further numerical analyzes are currently being carried out using a more advanced
nonlinear model. Overall, comparable results have been achieved from numerical and
experimental studies performed.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by DPC-ReLUIS 2010-2013 project, Line 3 "Technology innovation
in seismic engineering " coordinated by prof. L. Ascione and A. Prota, in the framework af Task
3.1 titled " Development and analysis of new materials for seismic strengthening" coordinated by
prof. R.S. Olivito.

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