Flexural Performance of concrete beams strengthened with textile reinforced mortars: Influence of application pattern and repair mortar type

This study examines the effectiveness of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) systems incorporating a ground granulated blast furnace slag-based geopolymer mortar and a commercially available cement-based repair mortar in enhancing the flexural performance of normal-strength concrete beams. TRM applications were implemented with varying coverage patterns and surface areas, while steel fibers were added to the concrete mixtures at dosages of 0.3% and 0.6% by volume for comparative purposes. Experimental evaluations—including flexural strength, load–displacement behavior, initial stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity—revealed that full-coverage TRM applications enhanced load-bearing capacity by up to 24%. Geopolymer-based TRM systems exhibited comparable or even superior performance to their cement-based counterparts under both full and partial coverage conditions. While the incorporation of 0.6% steel fiber contributed to modest improvements in ductility and energy absorption, it also resulted in a significant reduction in initial stiffness. These findings highlight that TRM systems—particularly when applied with optimized coverage geometry and appropriate binder type—constitute an effective and sustainable strategy for improving the flexural response of reinforced concrete elements.