Analysis of the influence of meshes used as reinforcement for mortar coating of facades on the tensile strength

ABSTRACT Displacement and fissures are recurrent pathological manifestations in the facade coating of brazilian buildings. In this context, it is known that mortar coating is still the most used in the civil construction market and has demonstrated several problems due to inappropriate employment and execution. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate the influence of different meshes as reinforcement for mortar coating, in order to identify which one present the best performance. It was used three mesh models, two made of galvanized metal with different meshes and thicknesses and one made of high-density polyethylene. In order to isolated characterize the meshes for tensile strength, it was performed the tensile assay in specimens of 250x300 mm for each mesh models. To evaluate the influence of the different meshes in conjunction with the mortar, the tensile test in bending at 4 points in specimens of 200x500 mm was carried out, where the meshes were inserted at 15, 25 and 30 mm from the bottom of the specimen with 50 mm thickness. The data indicate that the square 25x25 mm and 1.24 mm wire galvanized metal mesh presented the best performance among the tested models.