Effect of a polypropylene fibre on the behaviour of aerial lime-based mortars

A polypropylene fibre was added to lime-based mortars in order to check whether they were improved by this admixture. Different properties of lime-based mortars were evaluated: fresh state behaviour through water retention, air content and setting time; hardened state properties such as density, shrinkage, water absorption through capillarity, water vapour permeability, long-term flexural and compressive strengths, pore structure through mercury intrusion porosimetry, and durability assessed by means of freezing–thawing cycles. An improvement in some properties of aerial lime-based mortars – such as permeability, mechanical strengths, reduction in macroscopic cracks or durability in the face of freezing–thawing cycles – was achieved when fibre was added at a low dosage. When a larger amount of additive was used, only the reduction in cracks and the durability of the material were improved.