Strength evaluation of jute fabric for the reinforcement of rammed earth structures

Synthetic and artificial fiber fabrics are commonly used as masonry structures reinforcement, both for seismic retrofitting of historical buildings and for realization of new constructions in seismic areas. Correspondingly, natural fiber fabrics are appropriate to earth buildings reinforcement, being compatible from the point of view of environmental sustainability. In this paper the results of tensile tests on jute yarns are reported, organized and statistically analyzed in order to interpret the basic laws of size effects involved. The great variability of yarns behavior and the difficulties in controlling the boundary conditions induced to perform numerical tensile tests on statistical samples of jute fabric, generated in compliance with the statistical distribution of yarns mechanical properties. The comparison between laboratory and numerical tests permits to make some considerations on the difficulties involved in the experimental analysis, in order to define a reliable experimental technique to determine the properties necessary to the successive design.