Sustainable ferrocement mortar with different waste materials and curing methods

In this study, the essential aim is to produce an environment-friendly ferrocement mortar using different waste internal curing materials and external curing methods. Wastes of broken bricks and porcelanite were used with different volumetric replacement percentages (5%, 10%, and 15 %) of fine aggregate. Moreover, pozzolanic materials (silica fume and fly ash) were used. In addition to the water-cured reference mixture, four different curing methods (air, flan coat emulsified asphalt, wax sealing paint, and carbon dioxide gas (CO2)) were used. Compressive, flexural strength, and density for different ages of mortar (7, 14, and 28 d) were investigated. The outcomes demonstrate that, compressive strength of CO2-cured ferrocement improved by 33.3% and 28% when 5% and 10% of broken bricks was used and by 25.3% and 29% when 5% and 10% of porcelanite was used, respectively, than when the reference was used. The flexural strength was slightly improved when 10% porcelanite was used. Results demonstrate that the outcome ferrocement mortar was improved in spite of using different waste materials in production.