ANÁLISIS DEL COMPORTAMIENTO DE MORTEROS CON FIBRAS VEGETALES DE TUCUMÃ TRATADOS CON SILANO-SILOXANO

Polypropylene fibers have been widely used in civil construction due to their good performance and low cost. However, plant fibers represent a viable alternative due to their favorable mechanical properties capable of mitigating construction anomalies, such as cracks, in addition to offering economic and sustainable characteristics. This study aimed to assess the incorporation of tucumã fibers, derived from a native plant in the Amazon region, as a substitute for polypropylene fibers in coating mortars. For this purpose, mortars with varying fiber content (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% additions) were produced and treated with a silane-siloxane-based hydrophobic agent, as fibers are prone to degradation. Subsequently, tests were conducted in the fresh state, including consistency index, water retention, bulk density, and air content, as well as tests in the hardened state, such as flexural tensile strength, compressive strength, tensile adhesion, ductility analysis, and capillary water absorption. Regarding the results in the fresh state from the respective tests, the addition of tucumã fibers increased the consistency index and decreased bulk density and water retention. It was also observed that fiber addition reduced water absorption with increasing content, and the results from mechanical strength tests, namely flexural tensile and compressive strength, decreased. Moreover, both types of fibers exhibited positive results in terms of adhesion and ductility. Thus, this study demonstrated satisfactory outcomes for the use of tucumã fibers as a sustainable alternative to enhance the properties of coating mortars.