Engineering the self-healing capacity of glass textile-reinforced mortars: Matrix versus textile functionalisation

ABSTRACT This paper investigates self-healing functionalisation strategies for glass textile-reinforced CEM II-based mortars (TRM), via matrix and textile, using crystalline admixtures (CA) and/or silica fume (SF). Pre-cracked specimens were monitored over six months, with self-healing assessed through capillary absorption, microstructural analyses and mechanical tests, after freshwater and saltwater exposure, and repeated versus uninterrupted crack-healing cycles. TRM incorporating CA and 10% SF achieved the best performance, with sorptivity healing indices up to 82% (nine times higher than the reference), crack closure up to 50% and full cracked stiffness recovery after six months of freshwater immersion. Saltwater accelerated superficial crack sealing (60-87%) without proportional recovery of durability or stiffness. Mortar functionalisation enabled depth-through healing, with CA and SF acting as latent healing reservoirs; XRD confirmed portlandite consumption alongside calcite precipitation. Textile functionalisation acted as a local, interface-driven healing mechanism. A global healing index accounting for crack geometry is proposed, supporting comparative design-oriented assessment.