Brick structure improved by using cement mortar containing short carbon fibers

The addition of short carbon fibers in the optimum amount of 0.5% of the cement weight to mortar increased the brick-to-mortar bond strength by 150% under tension and 110% under shear when the gap between the adjoining bricks was fixed, and by 50% under tension and 44% under shear when the gap between the adjoining bricks was allowed to freely decrease due to the weight of the brick above the joint. This effect is attributed to the decrease of the drying shrinkage by the fiber addition. The drying shrinkage decrease was particularly large at 2 to 24 h of curing. At 24 h, the shrinkage was decreased by 50% by the addition of fibers in the amount of 0.5% of the cement weight. Fibers in excess of the optimum amount gave less bond strengthening due to increased porosity in the mortar.