Computacional analysis of stresses in façade coatings reinforced with steel mesh under thermal action

Abstract

The facades of a building are subject to temperature variations during the day that generate stresses due to the cycles of expansion and retraction of materials. A measure to distribute the stresses in the coatings and reduce the possibility of excessive cracking is the use of metal screens in the plaster layer. This work evaluated, through finite element computer modeling, the behavior of ceramic façade coatings with and without steel mesh reinforcement in the plaster layer, in different positions, under the action of temperature. Panel models with and without the use of galvanized steel mesh in the plaster layer were studied, obtaining maximum principal and shear stress values at the interfaces of the components of the coating system. The results showed stress peaks in the ceramic/grout transition, reaching 2.24 MPa in the model without reinforcement. The use of steel mesh in the upper position of the plaster, close to the surface layer, reduced the peak stress at the ceramic/adhesive mortar interface by 17% and the plaster/masonry interface by 27%, providing the best combination of results for the reduction of stresses in the coating system as a whole.