## 1 Introduction
[10], have provided a detailed overview of these types of materials, including TRC (textile-reinforced concrete), TRM (textile-reinforced mortar), MBCs (mineral-based composites), FRC (fiber-reinforced cementitious), and FRCM (fiber-reinforced cementitious matrix), as well as fiber-reinforced mortars (SFRMs), which use short fibers dispersed in a mortar on steel meshes to reinforce thin layers of plaster. Figure 1: Damage caused by the earthquake in L’Aquila in 2009. (**a**) The damages to contents in-plane (IP) and (**b**) damages from overturning out-of-plane (OOP). Among the materials mentioned, there are the FRCM (fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix) and FRLM (fabric-reinforced lime matrix) composite systems that represent one of the latest generations of composite materials capable of improving the seismic and energy performances of infill walls, as explored in recent research in the literature [11; 12; 13; 14]. These systems are composed of one or more fabrics and two or more layers of a lime- or cement-based matrix, in which reinforcement fabrics are incorporated. These reinforcement aggregates can be made of either natural fibers or traditional fibers. Within this extensive research effort, the main objective is to design FRCM plants using natural aggregates obtained from recycled raw materials or waste produced in order to reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector, reduce the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings, and simultaneously improve thermal properties. The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of a new composite material, FRLM (fabric-reinforced lime matrix), in mitigating the seismic vulnerability of masonry structures while simultaneously adhering to energy efficiency principles or upgrading masonry buildings. The main objective of this research activity is to design a fiber-reinforced mortar with natural materials. In recent years, more researchers around the world have turned their attention to the study of natural fiber-reinforced composite materials [15; 16; 17], but only a few researchers have recognized the use of natural fiber as a reinforced material in the construction industry to attain a sustainable material [18; 19]. Many authors have studied the use of natural fiber-reinforced concrete, which is developed by using various types of fibers, such as coir, sisal, bamboo, date, husk, pineapple, and flax [20; 21]. Moreover, in recent years, the usage of green materials in structures has developed remarkably due to their advantages in building construction [22; 23]. [PERSON] et al. [24] presented a project to study the mechanical properties of masonry elements made of sisal fibers and concrete. Recently, [PERSON] et al. [25] studied the addition of various natural fibers to high-strength concrete, which has aroused great interest in the field of building materials. In the literature, as highlighted above, there is little evidence of composite mortars with lime and natural fiber. Among these, [PERSON] et al. [26] presented a project to simulate the behavior of cork-based mortars in the minimization of energy consumption and condensation effects in an existing dwelling from the 1980s built in Lisbon, Portugal. This paper serves as a preliminary step to studying the behavior of the matrix with the addition of cork and analyzing the mechanical and thermal features. This study is articulated in three steps: The first part focuses on selecting different materials, including a binder to serve as the base of the matrix, an insulator to be incorporated into the mixture, and sand with characteristics compliant with code requirements. In the second part, two mixtures are prepared: one with a 15% cork content and the other with a 30% cork content. The third step of the study involves evaluating the thermophysical and mechanical properties of the mortars with varying percentages of cork. Ultimately, the thermophysical and mechanical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the matrix design with the addition of 30% cork.