Mortar

Mortar and Concrete

Mortar is used in masonry as a binding agent for bricks and stones. It is composed of a specific proportion of sand, cement, and water. Engineering standards frequently include the ratios. When comparing mortar and concrete, the water-to-cement ratio in mortar is greater than that in concrete. The above highlights the binding agent's mortar property. Mortar is unsuitable for architectural projects since it must be renewed every quarter to half a century. On the other hand, concrete contains a mixture of water, sand, and cement but it also has gravel and rock chippings which increase its strength and durability (Rai, Naushad, Abhishek, Rushad, & Duggal, 2011). Because concrete requires a low water to cement ratio, it is much thinner and ‘runny’ when mixed, and thus it is very when used as a bonding agent. Concrete is the primary component in structural projects and is used in conjunction with steel rebar to increase its tensile strength.

Investigation of Mortar

The following elements are usually investigated when the mortar is being investigated: production control testing, performance testing, compliance testing, and forensic testing. The results obtained from the performance and production control testing is used for the evaluation of conformity. Fresh mortar is tested by determining its consistency using a flow table and plunger penetration, determining its bulk density, air content, workable life and the correction time. For the hardened mortar, the dry bulk density is determined to the nearest 10kg/m3 (Iwata & Murai, 2006).

References

Iwata, M., & Murai, M. (2006). Buckling-restrained brace using steel mortar planks; performance evaluation as a hysteretic damper. Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 35(14), 1807-1826.

Rai, B., Naushad, K. k., Abhishek, K., Rushad, T. S., & Duggal, S. K. (2011). Influence of Marble powder/granules in the Concrete mix. International Journal of Civil and Structural Engineering, 1(4), 827-834.