CONST MTRLS & TESTING: MORTARS

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Mortar is the paste from combining cement, fine aggregates (sand), and water. Some mortars add lime to the ingredients. Mortar is different from plaster from the proportions of cement and sand and also the grading of sand.

There are different kinds of mortars:

1. Lime mortar. This is the kind of mortar where lime is added. One type is hydraulic lime mortar which, from the lime used, can be adopted underwater.  Fat lime mortar, on the other hand, is the other kind of lime mortar which is inferior in quality compared to hydraulic lime mortar. From the definition of fat lime, which is the lower quality of lime, the mortar produced can only be used in inferior works.

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2. Cement mortar. The kind of mortar used for important works or higher quality works. The strength of the mortar comes from cement, thus the amount of cement in the mortar maintains the strength of the mortar.

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3. Surki mortar.  The type of mortar from the combination of cement or lime with surki. Surki works as sand in this case. Surki is the powderized leftovers from overburnt bricks.

4. Blended mortar. This type is the introduction of cement into the lime mortar. The process is known as ganging or blending. The presence of cement improves the quality of lime mortar.