Mortar Guide
The BCA has published a new guide to materials for masonry
mortar. 'BCA guide to materials for masonry mortar' describes
mortar as, essentially, a mixture of Portland (CEM I) cement with
sand and water, but it can also be based on other cement/binder
types and contain other materials such as lime or air-entraining
admixtures.
Masonry mortar is used specifically for jointing and pointing
units (bricks, blocks, stone etc), to provide pliable bedding
material, bond together the masonry units and seal joints between
units.
The guide will be a great help to builders in selecting the most
appropriate mortar for various applications. It highlights the
properties of materials for use in masonry mortars and the
British/European Standards that describe them. The guide further
discusses the types of masonry mortar most commonly encountered:
cement-sand mortar; cement-sand (plasticised) mortar; masonry
cement-sand mortar; cement-lime-sand mortar and hydraulic lime
mortar.
The specification of
factory-made masonry mortars is described in BS EN 998-2. The BCA
has carried out a comprehensive research programme to examine the
equivalence of traditional prescriptive mortar designations and BS
EN 998-2 strength grades using a wide range of materials. The
research indicates that for binders produced by the BCA member
companies, equivalent mortar mixes can be described.
Copies of the BCA guide to materials for masonry mortar
(ISBN 0 7210 16049), £7.00, are available from the Concrete
Bookshop, telephone 01276 608778, fax 01276 37369 or email enquiries@concretebookshop.com.