4.

16 MORTARS
Mortars are composed of a cementitious material, fine aggregate, sand, and water.
They are used for bedding unit masonry, for plasters and stuccoes, and with the
addition of coarse aggregate, for concrete. Here consideration is given primarily to
those mortars used for unit masonry and plasters.
Properties of mortars vary greatly, being dependent on the properties of the
cementitious material used, ratio of cementitious material to sand, characteristics
and grading of the sand, and ratio of water to solids.
4.16.1 Packaging and Proportioning of Mortar
Mortars are usually proportioned by volume. A common specification is that not
more than 3 ft3 of sand be used with 1 ft3 of cementitious material. Difficulty is
4.20 SECTION FOUR
TABLE 4.4 Types of Mortar
Mortar
type
Parts by volume
Portland
cement
Masonry
cement
Hydrated lime or
lime putty
Aggregate measured in
damp, loose condition
Min avg
compressive
strength of
three 2-in
cubes at 28
days, psi
M 1 1 2500
1 1∕ 4
S 1∕2 1 1800
1 Over 1∕4 to 1∕2 Not less than 21∕4
N 1 and not more than 750
1 Over 1∕2 to 11∕4 3 times the sum of
O 1 the volumes of the 350
1 Over 11∕4 to 21∕2 cements and limes
K 1 Over 21∕2 to 4 used 75
PL 1 1∕4 to 1∕2 2500
PM 1 1 2500
sometimes encountered, however, in determining just how much material constitutes
a cubic foot: a bag of cement (94 lb) by agreement is called a cubic foot in proportioning
mortars or concretes, but an actual cubic foot of lime putty may be used
in proportioning mortars. Since hydrated limes are sold in 50-lb bags (Art. 4.5.3),
each of which makes somewhat more than a cubic foot of putty, weights of 40, 42,
and 45 lb of hydrated lime have been used as a cubic foot in laboratory studies;
but on the job, a bag is frequently used as a cubic foot. Masonry cements are sold
in bags containing 70 to 80 lb (Art. 4.8), and a bag is considered a cubic foot.
4.16.2 Properties of Mortars
Table 4.4 lists types of mortars as a guide in selection for unit masonry.
Workability is an important property of mortars, particularly of those used in
conjunction with unit masonry of high absorption. Workability is controlled by the
character of the cement and amount of sand. For example, a mortar made from 3
parts sand and 1 part slaked lime putty will be more workable than one made from
2 parts sand and 1 part portland cement. But the 3:1 mortar has lower strength. By
proper selection or mixing of cementitious materials, a satisfactory compromise
may usually be obtained, producing a mortar of adequate strength and workability.
Water retention—the ratio of the flow after 1-min standard suction to the flow
before suction—is used as an index of the workability of mortars. A high value of
water retention is considered desirable for most purposes. There is, however, a wide
variation in water retention of mortars made with varying proportions of cement
 and lime and with varying limes. The ‘‘Standard Specification for Mortar for Unit
Masonry,’’ ASTM C270, requires mortar mixed to an initial flow of 100 to 115, as
determined by the test method of ASTM C109, to have a flow after suction of at
least 75%.
Strength of mortar is frequently used as a specification requirement, even though
it has little relation to the strength of masonry. (See, for example, ASTM C270,
BUILDING MATERIALS 4.21
C780, and C476). The strength of mortar is affected primarily by the amount of
cement in the matrix. Other factors of importance are the ratio of sand to cementing
material, curing conditions, and age when tested.
Volume change of mortars constitutes another important property. Normal volume
change (as distinguished from unsoundness) may be considered as the shrinkage
during early hardening, shrinkage on drying, expansion on wetting, and changes
due to temperature.
After drying, mortars expand again when wetted. Alternate wetting and drying
produces alternate expansion and contraction, which apparently continues indefinitely
with portland-cement mortars.
Coefficients of thermal expansion of several mortars, reported in ‘‘Volume
Changes in Brick Masonry Materials,’’ Journal of Research of the National Bureau
of Standards, Vol. 6, p. 1003, ranged from 0.38 _ 10_5 to 0.60 _ 10_5 for masonrycement
mortars; from 0.41 _ 10_5 to 0.53 _ 10_5 for lime mortars, and from
0.42 _ 10_5 to 0.61 _ 10_5 for cement mortars. Composition of the cementitious
material apparently has little effect on the coefficient of thermal expansion of a
mortar.
4.16.3 High-Bond Mortars
When polymeric materials, such as styrene-butadiene and polyvinylidene chloride,
are added to mortar, greatly increased bonding, compressive, and shear strengths
result. To obtain high strength, the other materials, including sand, water, Type I
or III portland cement, and a workability additive, such as pulverized ground limestone
or marble dust, must be of quality equal to that of the ingredients of standard
mortar. The high strength of the mortar enables masonry to withstand appreciable
bending and tensile stresses. This makes possible thinner walls and prelaying of
single-wythe panels that can be hoisted into place.

CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS

A wide variety of manufactured products are produced from concrete and used in
building construction. These include such items as concrete brick, concrete block
or tile, concrete floor and roof slabs, precast wall panels, precast beams, and cast
stone. These items are made both from normal dense concrete mixes and from
mixes with lightweight aggregates. Concrete blocks are made with holes through
them to reduce their weight and to enable masons to grip them.
Nominal size (actual dimensions plus width of mortar joint) of hollow concrete
block usually is 8 _ 8 _ 16 in. Solid blocks often are available with nominal size
4.28 SECTION FOUR
of 4 _ 8 _ 16 in or 4 _ 21∕2 _ 8 in. For a list of modular sizes, see ‘‘Standard
Sizes of Clay and Concrete Modular Units,’’ ANSI A62.3.
Properties of the units vary tremendously—from strong, dense, load-bearing
units used under exposed conditions to light, relatively weak, insulating units used
for roof and fire-resistant construction.
Many types of concrete units have not been covered by adequate standard specifications.
For these units, reliance must be placed upon the manufacturer’s specifications.
Requirements for strength and absorption of concrete brick and block
established by ASTM for Type I, Grades N-I and S-I (moisture-controlled), and
Type II, Grades N-II and S-II (non-moisture-controlled), units are summarized in
Table 4.7.
Manufactured concrete units have the advantage (or sometimes disadvantage)
that curing is under the control of the manufacturer. Many methods of curing are
used, from simply stacking the units in a more or less exposed location to curing
under high-pressure steam. The latter method appears to have considerable merit
 in reducing ultimate shrinkage of the block. Shrinkage may be as small as 1∕4 to 3∕8
in per 100 ft for concrete units cured with high-pressure steam. These values are
about one-half as great as those obtained with normal atmospheric curing. Tests for
moisture movement in blocks cured with high-pressure and high-temperature steam
indicate expansions of from 1∕4 to 1∕2 in per 100 ft after saturation of previously
dried specimens.
BURNED-CLAY UNITS
Use of burned-clay structural units dates from prehistoric times. Hence durability
of well-burned units has been adequately established through centuries of exposure
in all types of climate.
Modern burned-clay units are made in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors,
and textures to suit the requirements of modern architecture. They include such
widely diverse units as common and face brick; hollow clay tile in numerous
shapes, sizes, and designs for special purposes; ceramic tile for decorative and
sanitary finishes, and architectural terra cotta for ornamentation.
Properties of burned-clay units vary with the type of clay or shale used as raw
material, method of fabrication of the units, and temperature of burning. As a
consequence, some units, such as salmon brick, are underburned, highly porous,
and of poor strength. But others are almost glass hard, have been pressed and burned
to almost eliminate porosity, and are very strong. Between these extremes lie most
of the units used for construction.