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The global drymix mortar industry (Part 1)

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 Ferdinand Leopolder has studied Theatre Science, German Literature and Philosophy in München and
Nürnberg. He works in and for the drymix mortar industry since 1991. He was responsible for global
market development for Wacker Chemie GmbH until 2001. In 2002, he founded drymix.info, the
International Community for Drymix Mortars and publishes a monthly newsletter for the industry.
Ferdinand Leopolder is also Executive Director of the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA
and the South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA.

F. Leopolder | drymix.info | Munich, Germany

The Global Drymix Mortar Industry:

International Development, Trends, Chances and Risks

Renders: CEMENTITIOUS, EXTERIOR, large volume

Abstract
Drymix Mortar Technology plays a vital role in the development of
today‘s global construction materials market. Not only are these mortars
essential for the aesthetic finishing of a building, in more and more cases
they provide for thermal insulation and are essential in increasing cons-
truction efficiency. All around the world, with the largest growth rates
currently in China and Brasil, new applications are being developed to
address specific targets of the building industry, as well as that of the ge-
neral public (e.g. environmental issues). Since 2005 the new markets
grow at a rate of over 20% per year; this growth is hardly hampered by
the economic crisis, whereas mostly „old economy“ and „boomtowns“,
such as Dubai, were hit. This report wants to give a brief overview over
the main drivers of drymix mortars, a market outlook as well as a valuati-
on of chances and risks for the future.
mortar application for the finishing of brick and
blockwork, cement-bound, thicknesses from 5 mm
to 40 mm, and related materials such as spatter-da-
sh, key coat, cementitious primers and skim coats
(1-2 mm)
Plasters: INTERIOR, mortar for interior application
for the finishing of brick and blockwork, based eit-
her upon cement or gypsum, thicknesses from 2
mm to 25 mm.
Cementitious Tile Adhesives (CTA): thin-bed mortar
for the installation of ceramic tiles
EIFS: Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems EIFS,
similar to External Thermal Insulation Composite
Systems ETICS

Introductory Remarks, Definitions, Screed: THICK, flowable, cementitious or anhydrite

Abbreviations, Standards
a) Definitions
Minerally bound Mortars have been in use for over
2.500 years and it is clear, that builders, architects
and construction workers have found words for
what they are using. It is therefore necessary to de-
tail out a few technical terms:
Drymix Mortar: dry mixture of aggregates and bin-
der (cement, lime, gypsum), some with performance
enhancing additives and polymers.
based floor levelling material, thicknesses 20 to 50
mm
Self-Levelling Underlayment (SLU): THIN, virtually li-
quid (low viscosity) self-flowing matetial used in the
finishing of floors, thicknesses 2 to 5 mm
b) Exclusions
Mortars come in various compositions and physical
appearances. In this report, the following mortar
products and applications have been excluded, sin-
ce they are not classic drymix mortars:

62
Table 1: Excluded Materials or Applications

Product Type Description

mortars that require dry mixing on
the jobsite
mortars that require the adding of
components other than water
ready to use adhesives, plasters,
grouts and putties
mortars that are being delivered
mixed with water
pre-packed, dry concrete
dry concrete mixtures for spraying
applications
dry components are stockpiled on the jobsite and blended according to a certain ratio and
only then mixed with water. Referred to as „jobsite mixes“ when mentioned in this report
e.g. lime/sand mixtures where cement is being added on the jobsite,
cementitious mortars that require the addition of liquid dispersions or other additives
so-called pastous or single pot systems, inert fillers mostly with polymer dispersion
as main binder
e.g.„Werknassmörtel“ in Germany, premixed screeds, other fresh mortars delivered in
concrete mixing trucks for immediate application
mixtures for the preparation of small scale cast concrete work or concrete patches,
containing aggregates larger than 4 mm
e.g. spray-crete for mining applications and tunnelling

c) Standards Table 2: EN Standards

With individual regional construction traditions and EN-Number Content

the fact that the construction industry works more EN 998-1 Renders, interior and exterior
and more on a global level, particularly for large-
EN 998-2 Masonry mortars
scale construction, a certain trend towards standar-
EN 12004 (Tile) Adhesive mortars
dization is detectable all around the globe. In this
paper the well-developed EN standards are refe- EN 13813 Screeds
renced, if not otherwise noted: EN 13888 (Tile) Grouts

The ANSI and ASTM standards have also developed

relevant sections for drymix mortars, especially for
tile adhesives, a harmonizing of those tests and pro-
cedures with EN standards is currently under way
and has been published as ISO standard 13007 (de-
veloped by ISO/TC 189).
EIFS is regulated as a system in a technical approval
called ETAG 004, which has rapibly developed into
an internationally accepted norm for the industry.
For concrete renovation products several regional
specifications exist, e.g. ZTV-SIB 90 in Germany. The-
re are however several types of drymix mortars for
which recognized standards do not exist, for exa-

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 63

Table 3: The Most Important Applications of Drymix Mortars, sorted by complexity

Application Short Classification and Main Function

Masonry Mortar joining of bricks and blocks
(Thick) Flooring Screeds levelling of concrete floors, sound insulation
Renders, basic levelling and finishing of exterior walls
Plasters levelling and finishing of interior walls
joining of special construction materials such as Aerated Lightweight Concrete
Special Construction Adhesives blocks (ALC blocks)
Renders, decorative finishing, structuring and coloring the exterior surfaces of a building
Tile Adhesives fixing of wall and floor tiles
Tile Grouts filling of tile joints, decorating tiled surfaces on walls and floors
Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems EIFS thermal insulation of the exterior of a building
Concrete Renovation repair of damages to load-bearing concrete structures
protection of concrete, piping, storage tanks from adverse climate effects or
Waterproofing Slurries bacteriological and chemical decay, also subgrade protection
levelling of floors, preparation for installation of flooring materials such as tiles,
SLU (thin flooring screeds) parquet or carpets

mple, Self-Leveling Underlayments (SLU). The fas-
test generation of standards takes place today in
China. A list of the most important applications of
drymix mortars is given in Table 3.
1. A Brief History of Drymix Mortars
With less reactive binders such as lime or gypsum,
premixed aggregate/binder mixtures have been
known for centuries. With the introduction of ce-
ment in the 1900th century, the entire construction
process changed and new applications became
possible. Masonry mortars and renders could be
mixed on site and made the building process much
easier and the walls and ceilings more durable. The
first development of drymix mortars took place in
post WW II Germany and gained momentum in the
dynamic re-building phase of this country in the fif-
ties of the last century. Important innovations such
as special cellulose ethers in powder form for water
retention and the invention of redispersible poly-
mer powders as complementary, flexible binder,
brought the breakthrough of this technology in the
sixties. The sixties and seventies were dominated by
the automatization of the application in the key
markets of Western Europe, especially for volume
products such as masonry mortars, basic exterior
renders, flooring screeds and gypsum plasters. In
the meantime, substantial development of drymix
mortars in the fields of cementitious tile adhesives
(CTA), self-levelling flooring screeds (SLU) and con-
crete renovation systems led to the spreading of
this technology into Europe. After the first Oil Crisis
(in 1973) the thermal insulation of buildings beca-
me very important. New systems (EITCS; EIFS) were
developed and introduced into the markets, mostly
flanked by legislative measures. In the 1980ies, dry-
mix mortar technology was established on all conti-
nents. The political changes in Eastern Europe
brought a huge demand for most drymix mortar
applications in the nineties. The year 2000 marked
the explosion of demand in Asia, especially in China
and the Middle East. The global production of dry-
mix mortars in 2007 had been estimated to reach
between 100 mio t (Leopolder) to 150 mio t (Plank)
[1].

64
 Picture 1a: Cracking and
water damage on the
facade of a residential
complex in Mumbai

Picture 1b: just next door:

swimming pool in a
Country Club near
Mumbai International
Airport (this property is
right behind the building
shown in Picture 1a)

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 65

 Figure 1: Drymix Mortar
Production by Continents,
2006, in mio t, total
production: 85,0 mio t
(graphics courtesy of
Bauverlag)
2. Market Outlook and Estimating of
Demand
The statistical material available to estimate the
market sizes for drymix mortars is rare and inconsis-
tent. A detailed bottom-up study of capacities and
their utilization is not available. For this reason, only
a rough outline of those parameters can be given in
this report in tonnes, the value part had to be total-
ly omitted. The market has been estimated using
two approaches:
• bottom up (estimate of how much has been
produced, using various indicators)
• top down (estimate of how much cement has
been consumed in mortars; see 2.2.)
This report references the quoted sources for certain
areas as well as own data accumulated over the years.
66
2.1. The Global Production Volumes
Due to different statistical approaches, our sources
show different results. For example Harder estima-
ted the drymix mortar production in Europe to ha-
ve been 41,5 mio t in 2006 [2], this report estimates
49,4 mio t (a discrepancy larger than 20%!) and
Plank is assuming that drymix mortar production
worldwide had reached 100 mio t in 2006 and
would reach 150 mio t in 2007 [3], this report is ba-
sed upon the figure of 85 mio t (see Figure 1). The
annual growth rates (volumes) between 2005 and
2008 were well over 20% in emerging and growing
markets, in Europe they varied from 8% (Germany)
to over 30% (Romania).
Then came the economic crisis. Triggered by sub-
prime-loan problems in the US and the consequen-
tial real-estate market financing crash in 2007, the
fever reached Europe in early 2008, infecting first
the inflated „second-home market“ in Spain (decre-
ase in building volume by 40% compared with
2007), then Ireland and the British Isles. With major
banks defaulting in the aftermath in September
2008, the large European markets auch as France
and Germany were hit, too, followed by the Central
and Eastern European Nations (caused e.g. by the
devaluation of the Russian Rouble).
Since several plants were shut down in Spain,
France, Ireland, Great Britain and Germany to regu-
late the market in 2008 and 2009, and many more
were closed and mothballed during the ongoing
crisis, estimating of global volumes becomes very
difficult by now. Also, estimating the reduced load
at which operating plants in Europe and the US are
running until today is hard. Considering the still
growing markets in China and the Middle East we
estimate the market in 2007 to have had zero grow-
th, going down by 10% in 2008 and again in 2009.
With the major markets recovering in 2010, figures
of 2006/07 could eventually be reached by the end
Table 4: Distribution of cement into Products in Germany according to Plank [6]

Year Ready Mix Precast Drymix Manual (bags) Sum drymix +

Manual
1995 53,3% 25,8% 9,2% 11,6% 20,8%
2000 51,5% 26,5% 12,6% 9,4% 22,0%
2004 48,6% 25,3% 16,3% 9,8% 26,1%

of 2010. China, the main growth region, foresees

even greater volumes for 2009 through 2011, rea-
ching already 50 mio t in 2010. We have decided to
reduce these figures using various sources. The de-
velopment of the production volumes is being
shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: World market demand &

development 2006 - 2011
2.2 Cement in Mortars
A second approach to estimating the world de-
mand for drymix mortars can be tried by monito-
ring statistics of cement. Saarinen and Halonen [4]
detail out this approach using the Middle East as an
example; this report tries to extrapolate this me-
thod using global figures. In principle, the figures
for cement delivered in bags are being used to de-
termine the amount of mortar produced on the
jobsites. Table 5 shows a typical distribution of ce-
ment use in mature markets.
Picture 2a: Conventional
jobsite in Borneo/
Of course, the variances and uncertainties in this Malaysia with stockpiles
method are manifold. For example, China reported for hand-mixing mortars
1.000 mio t of cement production in 2005, mostly
for domestic use, which would have meant 45%
percent of the world‘s production, which was 2.220
mio t. But there are definite flaws in the Chinses sta-
tistics for cement production, serious industry ex-
perts estimate that China produced only 700 mio t
of cement in 2005. Another uncertainty comes

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 67


Figure 2b: Modern,
efficient jobsite with silos
from the fact, that the amount of cement delivered
containing drymix
mortars in bags varies widely from country to country, (e.g.
India, where over 40% of the cement is shipped in
bags to small jobsites vs. Germany, where this per-
centage is lower than 8%). Combining the data
available, it may be said, that 15 to 18% of the pro-
duced cement is going into mortars. Assuming a ce-
ment ratio of 25% of the dry mixes, this gives us a
range of 1.464 mio t to 1.760 mio t of dry mortar
mixtures globally.
Table 5: Sophisticated Drymix Mortar
Plants in Selected Urban Agglomerations
Urban Region Plants in 2002 Plants in 2008
Dubai, Abu Dhabi 2 9
Shanghai 3 13
Singapore 5 5
Sao Paulo 3 6
Cairo 1 4
Moscow 2 7 (?)
Beijing 1 12 (?)
68
Using the global production values for drymix mor-
tars as shown in 2.1., a rough indication of the glo-
bal substitution rate of jobsite mixtures vs. drymix
mortars can be determined: drymix mortars range
between 5,9% and 7,1% (depending upon the sour-
ce) of the entire mortar volume worldwide. Room
to grow for the drymix mortar industry indeed!
2.3. Capacities vs. Market Development
This huge potential for substitution cannot imme-
diately be turned into drymix mortar sales. The local
situation concerning the distribution structure of
cement, traditional building methods (e.g. wood
frame construction in the US), extreme logisitical si-
tuations (e.g. Indonesia consists of over 17.000 is-
lands, over 6.000 of them are inhabited and at least
10 of them are to be considered seriously industria-
lized) and partially very small jobsites in the virgin
and emerging markets prevent this. However, there
are examples where state legislation can speed up
the introduction of drymix mortars by forbidding
the site mixing of building materials, at least in the
metropolitan regions (e.g. Singapore, various muni-
cipalities in China, see: Zhao et al. [8]). Therefore, the
drymix mortar industry in emerging and growing
markets concentrates with production locations
close to highly developed areas, where the efficien-
cy of the technology offers most of its advantages
and where the end-user is particularly demanding.
In many cases, the rural areas remain under-develo-
ped for this reason, and it will take decades for our
industry to reach all these white spots.
In order to judge the capacity development, it is
helpful to monitor the installation of highly sophis-
ticated plants for drymix mortars. Some examples
are shown in Table 5:
In most of the abovementioned examples more
projects are in the pipeline to meet the expected
demand. The construction growth rate in those are-
as lies well over 25% per year and substitution of
conventional building methods plays a major role.
Table 6: Types of Drymix Mortar Manufacturers

Type Description
volume mortars of prices between 60 €/t and 75 €/t, sensitive to transportation costs, manufac-
1 turing close to the main (metropolitan) markets, use of silo equipment and jobsite machinery
technical mortars and adhesives for prices from 100 €/t to 400 €/t, wider reach (less sensitive to
2 transportation cost), mostly bagged palettized materials
3 combined product portfolio of Type 1 and Type 2

An oversupply situation can occur, when too many
capacities are coming on-stream at the same time,
while in turn the market itself does not grow en-
ough or even shrinks (e.g. Singapore in the late
nineties, when new capacities coincided with the
SEA crisis, Dubai in 2009). Oversupply causes a rapid
deterioration of prices, and subsequently a reduc-
tion of overall product quality. Nations with rapidly
growing production capacities are China, Brasil and
to some extent Russia. However, during the crisis,
estimates become difficult for all those markets.
Oversupply situations regularly existed in the main
markets in Western Europe (e.g. in Germany since
1998; in Spain since 2007; in Ireland since 2008).
2.4. Major Mortar Producers
An overview of the major manufacturers of drymix
mortars requires a differentiated approach. This is
best being done by distiguishing between the fol-
lowing Types of company strategies (table 6; exa-
mples in table 7):

Table 7: Major Drymix Mortar Manufacturers, alphabetically

Company Type Products Degree of Internationalisation

Ardex 2 CTA, SLU globally active
Basf/PCI/MBT 2 CTA, SLU, specialty mortars globally active
Bostik 2 CTA, adhesives globally active
Caparol/DAW 2 EIFS, decorative renders Germany and Central Europe
Custom Building Products 2 CTA USA
Baumit Group 3 renders, masonry mortars, EIFS, CTA Central and Eastern Europe
HB Fuller 2 CTA USA
Knauf 1 renders, plasters Europe
Mapei 2 CTA, SLU, concrete renovation globally active
Maxit (now Saint Gobain) 1 renders, masonry mortars, screeds, EIFS strongholds in Western and Northern Europe
Hasit 1,3 mortars, renders, EIFS I, D, Central and Eastern Europe
Henkel 2 CTA, SLU, EIFS globally active
Parex-Lanko 1 renders, some CTA globally active
St. Gobain/ Weber* 2 CTA, SLU, EIFS globally active
Sto 2 decorative renders, EIFS Europe and USA
* without Maxit

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 69

 When listing the major players on a global level, we
have to abandon the volume approach and take in-
to consideration the position these companies ha-
ve in their particular strongholds. In Table 7, we list
the most important drymix mortar producers.
Harder estimates that there are 790 drymix mortar
plants in Europe alone (in 2006) [4], of which 245
are part of five major groups with over 20 plants
each. We estimate, that currently over 900 plants of
high sophistication are being run globally, and that
over 50 smaller, but relevant regional drymix mor-
tar manufacturers exist.
The drymix mortar industry currently shows three
remarkable tendencies
1. globalization into new regions
2. consolidation in the saturated markets
3. formation of global groups
Pioneering entrepreneurs, local and international
cement manufacturers (Type 1) as well as specia-
lized drymix mortar groups (Type 2) have realized
the potentials of drymix mortars even in the
emerging markets. The main drivers are the interna-
tional developers and consultant groups for tourist
resorts and office & retail spaces in metropolitan
areas. They require state-of-the-art materials even
in the remotest areas (e.g. Mongolia, Kazachstan,
Vietnam). The booming market in China has grown
enough to support local production rather than im-
ports, even for high-value-added products.
Since the construction recession in Central and
Western Europe in the late nineties and at the be-
ginning of this century, a strong consolidation pro-
cess has started in Europe. Smaller bulk or specialty
producers have been acquired by larger companies
or groups, medium size groups have merged. Table
8 shows some examples:

Table 8: Examples for Mergers & Acquisitions from 1998 to 2008

Group acquired company Region

Ardex Lugato, WW Henry, Norcross Germany, USA, Australia
Basf/PCI Degussa(MBT) global activity
Caparol Alsecco Germany
Baumit Group Bayosan Wachter Germany
Maxit Deitermann, Beamix, Optiroc (Hanson) D, Be, Scandinavia (GB)
Mapei Sopro and others Germany, other Nations
Hasit Röfix, Fixit, Kreisel Germany, CH, A, Italy
Parex Lanko Davco, Klaukol, LaHabra, Mercrete, Portokoll Australia/SEA, Americas
St. Gobain/Weber Quarzolit, Conmix India, Maxit Brasil, India, Europe

70
Although this consolidation process is almost over
now, the formation of globally active groups is still
under way. By sheer volume, St. Gobain Weber in-
cluding Maxit is the largest manufacturer of drymix
mortars in the world. According to Harder, both
companies combined would have had a production
capacity of 10,4 mio t, based upon values from 2006
[5], assuming a capacity utilization of 75%, this
would amount to close to 10% of the estimated
world production in 2006. Other large-volume dry-
mix mortar manufacturers are Cemex, DAW/Alsec-
co, Knauf, Baumit, Hasit (Fixit) and Quickmix and the
various licensees of the Sakret Brand.
3. The World by Regions
The development of drymix mortars in the global
market has, as we have seen, four major drivers:
• the drymix mortar origin in Central Europe
expands to the neighboring markets
• international contractors and mortar groups
spread it globally
• large economies (e.g. Brasil, China) adapt the
technology and initiate the technology chan-
ge; the combination of local research and im-
ported knowhow causes a „frog-leap“ of tech-
nology
• economical and environmental considera-
tions lead to widespread introduction of dry-
mix mortars

To characterize particular regions, they have been

separated the into four categories:

Table 9: Definitions for the Categorisation of Drymix Mortar Markets

Category Characteristics
Mature high production volumes for both basic and advanced drymix mortars, widespread use
Market of jobsite equipment and silo trucks. Clear distiction between Type 1 and Type 2
producers, focussing on product refinement. Large companies and international groups
and medium sized independents.
Growing medium production volumes, beginning use of jobsite equipment. Most producers are
Market Type 3, improving their product portfolio and introducing high value-added mortars.
International groups, large local companies, quite many smaller companies.
Emerging low to medium production volumes, almost no sophisticated plants, all product in bags
Market or big bags, some imports. Producers work on introducing drymix mortars, first for CTA/
grouts, later for renders and plasters. Some international groups, many small to very
small local companies.
Virgins low production, many garage manufacturers, specialty mortar import for individual
projects, no international groups, some small local companies

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 71

 Table 10: Classification by Nation or Region

Type Nation/Region
Mature
Markets Germany, France, Spain, Scandinavia, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, BeNeLux
British Isles, Portugal, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Americas incl. the USA,
Growing Mexico and Brasil, South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, East Asia incl. China & Korea,
Markets Southern SEA, Australia/NZ
Emerging India, Rest of Middle East, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, South America (without Brasil),
Markets Central Asian Republics
Virgins Africa, Northern SEA, some nations of Asia

3.2. An Attempt at Market Classification
The following classifications are based on the de-
gree of penetration of drymix mortar technology
into the particular Nations. This substitution process
is judged by the amount of drymix mortar sold, the
sophistication of the formulations, the legislative
measures accompanying the substitution process,
since when drymix mortars exist in that region and
by the degree of jobsite automation. Significant Na-
tions have been singled out and listed individually.
Each market type has its own growth potential. The
mechanisms of the mature markets have been dis-
cussed above. In the following, the factors impor-
tant in the growing and emerging markets, where
the most possibilities exist to grow both in size and
sophistication, are being detailed out.
4. The Main Drivers for Drymix Mortars
in Emerging and Growing Markets
4.1. Ecology & Prolonged Lifetime
„Green Building“ has very fast developed from just
a slogan into a real consideration in many nations
of the world. The global warming debate and the
need to prolong the lifetime of a building in order
to reach sustainable building standards has made it
evident to the governments, that the initiative for
such an approach to construction technology can
only be implemented if accompanied by specific le-
gislation. Drymix mortar technology is clearly one
integral part of a strategy to reach the goals for effi-
ciency, workplace safety, waste reduction, durability
and energy saving.
4.2. Consistency of Quality

The requirements of the specifiers (architects, con-

sultants, developers) are growing steadily. Also the
requirements for the durability of real estate („low
maintenance“ or „maintenance free“) plays a large
role in the decisionmaking process of the final con-
sumers. Bad workmanship is in many cases notice-
able, the use of inferior materials can usually not be
detected by the layman prior to moving in.

It is the task of our industry to develop quality reas-

surance systems that convince the final buyers of

72
the quality of the work. In some Nations such sys- Picture 3: The use of a
mortar mixer for the
tems do already exist as rating systems for the fini-
small-scale preparation of
shing quality of buildings (e.g. „Conquas Score“, wall render (foto courtesy
„IQuas“ Database, Singapore) or for energy efficien- of m-tec)
cy (e.g.„Energy Passport“, Germany,„LEED“ scores in
the USA).

Especially in growing markets, misleading product

labelling and claims of performance are confusing
the specifiers. Standards help to differentiate the
products, however stopping this fraudulous practi-
ce is not always easy. In some Nations, the drymix
mortar industry has agreed to a scheme of control-
ling product samples systematically (e.g. „Qualitäts-
gemeinschaft Deutsche Bauchemie, QDB e.V. in Ger-
many, Seal of Quality of MEDMA and SEADMA, see
Haddadin [9]. This way, the credibility of the indivi-
dual market players can be supported, non-confor-
mance can be detected and the overall quality level
can be improved.

4.3. Efficiency & Logistics

With rising labor cost, also in the emerging markets,
a large amount of cost can be saved using drymix
mortar technology. Especially the use of state-of-
the-art application equipment and -tools in combi-
nation with specially formulated drymix mortars
enables the crews to increase their efficiency by
factors of 4 to 10 per manhour. Jobsite traffic, eleva-
tor usage, waste and dust development (e.g. regula-
ted in the USA by the OSHA requirements) are
being reduced to a minimum. These factors are the
main drivers of drymix mortar technology worldwi-
de, especially in metropolitan areas.
4.4. Ease of Application
It is a fact that most economies reduce the amount
of training required for the construction trades. In
many areas of the world, uneducated and unskilled
migrant workers are being employed, often only
with limited staying allowance/Visa. The construc-
tion therefore needs more easy-to-apply products.
In order to perform in a competitive marketplace,
this lack of knowhow has to be compensated with
superior product performance. It can be said - and
without any snideness - that there is a certain „fool-
proof“ approach needed to make sure the products
are being applied faultlessly.
A prerequisite of such strategy, however, is the wil-
lingness on the part of the consultants to objective-
ly calculate the financial advantages of the combi-
nation of ressources, both human and in terms of
materials. Up to now, we see many specifiers base
their decision just on prices per kg or t, and not per
defined performance unit, for example square me-
tres of tile applied, area of wall rendered, and many
even disregard the time frame needed to perform
such work and the time needed in between appli-
cations for the curing of the mortars.

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 73

 Using sophisticated lab analysis, the pool of
knowhow existing and automated plants, the for-
mulations for drymix mortars can easily be adapted
to the local conditions.

5. The Fields of Growth

Apart from the general contribution of substitution

of traditional jobsite mixing and the growth
through this effect a multitude of growth factors
exist globally. They can be summarized as follows

• growing ratio of owners vs. tenants (rented

Picture 4: Outdoor
Exposure of mortar
samples at Wacker 4.5. Regional Adaptability
Technical Center in
Beijing
All drymix mortar formulations, no matter in which
part of the world, need the adaptation to locally
sourced bulk raw materials, the building traditions
of the particular countries, the required specifica-
tions or local standards, the aesthetical preferences
of the buyers as well as to the predominating cli-
mate in the region. This applies particularly to ma-
terials used on the outside of the building and to a
lesser degree to the technical mortars used inside.
property)
• trend to use attractive finishing materials (e.g.
tiles, parquet)
• requirement for more precision and durability
• legal requirements (e.g. ban of jobsite mixing;
EIFS)
5.1. New Construction
Apart from the Mega-Projects (e.g. Olympic Games in
Beijing, Developments in Dubai), which generate
their own economic dynamics, there is a continued
demand for high-quality development in the exis-
ting urban centres. The use of drymix mortars in new
construction is currently increasing at a faster pace
than the growth of the construction volume itself.

Table 11: Construction Types as Percentage of Overall Construction

Type of % of Construc- Intensity of Mortar Mortar Types Used

Construction tion Volume Use
industrial 8 low flooring screeds (thick, load-bearing),
masonry mortars
commercial, 25 medium to high full portfolio
touristic
governmental 12 high full portfolio
residential 55 very high full portfolio, plus sub-grade
protection slurries

74
5.2. Maintenance and Renovation,
Waterproofing
In order to maintain a comfortable living space and
attractive offices and malls, a strongly growing mar-
ket for renovation products and services is evolving.
This repair and maintenance industry feeds on the
aftermath of new construction, when units were
built fast and cheap. Bad composite system design,
inferior materials used and bad workmanship have
produced numerous application failures visible to
the naked eye of the quality-minded final owners
or tenants.
Leaking roofs and problems with indoor condensa-
tion (e.g. subsequent discolorations caused by fun-
gi or bacteria and/or efflorescence) are the most vi-
sible causes of damages, even to the layman.
Therefore, sealing slurries and renovation renders
are very important products in the introduction
phase of drymix mortars.
5.3. Retrofitting EIFS
The world has realized to that preventing global
warming and namely CO2 emissions is the most im-
portant task for the coming decades. Energy is get-
ting scarce and expensive. For example, in the US,
tenants complain that their electrical bill (mostly
used for for heating and air conditioning) can reach
the level of the rent or monthly mortgage pay-
ments. The saving of energy and natural ressources
is the key to solve those problems. Energy con-
sumption targets for new and existing construction
have been postulated and local and national legis-
lation, requirements of a building‘s performance are
under way in many Nations. Drymix mortar, here
used in EIFS to improve the insulative properties of
a building is state-of-the-art in retrofitting existing
buildings.
5.4. Infrastructure
With the permanent growth of the world‘s popula-
tion, logistics problems will dominate the planning
in the future. Mass transportation, individual traffic
and waste handling infrastructure is mostly old and
in bad repair, also in the industrialized nations in
the Americas and Western Europe. In the emerging
nations Russia, China, India and Brasil (BRIC Nations),
this infrastructure is in the process of development
but are already showing signs of disrepair.
Concrete renovation, tunneling for subways and
discharge channels and specialty mortars for road
and rail construction will play a major role in drymix
mortar development in the near future.
6. Challenges to the Drymix Mortar
Industry
6.1. Cement as Main Binder
In the ongoing environmental discussion, cement
has come under close scrutiny. In light of the fact
that over 80% of the drymix mortars produced
worldwide contain cement as the major mineral
binder, it is important for our industry to prepare for
heated discussions concerning the environmental
impact of cement production. The contribution of
cement manufacturing is estimated to be between
7 and 9 % of the global CO2 emissions.
Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 75

Picture 5: Zero Adhesion
in restroom of the then
brand new Bangkok Experts agree, that cement cannot be replaced
Suvarnabhumi Airport short-range as a binder system in drymix mortars
(2007!)
(and of course not in the precast and concrete in-
dustries). The cement industry must improve on
their production technology and see to a global
spread of environmentally concious, low-CO2 pro-
duction. This will mean that old plants have to be
refurbished or replaced by new ones. This process is
hard to influence by the drymix mortar industry.
However, we can show clearly the relevance of ce-
ment based drymix mortars when it comes to the
saving of natural ressources (thin-bed technology)
and the actual CO2 savings by thermal insulation
(EIFS). An eco-balance of drymix mortar could help
to soften this debate. Blended cements such as CEM
II and CEM III and alternative binder systems such as
silicates or pozzolanic materials can also help to re-
duce the environmental impact of drymix mortars
76
6.2. Changing Styles and Habits in Architecture
Block-and-mortar outer shell construction is often
being replaced by glass facades, with all the tech-
nological and ecological disadvantages curtain
walls have. In interior construction, gypsum board
(dry wall) construction is on the rise. For budget ho-
tels, sports facilities and some large-scale residenti-
al developments (especially in the USA), prefabrica-
ted bathrooms out of glassfiber-reinforced sheets
seem to present an economic advantage.
6.3. Deterioration of Quality
This is the most immediate threat to the continuing
growth of drymix mortar technology worldwide, it
has the following causes:
• oversupply situations
• inferior products
• ignorance on the part of the consultants
All three abovementioned reasons can be addressed
by prudently acting drymix mortar manufacturers.
Oversupply situations can occur, but can be over-
come, if production is being reduced in times of cri-
sis and new applications are being accessed for dry-
mix mortars.
The damage to the reputation of drymix mortar
technology itself is very large, when bad products
are being offered. Garage manufacturers, offering
„me-too products“, with lower performance will be
kept at bay, if a binding standard, flanked by regio-
nal legislation exists.
Special attention must be given to the training and
continuing education of architects, engineers and
consultants. This, combined with application-speci-
fic training, will enable them to act fast, competent
and in an overall cost-saving manner.
6.4. Lack of Warranties and Legal Requirements 7. Summary & Conclusions

As long as there is no specification or official recom-
mendation for the use of drymix mortars, the quali-
ty aspects of this technology cannot be fully rea-
lized. There are promising initiatives („quality
drives“) by individual governments, also supra-nati-
onal bodies have started to think about the harmo-
nizing of regulations across borders and/or stan-
dards for drymix mortars and other construction
products (e.g. GSO in the Middle East; ASEAN).
Apart from product-specific recommendations, the
guidance of the local government including legisla-
tion is extremely important in the field of invest-
ment preservation and -safety. This is only possible
by establishing long-lasting (min 5 years), binding
and enforcable warranties for system performance
and workmanship combined with specified quality
systems. Only by this measure, contractors, develo-
pers and consultants will have an incentive to cons-
truct modern, durable and maintenance-free buil-
dings.
A complete system combining quality with warranty
might include the aspects summarized in table 12:
It has been shown, that very large potentials to
grow the global drymix mortar market exist. The
drymix mortar industry has the task to work on the
legislative framework, establish binding standards
and address the ecological challenges that lay
ahead. The adaptation of the current applications to
local conditions and building traditions will yield a
host of additional know how, which can be marke-
ted elsewhere. With competent professionals on
the specifying side and with well-trained workers at
the contractors, our industry will be able to grow
further and reach farther.
Only in very densely populated markets, such as Eu-
rope, drymix mortar manufacturers can afford offe-
ring strictly volume products (e.g. renders, masonry
mortars). In the global markets, a combined portfo-
lio of volume products and high value added spe-
cialty drymix mortars will be necessary to gain all
potential. Products have to be continually improved
and new applications have to be introduced by the
industry in order to satisfy the demands and face
the challenges of the future.

Table 12: Proposal of Types of Intermeshing Warranties to Assure Investment Safety

Task
Zoning and Infrastructure
Planning
Architectural Design
Engineering, Structural Design
Construction Materials
Construction Workmanship
Damage Assessment and
correction
Regulation
Laws governing long-range administrative decisions, anchored in the
legal system of the particular Nation
architectural copyrights with all implied legal enforcement necessities
consultants professional liability, holding developer harmless of
composite system failures and product failures, CIPD requirements
manufacturer‘s product liability and warranty (only for product
performance!), Standards (ISO, ANSI, EN)
Codes of Practice, contractor‘s warranty, QMS auditing, proof of
continuous education of personnel, incl. migrant workers
construction contract contents, neutral expertises, training of assessors,
legal framework to correct damages

Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 77

 Currently the most dynamic regions for drymix
mortars are (arranged by significance): China, Brasil,
Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey. The fastest
growing applications on a global level are Renders,
EIFS and CTAs, „sleepers“ with high potential out-
side of Euroep are Screeds and Gypsum Plasters.
8. acknowledgement
This report has been commissioned by Bauverlag.
The report first appeared in ZKG International as a
two-part article and has been slightly modified for
the publication here. The author thanks Bauverlag
for the support and Dr. Thomas Weiss specifically
for the coaching.
78
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 Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2010 79

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