Specific weight of lime mortar, its composition, applications and properties

In construction work, when walls are erected and plastered, various types of bonding mixtures are widely used. One of the most reliable and common options is lime mortar. Building mixtures that use lime are considered among the most heat-resistant, but they are inferior in strength to other alternatives.

Lime mortars are mainly used for plastering concrete, brick and wooden surfaces, both indoors and outdoors. Such mortars have excellent plasticity, good adhesion to surfaces of any type and are very durable in dry conditions.

Table of the specific weight of lime mortar

The weight of lime mortar depends not only on its components, but also on the moisture content and grain size of the aggregate. This type of construction material has a complex structure, which makes calculating its weight difficult without special equipment and tools. However, based on such an indicator as the specific weight of lime mortar, which ranges from 1.7 to 1.9 g/cm³, it is possible to calculate such a parameter as the weight of 1 m³ of lime mortar. For greater convenience, below is a table showing this calculated indicator, namely the weight of 1 cubic meter of lime mortar in different systems of measurement.

Composition and application of lime mortar

In terms of composition, lime mortar consists of a mixture of water and slaked lime, to which cement is added depending on the type of construction work, while observing the necessary conditions and proportions. This material is universal in application, since the addition of admixtures can create specific required properties. Thus, for interior construction work, a mixture of lime mortar and sand is suitable, while for facade work, a mixture of lime mortar and cement is used.

Lime mortars are also divided into complex and simple mortars. Simple mortars of this type contain only one binder, while complex mortars may include several types of binder substances.

Properties of lime mortar

Lime mortars have a number of distinctive properties that characterize this type of mixture as an excellent choice for suitable types of work. For example, by adding certain admixtures, it is possible to achieve air hardening, that is, a process in which hardening begins when the mixture comes into contact with air and may continue in a humid environment.

Mortars of this type differ by fat content and may be of the following types:

• Lean lime mortar. This mortar is intended for painting work due to such a property as reduced shrinkage during hardening.
• Normal lime mortar. This mortar is the “golden mean” among all types. It is characterized by moderate shrinkage and a small amount of admixtures.
• Fat lime mortar. This type of mortar is produced with the addition of a large amount of binding admixtures, which, in turn, gives it such a characteristic as plasticity. This mortar is the most convenient to use.

Lime mortars also differ in density. When preparing mortars of this type with sand, the porosity of the sand plays an important role. If the porosity is high, the density of the mortar will be lower, and therefore its weight will also decrease.