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

Different lime-based mortars are used in masonry and plastering. Lime mortar is valued for plasticity, workability and vapor permeability, but in strength and moisture resistance it is usually inferior to cement and cement-lime mortars.

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

Air-lime mortars harden through drying and carbonation: lime reacts with carbon dioxide from the air. In a wet environment without air access, this process is much slower. If cement or hydraulic lime is present, the mortar can gain strength in damp conditions, but this depends on the exact composition.

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.