Cement-sand mortar for brick laying

The usual mortar for brick laying cement-sand type is made by mixing two main components: sand and cement. The proportion of mortar for masonry brick is usually a ratio of 1: 4 or 1: 6. The task of any solution is to prevent the displacement of bricks in the masonry relative to each other. Therefore, mortar for laying bricks in building structures undergoes a load only for compression and displacement. That's why this kind of solution is skinny. In some cases clays or lime may be added to such solutions, these additional components allow the solution to be ductile and flowable. In rare cases, you can use detergent or soap instead of lime. But when laying hollow bricks, such a mixture will flow into all available cracks in the brick, which will negatively affect its thermal insulation properties.

Mortar for laying bricks is prepared in a simple way: mixing the main components (cement and sand) in a dry form and then, before using it, watering it with water. At the same time, a small amount of solution should be prepared at once (recommended volume is 25-30 liters). But if the process of laying a brick is carried out in several hands, or the rapid use of a large volume is meant, then a large amount of mortar can be immediately mixed and, if necessary, it is also necessary to use a concrete mixer.

Mortar for brickwork as mentioned above, is designed to fill the free space between individual bricks, stones or blocks of building materials. And therefore, the quality of the mortar has a direct impact on the monolithic and strength of the entire structure and hence the durability of its operation.

The mortar for brick laying has in its composition two types of components: fillers and binders. Depending on the binders, the solutions are air hardening, water hardening, and also hydraulic. As a rule, the first type of mortar is used in brickwork. Depending on the amount of astringents in the solution, they are divided into simple and complex. In brickwork, simple mortars are usually used. In this case, either cement or lime acts as an astringent. In complex solutions, binders can be used simultaneously, for example: cement-lime, lime-clay cement, etc. Such complex solutions are used for specific masonry, where it is necessary that the solution has high plastic properties.

The mortar for brickwork is still divided by strength. This indicator is determined by the brand or in other words the ability of the solution to withstand compression loads. For mortars used in laying, the following grades are set: 0; 2; 4; 10; 25; 50; 75 and 100. For more specific tasks - the construction of hydraulic structures and special structures can use mortars of grades 150 and 200. It is the mark that characterizes the freshly laid or freshly drained solution, which has not yet gained sufficient elasticity and strength when setting and hardening. To test the grade of the solution, a cube with an edge of 7 cm is made from it and after a 28-day hardening period a compressive force is applied to it. At the same temperature in the laboratory can fluctuate from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius with a plus. And three samples are made, and solution fences are made at the beginning of kneading, in the middle and at the end of the kneading process.

In addition to the strength characteristics, the mortar for brickwork must have water retaining and moving parameters. Such parameters allow the solution to uniformly fill the entire space at the seams, which in turn leads to improved coupling characteristics of solutions and the surface of bricks (stones).