Mortars - the role of new binders

摘要

Modern mortars range from the simple blends of Portland cement and sand, as used in most building mortars, to complex mixes of cements, sands and additives for use in specific situations. Many new binders are now available to the engineer in order to meet the increasing demands which are placed on today's mortars. These cements may resemble the more traditional Portland cement in appearance but their respective reactions with water are quite different such that their indiscriminate use without a basic understanding of their chemistry can produce mortars which are unsuitable for the intended application. This paper considers the properties of the main alternative binders which are used in mortars and compares them with Portland cement. These new cements are usually combined with fillers and admixtures in dry pre-packaged blends which requrie only the addition of water to produce a mortar. Irrespective fo binder type, it is clear that each mortar shares the need to have the common characteristics of ease of use and durability in service.